author: Bart Swiatek
Free GTA 5 Increased Game's Sales
Data from Take-Two Interactive's financial report indicate that after the giveaway of Grand Theft Auto V on Epic Games Store, sales of the game have increased. According to the company's CEO Strauss Zelnick, this is related to „increased audience”.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- GTA V sold better in the last quarter than in the corresponding period of any of the previous years;
- This is most likely linked to the giveaway on Epic Games Store;
- A total of nearly 135 million copies of the game have already been sold.
It seems that the giveaway of Grand Theft Auto V on Epic Games Store contributed to the sales increase of Rockstar Games' hit. Such information appeared during an investor call (via PC Gamer), summarizing the financial results of the game's publisher - Take-Two Interactive - in the last quarter (Q1 FY 2021 - from April to June, this year).
"In the six weeks following the Epic Store promotion, Grand Theft Auto 5 sold more units in the same period than in any previous year," said Zelnick.
In the opinion of Take-Two's boss, the aforementioned phenomenon can be explained by the increase in the group of potential recipients. Thanks to giveaway, the game was acquired by people who had not been interested in it before, and these in turn probably drew their friends to play. Players who did not manage to get a free copy decided to buy it.
A total of nearly 135 million copies of GTA V have already been sold, with 15 million copies purchased since February this year. The offer on EGS also resulted in record microtransaction revenues (155% increase) and the second highest number of newly registered players in GTA Online since its launch in 2012. Taking into account these statistics, it's not surprising that the game will also go to next-gen consoles.
