LOS ANGELES – Video game sales rose 35 percent in the United States in October, analysts said Friday, as the blockbuster criminal adventure "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (search)" sold more than 2 million units in just five days of release.
Citing data from the NPD Group, analysts said "San Andreas" sold about 2.1 million units from its Oct. 26 launch through the end of the month, generating retail sales of more than $100 million. The strong sales of "San Andreas" drove publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO) to a market share of more than 26 percent in the month on a dollar basis.
Analysts said "San Andreas" compared favorably to the last "Grand Theft Auto" launch, the hit "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (search)" in 2002, the best-seller of that year. Comparing the games' first five days on the market, "San Andreas" was ahead 45 percent in units sold and 48 percent in dollar revenue, Harris Nesbitt analyst Edward Williams said in a note.
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