To sell 100 million units of a title is unprecedented to a high degree. It’s such a high honor that only two games in the ENTIRE history of gaming – yes, 40+ years – have reached and surpassed that mark: Minecraft – at 144 million units – and Tetris – at 170 million units. That is set to end if projections by Rockstar Games are correct with Grand Theft Auto V being well on its way to 100 million copies itself.
The title released in September 2013 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, selling a total of ninety-five million units grossing over six billion dollars in worldwide revenue across PlayStation 3, 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows platforms. Grand Theft Auto V also shattered several Guinness World Records, including the best selling overall and action-adventure video game in a 24 hour period, as well as fastest entertainment and video game to gross US$1 billion and most viewed video game trailer for an action-adventure game. Let’s just say Grand Theft Auto V is insanely popular.
NPD numbers for May and June – respective – have Grand Theft Auto V as the No. 5 and 3 best selling game in the United States, leaving little doubt that the title will surpass the 100 million unit milestone before the holiday season begins. In fact, the CEO and Chairman of Take-Two Interactive, Strauss Zelnick, had the following to say concerning the success of GTA V and NBA 2K18:
Fiscal 2019 is off to a solid start, with first-quarter operating results that exceeded our expectations. This performance was driven by better-than-expected recurrent consumer spending on ‘Grand Theft Auto Online’ and ‘NBA2K18,’ as well as robust ongoing demand for ‘Grand Theft Auto V,’ which is now approaching 100 million units sold-in to date. Accordingly, we are increasing our operating outlook for fiscal year 2019.
With no signs of slowing down, or a sequel release on the way, Grand Theft Auto V’s success is unparalleled in the gaming industry, with Zelnick pointing out that the company’s focus is on the upcoming October 26 release of Red Dead Redemption 2. Zelnick pointed out that the plan for Red Dead Redemption 2’s online component is to ‘engage and captivate consumers with the best content’ and that Take-Two “didn’t really know what to expect” when Grand Theft Auto Online launched five years ago.
Editor’s Note: Grand Theft Auto V is a runaway success. Not like Minecraft, but it’s a runaway success. Honestly, I have to say, in my lifetime, I don’t think we’ll ever see another video game approach that milestone. It also proves that multiplayer games rule the day, especially since Minecraft and GTA V have or will have moved more than 100 million units within the last decade, both of which multiplayer content dominates over the single-player experience. Even by taking a look at May and June’s NPD numbers, you can see that multiplayer titles dominate the top 10, with NBA 2K18, MLB 18: The Show, State of Decay 2 – despite the massive drop off from 1 to 20 – GTA V, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe being the constant in the top 20, with Mario Tennis Aces, The Crew 2 and FIFA 18, Overwatch and PUBG making appearances within these two months. That said, congrats to Take-Two and Rockstar for their continued success. Maybe I’ll reinstall Grand Theft Auto V on my PC and play it some more.
