Grand Theft Auto V released on September 17, 2013 around the world, and as expected, broke the record as it surpassed the $800 million figure on its launch date.
The latest sales figure does not include sales in Japan and Brazil, as the game has not yet been released in those countries.
The lucrative game reportedly cost a whopping $265 million to create, so the sales figure is no surprise, as games creator Rockstar clearly earned nearly three times their investment.
Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two, stated: "All of us at Take-Two are thrilled with the initial response to Grand Theft Auto V. Once again, the team at Rockstar Games have outdone themselves, setting the entertainment industry's new standard for creativity, innovation and excellence, Beginning at midnight on Monday, consumers around the world gathered in anticipation to be among the first to experience the evolution of this remarkable series. In North America alone, more than 8,300 stores opened their doors at midnight to welcome fans whose loyalty and enthusiasm were rewarded with what The New York Times called 'the most immersive spectacle in interactive entertainment'. We are incredibly proud of Rockstar Games' creative achievement and could not be more pleased with the success of this launch."
With the highly successful launch of GTA V, gaming fans are pushing for the PC release of the game.
A petition to bring a PC version of GTA V began last year, and so far over 487,000 signatures have been signed at time of writing.
The petition reads: "Please release GTA V on PC. GTA games have been a large part of so many people's lives and it's a big shame not seeing the newest iteration of the game being released on the most powerful platform."
Latest rumors suggest that there may indeed be a PC version coming soon. Nvidia executive Chris Evenden recently said during a conference call with investors: "The PC market is evolving. As entry level laptops face pressure from tablets. Yet sales of specialty PCs like gaming systems and work stations continue to grow. The disparity reflects how consumers use these different classes of PCs. Many consumers look for PC as a general purpose device they can use for browsing, email, social media video. But much of this can be better served by a tablet. In contrast, gamers are preparing their systems for a strong roster of games coming this fall, including blockbuster franchises, such as Call of Duty: Ghosts, Grand Theft Auto V and Assassin's Creed IV."
But PC release date of GTA V is not expected any time soon. PC Gamer predicted the release of the PC version in a post few months back: "If we look at all games in the Grand Theft Auto series since Vice City, we can see that it's about 462 days, on average, between the announcement of the game and the announcement (not release) of the PC version. It's a slightly more reasonable 212 days between the first console release and the PC release."
Meanwhile, screenshots of an alleged PC version have also been released.
The violent nature of the Grand Theft Auto gaming series has been widely criticized and is the most controversial video game series in history. The game has been accused of glamorizing violence, corrupting gamers, and has been connected to a number of real life crimes that stem from the violent nature of the game.
