NEW YORK (Reuters) - When the violent video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" hits stores on Tuesday, its sales could eclipse Hollywood's most successful films, even as it draws the ire of critics.
Developed by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. imprint Rockstar Games, "San Andreas" should sell more than 4.5 million units globally in its first week, which could make it one of the top sellers of all time, analysts say.
"This will be one of the few video games to sell more copies than the preceding version," said American Technology Research analyst P.J. McNealy, noting that the game's predecessor "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" sold 12 million copies. "The expectations are 13-15 million for this one," he added.
At about $50 each, first-week sales of 4.5 million units would equal about $225 million. Should it reach 15 million units, sales of "San Andreas" would beat U.S. and Canada box office sales of the film "Titanic" by more than $100 million.
Its debut kicks off a season of blockbusters in the global interactive game publishing market, which at over $30 billion a year, dwarfs the movie business.
"San Andreas," exclusive to Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2 console, will be followed on Nov. 9 by "Halo 2," made by Microsoft Corp. for its Xbox. Nintendo Co. Ltd., maker of the GameCube, will have "Metroid Prime 2."
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Source:
Reuters
