http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185876

By Kris Graft

 Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV is poised to sell 5.8 million units during its first week of availability, according to Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey. In a note to GameStop investors, Hickey highlighted this year's top games that are expected to drive sales at the retailer.

Among titles such as Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Halo Wars, Wii Fit, Fallout 3, Mercenaries 2 and other high-profile games, Hickey singled out GTA IV, which is slated to release April 29.

"We expect [GameStop] will benefit from the release of GTA IV in their fiscal Q208 period, which could ship 5.8 million units in the first week or $360 million in retail sales and potentially $110 million for the Company," he wrote.

Hickey's week-one estimates are in line with Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, who said in mid-March that he expects GTA IV to sell 6 million in its first week.

Pachter said he expects the game to sell 9 million during Rockstar parent Take-Two's fiscal year.

Hickey expects game industry software sales to grow 20 percent year-on-year for calendar 2008, with hardware sales growing 13 percent.

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This game is going to be MASSIVE!!!  Early GOTY nominee

Strange he mainly mentions wii60 games, yet nothing on MGS4.

5.8 is a little high I think. Maybe 2-3 million.IMO

to high. maybe 3?

i also wanted to say that the gta series was the best series EVER made, specially gta san andreas imo

I think combined 5.8 is very doable. Remember this game has sold 10+ million so I expect half of that to be on first week sales especially being in the first version this generation. Man only weeks away!!!

Ummm... no, but I'll be interested in seeing how well it does regardless. I'm guessing nowhere near as strongly as the previous GTAs, but it wouldn't be the first time I'm wrong about something.

5.8 mil.? Thats saying each console could have about 2.4 mil. in the opening week. That is almost certainly not going to happen. Combined, 3.5mil. could easily be done though.

CaptainPrefrences said: to high. maybe 3? i also wanted to say that the gta series was the best series EVER made, specially gta san andreas imo

 Urgh no. Not the best series ever made and GTA:SA was the worst in the series. Even the 2D top down GTA and GTAII were better than that rubbish. Vice City is the best in the series.

Zelda, Mario, GT, Half Life, Warcraft, Total War - lots of better series. 

I bet it'll sell 1.5 million on 360 first week, and 800,000-1 mil on PS3 first week.

Notice that the HEADLINE says "sell" but the anaylst's QUOTE actually says "ship".

There IS a difference there.