Grand Theft Auto V Breaks First-Day Video Game Sales Record

Grand Theft Auto V

generated $800 million in first-day sales, shattering the previous record of $500 million held by Call of Duty: Black Ops II, according to Take-Two Interactive, who published the game. "We are incredibly proud of Rockstar Games' creative achievement and could not be more pleased with the success of this launch," said Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. Deadline puts the haul in the context of this year's big summer blockbusters, noting that the game has already generated more revenue than Man of Steel--although obviously video game sales and box office receipts are a whole other animal. Roughly 81 million tickets have been sold to Man of Steel worldwide to generate $663 million, whereas the lowest price available online for Grand Theft Auto V is $55, meaning that fewer than 15 million units have likely been sold. That's not to say that 15 million units and close to a billion dollars in revenue is anything to scoff at; just that the frequent comparison of box office performance to video game retail sales is a false one for a number of reasons, starting with the bottom line price and including things like the games' 24-hour retail window at big box stores and online.