Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular video games for mature gamers, and on Tuesday the newest installment far exceeded expectations of both developer Rockstar games and fans alike, reaching a staggering $800 million on first day sales alone. The budget to make the game was that of a big budget film, coming in at around $220 million.
According to Empire the fifth installment of the series sold a resounding 18 million copies worldwide on the first day of sales. The previous record holder was Black Ops II which held its own at $500 million on its first day, but was clearly blown out of the water by Grand Theft Auto V. Held up by near perfect reviews, and an incredible marketing push, it's easy to see why this game soars.
In an article by IGN developers stated that this marks “the highest first day retail sales of any title in the history of the company and the Grand Theft Auto series.” The numbers are from all territories that the game was released in, although it has yet to be launched in Japan and Brazil, so expect to see it hit the $1 billion mark faster than any other video has.