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Grand Theft Auto V sales zoom past $1 billion mark in 3 days

Game enthusiasts purchase the latest release of "Grand Theft Auto Five" after the game went on sale at the Game Stop store in Encinitas, California September 17, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake

(Reuters) – Grand Theft Auto V has crossed the $1 billion sales mark after three days in stores, a rate faster than any other video game, film or other entertainment product has ever managed, its creator Take Two Interactive Inc said on Friday.

Game enthusiasts purchase the latest release of “Grand Theft Auto Five” after the game went on sale at the Game Stop store in Encinitas, California September 17, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake

The latest installment of GTA, a cultural phenomenon that has sparked a national debate on adult content and violence, received strong reviews and racked up $800 million in first-day sales alone.

That marked a launch-day record for the Grand Theft Auto franchise which is Take Two’s most lucrative and allows players to cruise around a make-believe gameworld based on real-life locations such as Los Angeles.

Take-Two shares were little changed at $17.48 in early afternoon-trading on the Nasdaq.

Gamers had eagerly awaited the fifth installment of the 16-year-old game after Grand Theft Auto IV was released in 2008.

It took more than five years to be developed by Take-Two’s Rockstar Games studio at a cost of between $200 million and $250 million, according to some analysts’ estimates.

Last year, it took Activision Blizzard Inc’s first-person shooter title “Call Of Duty: Black Ops II” 15 days to hit $1 billion in global sales after its November release. That game took in sales of $500 million on its first day.

While GTA V is off to a flying start, industry analysts are keeping a close eye on Take-Two’s ability to sustain sales momentum.

Grand Theft Auto V is currently only available on Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 consoles, owned by over 160 million gamers. Take-Two is yet to announce a version for the much-awaited next-generation Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, which will go on sale in November.

(Reporting by Malathi Nayak; editing by Andrew Hay)

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