From my perception, it's sort of the mentality of those who
mob the doors before they even open causing real chaos in
the mall despite the presence of police officers and security
guards at the scene.
Certainly not safe for young kids, or anyone else actually.
But hey, Blockbuster's got it plastered all-over their Front
windows so it's ok now, right?
Grand Theft Auto IV hits the streets--it's a '10'
Summary
Larceny, murder, and mayhem are back big time and will likely result in one of the biggest "hits" in video-game history. Grand Theft Auto IV, rated a "10" by Gamespot, hits the streets.
Topics
Expectations were high when Microsoft and Bungie released Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 on September 25. It was only mildly surprising, then, when Microsoft proclaimed a day after launch that the final installment in Halo's story arc, begun in 2001 on the original Xbox, had set North American entertainment sales records, selling some $170 million in product within 24 hours. Not a bad tally, considering it had unseated summer box-office spectacle Spider-Man 3's record-setting $151 million domestic opening-weekend haul from earlier in the year.
Bungie wasn't given long to bask in its unequivocal success before analysts began to balk at Halo 3's feat. Within two weeks of Microsoft's announcement, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey was postulating that Bungie would soon find its sales crown swiped by the criminal masterminds at Rockstar Games. Were Grand Theft Auto IV to land a similarly eye-popping attachment rate on par with Halo 3's--at the time, in excess of 40 percent--he conjectured, the cross-platform status of the game could spike first-week unit shipments to 9.5 million worldwide, or $466 million in sales. Those figures would constitute a significant premium over Halo 3's reported 5 million-unit, $300 million international opening-week debut.
Images: 'Grand Theft Auto IV' hits the streets
Review: Grand Theft Auto IV
With Take-Two now reportedly measuring out global preorder demand at 6 million units--or $400 million--it has become a forgone conclusion that GTAIV will do quite well for itself when it launches today.
"There is no question that GTA will be huge," Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter told GameSpot. "I think that the game will sell 11 to 13 million copies by calendar year end, with probably 4 million the first week and 6 million the first full month." While sales will initially favor the Xbox 360 edition of the game at a rate of three-to-two, Pachter predicted that as Sony's console continues to gain momentum, game sales will even out toward the end of the year to a roughly even split. By year's end, Pachter estimates 5 to 6 million PS3 owners will have picked up the game, yielding an attachment rate of 35 percent, and 6 to 7 million units headed to the Xbox 360 gamers, a 30 percent attach rate.
Pachter believes the game will have legs into next year, as well, as Microsoft and Sony continue to more deeply penetrate the market with their latest systems. "The attach rate is likely to slow a bit, so we should expect another 5 to 6 million units sold (unless the game is discounted)," Pachter said. "So I think lifetime sales will be 16 to 19 million."
While that may in fact constitute "huge," it would not best GTAIV's direct predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, according to Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson. "I don't see any other game this year that has the sales potential of GTAIV. However, the real question is what console game can top San Andreas?" said Wilson to GameSpot. "San Andreas sold 21.5 million copies [globally]."
Regardless of whether GTAIV pulls a sales coup on its antecedent, Wilson believes gamers will flock in droves to GTAIV. Giving a quick and dirty rundown, Wilson told GameSpot, "Our initial assumptions for the game are 4.5 million worldwide in April. 8.5 million by the end of October. 10 million by the end of the year." In a note to investors this week, Wilson referenced the gushing nature of early reviews, and said he may have lowballed the actual year-end total by as much as 2 million units.
Certainly one of the biggest factors in Rockstar's corner is the substantially larger pool of customers GTAIV will enjoy over Halo 3. "In total, we estimate the US 360 installed base to be 3.5 million higher for GTA IV than it was for Halo's launch, or just over 50 percent," said Wilson. The PS3 adds another 4 to 4.5 million consoles to the GTA base." As such, though Wilson agrees with Pachter that the game will see a significantly lower attach rate than Halo 3--26 percent in the US, 20 percent globally in its first week--it will enjoy a superior opening-week sales tally of $550 million.
All said, Pachter believes that if GTAIV hits his sales estimate, Take-Two and Rockstar will see retail sales of roughly $720 million in 2008, assuming all games go for full price. That's a sizable slice of the pie, given Pachter's 2008 global gaming industry revenue estimates. "I expect US and European software sales to total $22.8 billion this year, so GTA represents 3.2 percent of all games sold."
As for when the next time a title will leave such a substantive imprint on the gaming industry, the prolific analyst was quite clear: "GTAV."
Talkback Most Recent of 35 Talkback(s)
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dascha129th Apr 2008 -
It's a pig with lipstick, perfumed dung, etc.
I've never played the GAT games and never will, but in fairness to it, let's assume that as far as gaming technology goes, it does the job and does it well.
