Analyst: Grand Theft Auto V could sell 25 million

Rockstar Games' upcoming open-world action game Grand Theft Auto V is the company's most ambitious project to date, and according to one analyst, that deep investment will be rewarded with strong first-year sales. Electronic Entertainment Design and Research analyst Jesse Divnich told Now Gamer recently that he believes the hotly hyped game could sell 25 million or more copies during its first 12 months.

He explained that though the current high-definition game market is "softening" as the existing console cycle comes to a close, the market for big-budget AAA titles like GTAV remains healthy.

"In the case of GTAV, I have little concerns about when it is released," he said. "Whether April, June, or even Winter, I’d expect GTAV to sell in upwards of 25 million copies in its first 12 months."

Rockstar Games last week confirmed GTAV will ship for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 during spring 2013. Preorders for the game opened this week at select retailers in the United States and Europe. The game's second trailer will arrive November 14.

For more on GTAV, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.