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Forums - Sales Discussion - GTAIV midnight launch numbers...

BKK2 on 29 April 2008

US: OH:

Grand Theft Auto IV Released

Grand Theft Auto IV "Gone in Sixty Seconds" hit the shelves at midnight Monday. GameStop in South Toledo had about 400 copies of the game. More than 50 people were lined up outside the store and it was prepared. In intervals an employee came out and asked Grand Theft Auto questions. For each question, whoever answered it first and correctly got a discount card to GameStop.

There were more than enough copies of the game to go around, but one gamer, Aaron Ferguson, said the wait was worth it because he wanted to get playing as soon as possible!

Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to have the largest debut ever for an entertainment product. The Grand Theft Auto franchise expects its new game to earn up to $400 million dollars the first week of its release.


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BKK2 on 29 April 2008

US: NY:

"Grand Theft Auto" launches to queues, rave reviews

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Grand Theft Auto 4" went on sale early on Tuesday, with fans lining up at midnight to get the first copies of the criminal action video game hailed as a brutal and satirical masterpiece equal to films like "The Godfather."

Retailers such as GameStop Corp and Best Buy Co Inc took advance orders for the game weeks earlier and many outlets threw open their doors at midnight to accommodate fans eager to be among the first to play.

The Tuesday launch of "Grand Theft Auto 4" is expected to be the biggest entertainment event of the year, with first-week sales forecast to be up to $400 million, beating those of last year's "Halo 3" from Microsoft Corp.

At a GameStop store in midtown Manhattan, excited fans like John Alba and Enmanuel Lorenzo had been standing for hours in a line that nearly touched the end of the block, to get their hands on the game.

"It gives you the opportunity to escape reality," Alba said. "This game has everything -- sex, drugs, cars, money... anything you want."

Early reviews over the weekend lavished praise on the latest chapter of the hit franchise.

"Grand Theft Auto 4" casts players as an Eastern European immigrant who runs drugs, shoots cops and beats up prostitutes after falling in with a crime syndicate, stuff that has drawn fire from family groups and politicians.

Avid fans like Lorenzo seemed drawn to the excitement -- but only in game play.

"Violence is like sex. It sells," Alba said, outside the GameStop shop. "I like violence in games, it's cool. Not in real life."


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Faxanadu on 29 April 2008
The Ghost of RubangB said:
Tuanniez said:
Aj_habfan said:
I'd work for free at Gamestop/EB Games if I got a, say, 40% discount.


Lol no you wouldnt.. because if you worked for free, you wouldn't have any money to take advantage of that 40% discount! =P

What's wrong with GTAIV dethroning OoT anyway? bout time that game was demoted into 2nd place if you asked me.


I'd rather have "the greatest game of all time" be a fantasy game with time travel and magic than a realistic mobster game with hookers and drugs and guns and explosions in New York City.

I mean, if GTA4 is the greatest game of all time, I don't know how I could bring children into this world. When my first kid gets on the internet and looks up the greatest game ever, I'd like to play it with them and teach them about time travel and magic instead of saying "No. You can't play the greatest game of all time until you're old enough because it's full of sex and drugs and murder."

Besides, these "best of all time" averages are pointless anyway, because they don't go far back enough to include the best games of all time, which are OBVIOUSLY Super Mario Bros. 3, River City Ransom, Out of this World, Link's Awakening, FF6, and Tetris.


Bravo!!!! To the ghost in pink underwear. Well said my friend, well said.

And looking at the pictures: If these are the "hardcore" gamers, then I dont want to be considered hardcore, ever. Seriously, looking at them makes me understand again why video game players were belittled in the 90s.  



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Kyros on 29 April 2008

again why video game players were belittled in the 90s.


where do you live? Video game players are still belittled in the new millennium. You just have to live with it and make some sport to "even it out"



Faxanadu on 29 April 2008
Kyros said:
again why video game players were belittled in the 90s.


where do you live? Video game players are still belittled in the new millennium. You just have to live with it and make some sport to "even it out"

it has changed dramatically. I still dont mention games at parties. But these days its the female friends of my GF who start talking about how they want a Wii/ how they love their wii and how great Mr. Gay is.

Indeed, gaming has come a long way... 



Any message from Faxanadu is written in good faith but shall neither be binding nor construed as constituting a commitment by Faxanadu except where provided for in a written agreement signed by an authorized representative of Faxanadu. This message is intended for the use of the forum members only.

The views expressed here may be personal and/or offensive and are not necessarily the views of Faxanadu.

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Onimusha12 on 29 April 2008

Now we get to find out if this game was worth all the hype or not, though with games it can take up to six months for the taste to sit in your mouth before you're sure whether you like it or not. Wisely they didn't play it up that much (honestly I see Mario Kart Wii advertised more) which will help prevent the dissapointment that could have been caused by fans having far too high of expectations.

The commercials for GTAIV were surprisingly unconventional in themselves and relied more on the audience already knowing what it was, which for the demographic it was targeting, worked out fairly well in playing it safe and creating an interest but not so much an unrealistic expectation. Though more hardcore commercials like we saw with San Andreas and Vice City might have helped as the GTAIV commercials we see seemed almost like a sequel to Bully.



--OkeyDokey-- on 29 April 2008
Faxanadu said:
The Ghost of RubangB said:
Tuanniez said:
Aj_habfan said:
I'd work for free at Gamestop/EB Games if I got a, say, 40% discount.