That said, the past games have been played strictly to the basest instincts in the male population. Murder, misogyny, and prostitution are glorified. Oh, but this is all for pretend, right? And gambling addictions, illegal drug use, and prostitution are all victimless crimes, right? Try telling that to the victims whose money was stolen to pay for gambling or drug additions or to the women and children who are abused and imprisoned by the pimps.
Don't think for a moment that anyone who plays GAT4 is somehow not morally corrupted in some way by the game. If the developers could lift their content, they could make more money. PG-13 makes more than R.
techvet29th Apr 2008 -
Re: It's a pig with lipstick, perfumed dung, etc.
Condescend much?
Nate B29th Apr 2008 -
"morally corrupted"
The only one who is morally corrupted is you-condescending is a bad trait to broadcast to others, but you do it well.
A good role model for others to observe, you are not.
DonRupertBitByte29th Apr 2008 -
Dude!
Pack up all your computers and game machines and take them back to the stores and slap yourself for EVER buying them or playing them! RIGHT NOW! You have the beacon of odasity to bark spew at one game... and your hypocritic butt turns around and plays other fantasy games! I guess you think those vehicles or monsters in the other games are real and show influence? You are about as retarded as your post! And it is GTA (Grand Theft Auto), not GAT dim-wade! Oh! Each time your cyber typing happens, it effects my presona of the total Internet, so get off!
.lol
You make me laugh...
DarbyOhara29th Apr 2008 -
A shrink wannabe
Don't think for a moment that anyone who plays GAT4 is somehow not morally corrupted in some way by the game.
By this logic, anybody who reads the news is also morally corrupted in some way. Now excuse me...I have to go get a beer and take a cruise on a sidewalk.
Taz_z29th Apr 2008 -
Thanks! Can't Wait For My Copy!
Mine gets delivered to me tomorrow..I'll be thinking of you while I'm beating down hookers and stealing police cars.
itanalyst2@...29th Apr 2008 -
More of the same!
I guess you already know what you are gonna be doing. How is this not more of the same crap?
PcJunkie29th Apr 2008 -
ItsTheBottomLine29th Apr 2008 -
Dude Get a Life
Seriously
bmore_bro69@...29th Apr 2008 -
OH boy....
I don't know what to say to you except you are correct on a lot of the points you make. But you're not looking at it for what the game is. Entertainment.
I have to correct some of the things you said though. One is it's not GAT4, it's GTA4/GTA IV.
And two R movies make less but that's because there are not as many R movies as there are PG-13. Bad comparison seeing how PG-13 movies like Charlies Angels, The Ring, The Matrix, and many others PG-13 movies all have Drugs, Sex, sluts, and major amounts of violence.
Why are people morally corrupt if they play a game like GTA 4? Well as you said you have never played it or other games of the series so you really wouldn't know. I have however played it and it's more refreshing that the developers actually make you feel bad for doing some pretty bad things in the game. This feeds into its great story by the way.
All the things in this game exist and it pokes fun at it like: America's Next Top Model, MetLife, and other things. Other times it makes you feel bad for your character. There is a reason why the general public likes this game (that you have not played) and that's because they appreciate what it is. An ADULT title not meant to be seen by children. Any good parent or adult would know that, and all the retail stores know that as well seeing how you have to be 17+ to purchase the game.
I respect your decision to not play the game due to your belief of what you think the game is, and I can tell you from your post alone that you are not the demographic that this game was meant for.
I however disagree with your statement that someone is 'morally corrupted' because of a video game. Last time I checked I believe they were called 'games' for a reason.
-Chris
chrgeorgeson29th Apr 2008 -
the pig....
NO one is putting a gun to your head and saying "Quick! play this game!" If you don't like it, don't play/buy it. Please tell us how you are in such a high and mighty position to tell the rest of us that we can't buy this? If your mind is so corrupted that you can't tell the difference between a GAME and reality, check yourself in to the nearest mental hospital at once! Gamblers spend THEIR money because they want to. No one forces them into the casino. Drug users keep using drugs because they want to as well and prostitutes do that because they think its easy money and if they make much, then greed comes into play. Its their choice. You don't know what you are missing by not playing this game. Its actually quite fun. Too bad you have been sequestered and cloistered in some "religious" commune is unfortunate. One must posess enough mental skills to distinguish right from wrong and a game from reality. I am sorry for you and those like you that feel a game, or any thing(s) is/are bad.
Stogie smoker28th May 2008 -
Halo still the best....
I refuse to participate in this GTA release. Why you may ask? Because it is not an XBOX exclusive title. The fact that developers had to write the game for Sony's loser of a system really bothers me. My rep and I will continue to play Halo 3 ALL THE TIME. XBOX exclusive titles are the only titles worth playing!
Mike Cox29th Apr 2008 -
I'll betcha...
my Rep and I are having a lot more fun playing GTA than your boring and redundant Halo sissy game!DarbyOhara29th Apr 2008 -
Hehe
Although I'm not really into GTA, I have to agree that Halo has lost its touch... its just too much of the same all the time.
CreepinJesus29th Apr 2008
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
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