Analyst: Grand Theft Auto V Can Sell 25 Million Copies in One Year

A new report from the analysis firm Sterne Agee has suggested that, when released, Grand Theft Auto V might sell 25 million copies during its first year on the market, breaking previous sales marks set by the franchise.

Arvind Bhatia, who is an analyst watching the video game industry for Sterne Agee, has said that the previous estimate for GTA V sales of 15 million was too low and that prospects for the game are enhanced by the fact that the installed base for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 has grown by more than 25 percent compared to the launch date for GTA IV.

The analyst says that conservative estimates see GTA V selling 17 million units and the number is much higher if 90 percent of all those who bought the previous game in the series also get the new one.

Arvind Bhatia says that the entire next year line-up for publisher Take Two is looking very good, with planned launches for BioShock Infinite, Borderlands 2 and Spec Ops: The Line.

He also speculated that Max Payne 3 will be launched later in the year and that this will help the company offset any losses linked to the potential lockout and the launch of NBA 2K12.

Neither developer Rockstar nor publisher Take Two have officially talked about Grand Theft Auto V and it's probable that we will only hear about the game at the next E3 trade event.

Rumors have appeared about Rockstar scouting North American cities for the next game and about Las Vegas being considered as being the background for the open world adventure, which will see the player experience a story from the perspective of more than one character.

Rockstar has recently focused on creating new games, like Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire, that can perform well and support the company in the years when no GTA release takes place.