GTAIV Doesn't Spark Hardware Spike

Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV shattered every entertainment launch in history and has sold over 8.5 million copies to date. But despite this amazing performance, it hasn't seemed to have had any significant impact on console sales.

According to GamePro, a couple analysts predict that GTAIV "had no discernible effect on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales for the month of May." Lazard Capital Markets' Colin Sebastian and Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter chimed in with their predictions, and the news isn't good for Sony or Microsoft (which kinda means the units-sold battle for GTAIV was a stalemate). Here's what Sebastian said in the monthly NPD prediction report:

"We do not believe the recent release of GTA IV has generated meaningful incremental demand for the Xbox 360 or PS3 platforms."

However, while Pachter seemed to agree with that sentiment, he also said that next-gen console sales "are running well ahead of the level in the analogous period of 2003," and that more price cuts will generate further sales spikes. As far as we're concerned, we're not too surprised because GTAIV was a multiplatform release; if you had either the PS3 or 360, you didn't need to purchase another console. However, you can only play this week's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on the PS3, so that may drive sales for Sony's console. We'll have to wait and see...

Related Game(s): Grand Theft Auto IV

6/10/2008 Ben Dutka

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