jack89
Date:
2008-04-29
Time: 11:25:57
|
Highly anticipated video game Grand Theft
Auto (GTA) IV has gone on sale worldwide with
analysts expecting it to smash sales
records.
Many shops in the UK and the United States
opened their doors at midnight.
The game is tipped to break the opening week
sales figures of Microsoft's Halo 3, and pull
in up to $400m (£201m).
Early reviews of the game have hailed it a
"masterpiece" and it is on course to be the
most critically acclaimed title of all time.
The game currently has an average review
score of 99.1%, according to
Gamerankings[censored], which amalgamates
reviews from all publications.
The critical response and strong sales could
bolster developer Rockstar's publisher Take
Two, which is the subject of a takeover bid
by games giant Electronic Arts (EA).
Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick rejected
EA's original offer, saying it was too low
and insisted on waiting until after GTA IV's
launch before entering discussions.
"These ratings are quite extraordinary. It's
something special and helps us understand why
Take Two was so confident and adamant that
they wanted to wait," UBS analyst Ben
Schachter told Reuters news agency.
The game has been tipped to sell up to six
million copies in a single week and Take Two
is confident the final tally could be higher
still.
"Our expectations are very high, higher than
analysts give the game credit for," Take-Two
chief executive Ben Feder told Reuters.
"All the analysts had a (sales) number, give
or take, and I think we will be on the upside
of that."
In the UK, 41 shops are understood to have
put the game on sale at midnight, including
outlets in Stevenage, Hertfordshire; Milton
Keynes, Buckinghamshire; Hammersmith, in west
London; and Bluewater Shopping Centre in
Kent.
Reviews for Grand Theft Auto IV have been
unanimous in their praise.
UK-based games website Eurogamer called it
"game of the year" and handed it a 10 out of
10 review score, while the New York Times
said it delivered a "new level of depth for
an interactive entertainment experience".
Source: BBC. |
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