It was almost a given that Grand Theft Auto V would break some sort of record. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto IV, broke sales records when it was released back in 2008 and the hype for GTA V this year was quite possibly even higher than for that classic.
Sure enough, sales of GTA V took off on day one with more than $800 million in revenue. That figure had easily hit $1 billion by the weekend. Those amazing sales numbers have now earned GTA V a place in the Guinness World Record book – six times over.
The Guinness World Records organization this week awarded GTA V six different world records, all of them involving the speed with which the game sold. A seventh record was also awarded to the game based on its official trailer, which Guinness World Records says is the “most viewed” trailer for an action-adventure video game. Here are the records, some of which put GTA V above even movies an music:
- Best-selling action-adventure videogame in 24 hours
- Best-selling videogame in 24 hours
- Fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion
- Fastest videogame to gross $1 billion
- Highest grossing videogame in 24 hours
- Highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours
- Most viewed trailer for an action-adventure videogame
“GTA totally deserves to be recognized as an icon of modern British culture, and we’re thrilled to be able to feature the game in the record books,” said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records. “Gaming is no longer a niche hobby, as GTA 5 has proved, and how exciting that it’s taken on the might of Hollywood and won! I’m also doubly proud as a Dundonian to welcome this home-grown series back into the Guinness World Records book.”