Lol no you wouldnt.. because if you worked for free, you wouldn't have any money to take advantage of that 40% discount! =P

What's wrong with GTAIV dethroning OoT anyway? bout time that game was demoted into 2nd place if you asked me.


I'd rather have "the greatest game of all time" be a fantasy game with time travel and magic than a realistic mobster game with hookers and drugs and guns and explosions in New York City.

I mean, if GTA4 is the greatest game of all time, I don't know how I could bring children into this world. When my first kid gets on the internet and looks up the greatest game ever, I'd like to play it with them and teach them about time travel and magic instead of saying "No. You can't play the greatest game of all time until you're old enough because it's full of sex and drugs and murder."

Besides, these "best of all time" averages are pointless anyway, because they don't go far back enough to include the best games of all time, which are OBVIOUSLY Super Mario Bros. 3, River City Ransom, Out of this World, Link's Awakening, FF6, and Tetris.


Bravo!!!! To the ghost in pink underwear. Well said my friend, well said.

And looking at the pictures: If these are the "hardcore" gamers, then I dont want to be considered hardcore, ever. Seriously, looking at them makes me understand again why video game players were belittled in the 90s.  


If that's the best you guys can come up with, then it really speaks volumes about the games ridiculously high quality.



BKK2 on 29 April 2008

UK: London

GTA IV launch mayhem

We braved some of the store openings at midnight last night...

Sony will be pleased. The massed ranks of drunken chavs at one local Tesco last night was itching to play the game on their PlayStation 3 consoles - more it seems than those wishing to play the game on Xbox 360.

Yes we braved some of the midnight openings and it was as scary as getting involved in some of Nico Bellic's adventures.

At one local West London Tesco store the mood was ugly just before midnight. The store was only holding 33 copies of the PlayStation 3 version and 27 copies of GTA IV on Xbox 360.

So just sixty copies for over 100 very grumpy people waiting in line.

There didn't seem much in the way of organization by the store, with mixed messages on how the game was being distributed. Were they taking names? Some said yes. Others no. A lot of the customers there were drunk or stoned or both. There was an ugly mood that made one think any minute a fight could break out - just for a videogame?

A few miles away at a large ASDA store the story was pretty much the same. The store sold out of its allocation almost immediately at midnight and the car park was awash with angry people wondering where to go next.

One might argue that GTA doesn't cause crime, but it certainly attracts a certain criminal element judging by serveral late night openings we took a look at last night. There were plenty of people carrying "gear" of various sorts and spending time before the game was released by shoplifting.

The eight am store opening at another local (non-24 hour) Tesco was sedate and well mannered by comparison. With people chatting in line waiting for the store to open.

But just 20 copies would be available.

How did Tesco organise distribution of these games? Well people slid under the big rolling door as it opened and legged-it as fast as they could to pick up a copy. Very civilized.

Again at this opening most seemed to be interested in getting hold of the PlayStation 3 version. Which left some smug looking Xbox 360 owners not having to run for their copy at all.

Worryingly many of the people queuing at eight in the morning were mothers looking to pick up the game for their children. When questioned on their feelings towards age ratings they offered the usual "it's only a game" excuse I heard a lot when I worked in retail.

That's the worrying thing about such content and children in the UK. It's not that the warnings are failing to get across, it's just that many parents know the score but just don't care.

So quite a sobering and interesting evening looking at the madness of the GTA launch. A world a way from the polite and jovial atmosphere at the last midnight launch I covered - which was for PlayStation 3.

Did any of you brave midnight store openings to get your copy of the game?


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BKK2 on 29 April 2008

This one's interesting, the first Tesco's they went to had slightly more copies shipped to them on PS3 than 360. At the second Tesco most wanted PS3 version too. I was expecting 55/45 split in UK in favour of 360, but it looks like PS3 might actually be able to outsell the 360 version in UK. Still, it's such a small sample that you can't read too much into it.



BKK2 on 29 April 2008

Canada: Calgary

Midnight launches lure Grand Theft Auto fans

he opportunity to be among the first to play Grand Theft Auto IV lured out a number of Calgarians Monday night, as stores across the city began selling the highly anticipated video game at midnight to comply with Tuesday's strict release date.

To meet the demand, the Future Shop on Northland Drive held a launch party as soon as regular retail hours ended at 9 p.m., featuring a DJ, a few Sony-sponsored booths to play games, and contests. It also hired extra security to verify customers' ages -- GTA IV is rated "M," meaning 18 or older.

"We're getting close to 1,000 copies of the game, a little bit more Xbox 360 copies than PlayStation 3 copies," said Future Shop entertainment co-ordinator Matthew Nash. "People are really excited about GTA, it's going to be a huge release."

The young customers lined up outside, mostly men, enjoyed an easy wait with a rare 15-degree April evening.

"It's just about being able to tell your friend who got it today, 'Hey, I played it last night,' " said Gary Ng, 22.

Halo 3 smashed industry records last September when it racked up $170 million in sales in its first day of release.

"This has a chance of being even bigger than Halo," said Jason Anderson of Xbox Canada.

The Grand Theft Auto series, a mix of action, adventure, role-playing and driving, has already sold 70 million units of previous titles.

"It is a very popular game with a lot of interest, and we expect a couple of hundred customers at the Calgary location," said Future Shop spokesperson Susan Kirk.

GTA IV is projected to sell nine million copies globally, and analysts are projecting sales approaching $400 million in its first week alone.


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