GTA 5 turns five years old this year, but still beats out newer games like Destiny 2 or Battlefront 2 in sales.
On September 17, 2013, GTA 5 was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Even then, the community celebrated the new title in the “Grand Theft Auto” series, which was later released for the next-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4 a year later. PC players had to wait until 2015 to finally start their adventures with Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Now, in the fifth year after its initial release, the game still attracts many new players.
In December 2017, GTA 5 Online had more players than ever before. The developers are proud and rejoice with the fans.
GTA 5 Sales Shoot Up
Although the game is already several years old, sales are not declining. As reported by Gamesindustry.biz, GTA 5 ranks third among the best-selling physical copies of a video game (excluding digital sales) of 2017.
This is based on data from 15 different countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and England).
Only FIFA 18 (in first place) and Call of Duty: WWII (in second place) sold more physical copies in 2017. This means that GTA 5 sold better physically than new top games like Star Wars Battlefront II or Destiny 2. Keep in mind:
- For the shooter Destiny 2, there was a strong focus on digital purchases
- Star Wars Battlefront 2 was only released on November 17
A Special Month for GTA 5 Online
In the online mode of GTA 5, success also spread. As the team explains, 2017 was one of the biggest years for online players with its new content like the Gunrunning DLC or the Doomsday Heist. By the end of the year, the numbers reflected this as December 2017 saw more players active in GTA Online than in any previous month.
For online players, there is currently a new fast car on offer, which is unusually affordable.
What Contributes to the Success of GTA 5?
Last year, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick speculated at Gamesindustry.biz about the factors contributing to the success of GTA 5. He stated:
“The reason GTA 5 has sold 80 million copies and GTA Online had a record year is, in my opinion, because it stands alone in its generation. Previous generations had other titles that reached similar heights in quality as GTA. That is not the case now. If you are over 17 and have a new generation console, then you own GTA. If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have sold 80 million copies. Can any other title achieve that? I don’t think so.”
Whether GTA 5 will remain so successful in 2018 is questionable. The release of Red Dead Redemption 2 is planned for spring 2018, and many members of the GTA 5 community may switch to the newer Rockstar title.
