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GTA IV breaks first day sales record in Britain

01/05/2008

The computer game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV has broken first day sales records in Britain, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association.

The association, which represents games, music and film stores, said the controversial game sold 609,000 copies on Tuesday of this week.

"The past 24 hours have been like it's Christmas all over again for our members," the association's director, Kim Bayley, said in a statement.

"GTA IV is a phenomenon."

Sales of the game beat the previous record held by an earlier title within the franchise, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which sold 501,000 copies in October 2004.

The game has sparked considerable controversy due to its violent content and centres around a drug-dealing gangster who shoots at the police and beats up prostitutes.

One parent's group in the US labelled it as "crude, crass, disgusting and violent", Reuters reports.

Fans of the Grand Theft Auto series however have eagerly awaited the game's release and it has received critical acclaim within the gaming sector.