Analyst: GTA Will Not Maintain Top Position- COD is Bigger

Grand Theft Auto's stint as top dog of the mainstream market is over, says Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter.

"Call of Duty is bigger, and GTA will not maintain its position as the world's biggest mainstream franchise," Pachter told IndustryGamers.

Strauss Zelnick of Take-Two Interactive recently announced the company had shipped 22 million copies of Grand Theft Auto IV since its launch in 2008 (and that the GTA franchise has shipped 114 million copies since its 1997 debut, a figure that includes a staggering 27.5 million copies of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas alone).

Activision recently revealed it has moved just over 23 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops in its first nine months. The publisher places the HD install base of the Call of Duty franchise at 74 million.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/119/1195490p1.html

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

DarkLink77

Call of Duty will receive a 9.0 at best because it is nothing but a rehash of the previous 360/PS3 CoD titles. It deserves a 5.0 at best in my opinion.

What HD install base franchise...?

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

DarkLink77

Wii sports will never be topped. Ever.

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"]

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

charizard1605

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="DarkLink77"]

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

me2002

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="DarkLink77"]

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

me2002

CoD does yearly installments AND puts up 20 million units with each release. