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In addition to looking at the lighter and weirder side of the game industry, System Update provides the latest information on weekly console updates, DLC, game-specific updates, and other game-industry flotsam and jetsam.

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GTAIV gains Guinness Records approbation

Last week, Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games confirmed what many had assumed to be a forgone conclusion: Grand Theft Auto IV sold well. Just how well? According to the publisher's internal figures, GTAIV sold more than 6 million copies globally in its opening week (3.6 million of which were dispersed on day one), generating revenues in excess of $500 million.

As part of the announcement, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick said in a statement, "Grand Theft Auto IV's first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe these retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date."

Today, that claim became as official as it's likely to get. The Guinness World Records committee has announced that GTAIV has set new records for Highest Grossing Video Game in 24 Hours and the Highest Revenue Generated by an Entertainment Product in 24 Hours.

Pegging GTAIV's first-day figures at 3.6 million units and $310 million in cash, Guinness Records matched up Rockstar's open-world crime spree to other major releases. According to the record-tracking group, Bungie and Microsoft's Halo 3 previously held the fastest-selling video game record with $170 million in its first 24 hours. Spider-Man 3's box-office debut of $60 million last May held the theatrical movie title, whereas the final book in J.K. Rowling's children's fantasy epic, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, tallied $220 million in day-one sales.

140 Comments

  • Mafia_hitman01

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 3:14 pm PT

    GTA IV was graphically, a great game. Gameplay was less than exciting and I never bothered to finish it. San Andreas had so much more to do. Hopefully, Rockstar will do better with the next one.

  • gta4fanboy201

    Posted May 24, 2008 6:31 pm PT

    It deserves everything that its getting. cheers to you rockstar!

  • rynmls

    Posted May 19, 2008 4:55 pm PT

    a job well done i personally congratulate you even i don't have a 360 or ps3 yet, price drop!!! price drop!!! price drop!!! price drop!!! price drop!!! price drop!!!

  • ptbyce1

    Posted May 18, 2008 12:28 pm PT

    I can't beleive that GTA IV got entered into the Guiness Book or World Records. The game is sweet, but I didn't expect it to top other games such as HALO 3 or Call of Duty. I think it is cool, but don't you think that one of the most violent games I have seen, is the number one selling game in the world. I think that says a lot about the future.

  • Kashmiro

    Posted May 15, 2008 6:00 pm PT

    I'll respect Halo 3's sales yes, but if you look at the GTA lV Xbox 360 sales alone, they beat both the 24-hour and 1-week sales of Halo 3, so nuff said.

  • steini_kallinn

    Posted May 15, 2008 4:04 am PT

    Awesome!!

  • pikachukirby

    Posted May 14, 2008 8:27 pm PT

    i love GTA4!! it rocks my socks!!

  • lilmp89

    Posted May 14, 2008 4:04 pm PT

    Cool

    In response to that screenshot, I find it a bit too much that there was a suit at Perseus that was $1000 or $2000 and only gave a jacket...a little of topic but yea! =P This game rocks.

  • ps3thabest

    Posted May 14, 2008 2:04 pm PT

    good for gta they deserve it now serve me max payne up in 2009 like u guys said

  • cc23574

    Posted May 14, 2008 1:36 pm PT

    nice, the game really does live up to the hype

  • cc23574

    Posted May 14, 2008 1:34 pm PT

    nice, the game really does live up to the hype

  • gamecubepad

    Posted May 14, 2008 12:17 pm PT

    Hurray! GTA IV beat out Harry Potter for that coveted and honorable title of most generic and super-hyped anti-artwork in the world. Britney Spears and Michael Jackson must be so jealous. If only Miley Cyrus could save us. Poop gameplay is still poop, even if it is Normal Mapped and showered in HDR. I think I'm going to be sick.

  • mocano40

    Posted May 14, 2008 10:14 am PT

    To think that the XBOX 360 help more than anyone else to build that record.........that is truly an Achivement

  • Skreb-Masters

    Posted May 14, 2008 9:33 am PT

    Well done Rockstar. You win in all entertainment.

  • kingdre

    Posted May 14, 2008 9:16 am PT

    Rockstar did good. They deserve it.

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted May 14, 2008 9:02 am PT

    Video Games are the best forms of entertainment!

  • The_Weekend

    Posted May 14, 2008 8:38 am PT

    no wayyyyyyy!!!!

  • The_Weekend

    Posted May 14, 2008 8:38 am PT

    no wayyyyyyy!!!!

  • slickr

    Posted May 14, 2008 8:10 am PT

    Ofcourse GTA4 sold so much copies, having gamespot as well as all the other major games websites on the rockstar pay list to give the game the best mark/rating its no wonder.

  • slickr

    Posted May 14, 2008 8:05 am PT

    Yeah with gamespot joining Rockstar pay list like other websites to give the perfect mark/rating, its obvious the game would sell so much!

  • HardcoreBunni

    Posted May 14, 2008 6:26 am PT

    In your face Jack Thompson.

  • shawn7324

    Posted May 14, 2008 6:05 am PT

    Great Game.

  • swamptick

    Posted May 14, 2008 5:57 am PT

    The game is GREAT. Rockstar deserves not only all the accolades it receives but the financial reward it gets for making such a fine piece of softwear.

    Kudos to Rockstar. Kudos to the consumers for recognizing good product and Kudos to Gamespot for reporting it.

