Grand Theft Auto exceeded all expectations in terms of sales and managed to surpass all day-one and week-one sales records: 3.6 million units sold in the opening day alone, worth $310 million, 6 million units within a week, worth $500 million. That’s it, the Halo 3 record is down (the first person shooter became the best selling game of 2007 in the U.S., earning Microsoft an estimated $170 million within the first day of availability)!

It’s no wonder Grand Theft Auto IV became the champ of all champs, after all the delays, high-anticipation and controversy. More than just a game, the storytelling makes it unique, offering enough reasons to keep players busy for a long time.

The secret to such incredible sales: the controversy could be one reason, as it’s probably been more talked about than probably any other game before it. Is it appropriate for teenagers, many wonder… at the end of the day, it depends on how you look at things: the game is certainly not intended to be educational (the game is rated “M” for Mature); on the other hand, the more controversial it is, the more people will want to buy it.

As Michael Patcher, video game analyst at Wedbush Morgan, predicted last week, the game will sell far more than 6 million copies: “So how many will sell in the first week or month or few months? Nine million. That’s the number. That’s about a 35 percent attach rate. By year’s end, it’ll be somewhere between 11 and 13 million because more consoles will be sole before the holidays,” the Associated Press quoted him as saying. And we have no reasons to believe its predictions aren’t accurate.

"Rockstar's goal is to make each new title in the Grand Theft Auto franchise even better than those that preceded it, and Grand Theft Auto IV is a smashing success on that score,” said Ben Feder, Take-Two’s Chief Executive Officer. “This game sets a new standard in the industry, with critics hailing it as both an artistic and technological masterpiece.”