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It looks like GTA V has done something not even the Mario franchise could accomplish in its long history. Rockstar Studios’ fifth installment of the popular game franchise Grand Theft Auto has brought in a ridiculous amount of cash, putting it in a class of its own.
According to industry analyst Doug Creutz, Grand Theft Auto V has made more money than any form of media. Since its 2013 release, the game has brought in $6 billion in revenue and has moved more than 90 million units.
Cruetz told MarketWatch that the game made more loot than blockbuster movie franchises like Star Wars and Gone With The Wind, the latter which brought in $4.2 billion when it was in theaters. Cruetz also pointed out that even with home entertainment sales, which he estimates are about $1 billion, the films still don’t even come close to GTA V.
Grand Theft Auto V is still moving units, and as of the end of 2017 has sold 85 million copies. It even still manages to land on NPD’s monthly list of best-selling games. In the UK, the game lived in the top 10 for months and is still flourishing across the pond ’til this day.
Some other factors that could be playing a major role in the game’s successful run are its re-release on updated consoles Xbox One and PlayStation 4 back in November 2014. PC gamers finally got their version of the game in April 2015. And Rockstar has dropped several updates to its popular GTA Online mode to keep players engaged and inviting others to join in on the heists and mayhem.
The company says there are no single player updates on the way, but that could change. Either way, it’s safe to assume there won’t be another Grand Theft Auto game anytime soon. But the question is, can Rockstar duplicate this success in the game’s next iteration?
Cruetz doesn’t think it’s likely. “I think it’s a wild outlier. That’s not to say Rockstar won’t have other big hits—it may—but another GTA V isn’t likely,” he said. “Michael Jackson had a lot of hit albums, but he only had one Thriller.”
Now to see if Black Panther can top this record…