  • Shodden

    Posted May 14, 2008 5:46 am PT

    mulitplayer was a let down. finding a match is a huge pain in the ass.

  • metalkid9

    Posted May 14, 2008 5:43 am PT

    GTA IS UNSTOPPABLE!!!

  • MC_Raptor

    Posted May 14, 2008 4:15 am PT

    Yer, this game is good, but it's not the best ever game. I still play cod more. I actually didn't get as excited as hoped when i got into the game. graphics good, music is superb, story is interesting. But it does just feel like "another" gta. saying that though, it is not to discredit the success of rockstar!

  • neerajkumar_4

    Posted May 14, 2008 3:47 am PT

    WOOOOOOOT!!! thats my gta

  • kimshine

    Posted May 14, 2008 3:16 am PT

    great game it deserve it

  • Scorpion48

    Posted May 14, 2008 2:46 am PT

    I cant wait to get this game on my Future PS3 (fingers Crossed)

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted May 14, 2008 2:30 am PT

    -Holy damn.

  • Suuji

    Posted May 14, 2008 2:00 am PT

    the record will be broken by GTAV~

  • awarapanmovie

    Posted May 14, 2008 1:35 am PT

    keep rocking Gta 4 The Best Experience i ver played in my life i sold my pc and buy Ps3 for only Gta4 Game its Amazing 10/10

  • awarapanmovie

    Posted May 14, 2008 1:12 am PT

    Its Amazing Game man Gta 4 Rocks and Leave EA behind Keep it Up ROCKSTAR TAKETWO

  • alphaz0ne

    Posted May 14, 2008 12:49 am PT

    good job Rock Stars

  • zimaking

    Posted May 14, 2008 12:49 am PT

    I love my GTA 4 special edition ;}

  • svaubel

    Posted May 14, 2008 12:44 am PT

    GTA4 deserves it. It is a fantastic game

  • gta-codlover

    Posted May 14, 2008 12:02 am PT

    i thought there was going to be a big debate about that there still is sex in the game and the hot coffe like san andreas it got pulled off the shelfs and made a big hype about this game is bad! i was hoping it didnt get pulled off shelfs like gta san A did im glad it didnt but all it takes is one! only ONE! hardcore GTA NERD! to hack it to make it a hot coffe mod AGAIN! to mess it up for all of us

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted May 13, 2008 11:54 pm PT

    *whistles

  • hilltops

    Posted May 13, 2008 10:50 pm PT

    "GuyverV" -this is a multisystem release. it stands to reason that a game of this magnitude would sell well. halo 3 was a single system release. i think the sales that halo 3 did for being on one system is huge. while it doesn't eclipse the GTA release, you have to respect it.

    Says who you have to respect it..you!?
    It's no surprise that it sold well..its on the 360.
    It's all that the 360..HAD!! hahahahah

  • -OneDayMan-

    Posted May 13, 2008 10:48 pm PT

    Why is this good news? Why are people actually cared if they made it in Guinness World Records? I don't see the point in congratulating to a game that created a record. I like the game, it's one of the most disappointing and yet still as it actually came out later than it was originally posted for release, I'm relieved because of that, its probably because of it that made it the most (probably the "mostest") anticipated game ever. Which should explain the record. I don't congrads the game, I play the game knowing I was part of what it became.

  • XanderZane

    Posted May 13, 2008 10:34 pm PT

    This is good news. We'll have to wait and see if any other game can beat that record. I don't see it happening anytime soon.

  • theclaw135

    Posted May 13, 2008 10:15 pm PT

    This is further proof that games which actually have advertising sell better. Halo 3 was also a prime example of how a wide and generally tasteful marketing campaign can make sales skyrocket.

    More companies need to learn from this.

  • Hameyadea

    Posted May 13, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    Go UK! Out of the 3 categories (books, movies, games), British products are in 2 of them (Books: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Games: Grand Theft Auto IV).
    P.S.: We have the numbers for day-one books ($220 million), movies ($60 million) and games ($310 million) sales. But what about music day-one sales?

  • MatrixSpidey92

    Posted May 13, 2008 10:02 pm PT

    You see? This is what people get for creating a masterpiece.

  • Viral-venom13

    Posted May 13, 2008 9:37 pm PT

    I swear this game is like a God amongst games and judging from the world record its now a God amongst the entire entertainment media as a whole. GTA 4 is like the Zeus of games and the king of kings among entertainment.....congratz to R*, just when i thought they couldn't push the envelope any furthur after seeing San Andreas, they have once again prooved me wrong. These R* developers are true artistic masters of their craft not to get me wrong as so are many, many other developers who are also famous through game development history!!

  • Blaksentinel

    Posted May 13, 2008 9:24 pm PT

    Congrats to those guys at Rockstar. They definitely deserve it.

  • Shomb22

    Posted May 13, 2008 8:55 pm PT

    its overrated. but i think we all know that.

  • ishan316

    Posted May 13, 2008 8:46 pm PT

    I predicted that a year ago playas....

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted May 13, 2008 8:16 pm PT

    Halo what? What? Oh that's right, your just stuck now. Not only that, but GTA 4 is about to overtake what Halolz turd sold since it's release in a single month of being out. Pssst.. btw gaylo fans COD4 curbstomps your sorry excuse for a overhyped game.

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