How many Japanese care about GTAIV?

Many more than Madden. GTA III sold 300,000 copies for its first year in Japan on the PS2 in 2003. Madden 2007 sold about 5K for Japan on the PS3, madden games don't chart in Japan.

So you think GTAIV will sell a million on the PS3 in Japan? It'll need numbers like that if it is to have even a small chance of outselling the 360 version Worldwide in the numbers some people on here seem to believe. I'm guessing the 360 version will trounce the PS3 version in North America and UK by such a number that the rest of Others and Japan won't be able to compensate.

There hasn't been any game on the PS3 that has outsold the 360 version by even a million... For the PS3 to do 2-1 numbers it would likely have to outsell the 360 version by 5+ million.

In 2008 PS3 have 5 AAA exclusives (MGS 4, GT5P, Little Big Planet, Kill Zone 2 and Resistance 2) that will sell consoles plus GTA IV.
In 2008 XBox 360 only has 1 AAA exclusive (Gears of War 2) that will sell consoles plus GTA IV.
Lets assume these AAA titles will shift in total one million consoles each this year. GTA IV will cancel each other out. PS3 gains 4 million extra consoles in 2008 alone.

@ Legend11

I think GTA IV on the PS3 makes a good chance outselling the 360 for lifetime sales. I just wanted to point out Madden is a bad example for worldwide sales comparisons. And yes GTA is more relevant for Japan than Madden will ever be:

http://pcgames.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/11104/GTA_San_Andreas_Tops_Japan_Sales_Charts.html

Killzone 2?  Sequel to a game that sold 750,000 copies?  Yeah it makes sense to include it but exclude Fable 2 for 360, a sequel to a game which sold 2.6 million copies.  Or ignore exclusive content for GTAIV?  What about Banjo Kazooie 3?  The first game in that series sold 3.65 million.  And since you like mentioning franchise titles what about Halo Wars and Halo Chronicles?  Or Ninja Gaiden 2, the previous installments on Xbox sold over 1.5 million.

@ Legend11

I am not a Sony fanboy, lol. PS3 to pass the XBox 360 in total sales by 31st December 2008.

it will take time

anyway, I am sure GTAIV will have better sells on PS3 in Europe, but far better sells on 360 in America...

Japan won't even get the game, will they ?

MikeB said: @ Legend11 Or ignore exclusive content for GTAIV? Future additional non-free dowloadable episodes more relevant than free online multi-player or pretty potential RRoD & disc scratching? Personally I don't think so. So many great games coming out for the PS3 it will be easy for me to wait for GTA V for additional episodes. I think GTA III on the XBox offered additional content, but didn't really add much to sales.

Personally I think the episodes are worth it to fans of the series.  I guess we'll have to wait until first week sales of the game to see who's right.  So you think it's the same situation with GTAIV as it was with GTAIII on PS2/Xbox?  LOL.