For the creators of Grand Theft Auto V, crime indeed does pay.
The massive hit open world video game has shipped 75 million copies, according to the most recent earnings statement released by GTA 5 publisher and parent company, Take-Two Interactive. The sales broke its own record of 65 million copies sold as of May 2016.
The sales mark adds to the steadily growing success of Take-Two, which also published the popular game franchises Bioshock, Mafia III and NBA 2K17.
'A Highly Successful Holiday Quarter'
In a prepared statement online, Take-Two Chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick said that the company had a "highly successful holiday quarter." The demand by consumers for "new releases and catalog titles was strong throughout the period" as players engaged "significantly with our games after purchase."
"As a result, we delivered better-than-expected bookings, including our best-ever quarter for recurrent consumer spending, along with double-digit growth in both net revenue and net cash provided by operating activities," the statement wrote. The company cashed in $476.5 million in net revenue, a big leap from $414.2 million in 2016.
Mafia III, Civilization VI, Other Take-Two Titles Cashed In
It was not also Grand Theft Auto V that took home a big slice of the sales pie. Other Take-Two titles such as open world gangster-themed game Mafia III was performing well.
Mafia III shipped 5 million copies worldwide. Launched in 2016 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, the game has also released 3 DLCs and a free-to-play mobile game Mafia III Rivals for Android and iOS.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI for PC also had a healthy performance sales-wise. The turn-based strategy simulation raked in 40 million units in sales.
WWE 2K17 also performed a massive smackdown in the market, while Bully: Anniversary Edition for iOS and Android was well-received.
Take-Two has two big titles lined up for future release. One is NBA 2K18, which was announced for Fall 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
The other is the much-anticipated sequel, the open-world Western Red Dead Redemption 2, which will be released worldwide in fiscal 2018.
Grand Theft Auto V: Certified Blockbuster
Grand Theft Auto V or GTA5 was developed by studio Rockstar Games. It was launched in 2013 to huge critical and commercial success. It broke the industry's sales record, earning $800 million in its first day, and $1 billion in three days. With 75 million copies, GTA 5 has solidified its position as one of the best-selling video games of all time.
Grand Theft Auto V already launched for PS3 and Xbox 360. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
