Grand Theft Auto V Breaks Sales Records

Anyone familiar with the roots of the Grand Theft Auto franchise knows that the series took some time to catch on. The first two games seemed to have the right idea in creating a free-roaming world where you could do whatever you wanted (and were encouraged to do), but they didn’t really click. The biggest issue, of course, was the underwhelming execution, mostly made evident by the top-down perspective.

But everything changed when Grand Theft Auto III hit the Playstation 2 in 2001 and since then, the controversial game franchise has been nothing short of unstoppable. One after another, the ensuing releases have sold millions of copies, revolutionized ‘sand box’ video games, and broken sale records. And now that Grand Theft Auto V is finally out, publisher Rockstar Games has another monster hit on its hands.

When Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was released back in November 2012, the first-person shooter shook the gaming world and landed in homes across the globe. It easily netted more than $500 million in a single day’s time and set the record for the fast-selling game in history. But now that GTAV is out, that record hasn’t just been broken. It’s been demolished.

The game took in a colossal $800 million in 24 hours. While it was released on both the Playstation 3 and XBox 360, it’s not yet available in Japan or Brazil. We can imagine that amount would be that much higher if those territories got GTAV in time. That’s not the only record set, however, as it is also the most expensive video game to develop to date. According to The Sentinel, it’s estimated that GTA V cost $265 million to create. While that was clearly a large investment (and that’s putting it lightly), the team at Rockstar clearly knew what they were doing. The preceding game, GTA IV, set records, too, by raking in a cool $500 million in its first day.

And just as the games continue to prosper, so does the critical acclaim. GTAV has earned perfect reviews from a slew of notable outlets, including IGN, Official XBox Magazine, and Giant Bomb. With good reason, because the Grand Theft Auto franchise continues to push the limits of console gaming in both the solo and multiplayer realms. This is especially true for those gamers who also happen to enjoy gambling as a hobby. GTA V allows a more engaging horse-racing experience and you can also stop by the local casino in the fictional city of Los Santos. Should those options not cure that gaming itch, however, you can always head to Arcade.Betfair.com for a bevy other options including Monopoly and Blackjack.

For those of you who have had a chance to play Grand Theft Auto V already, what do you all think of it? Are you at all surprised at its success and do you see it as a strong follow-up to its predecessor? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section.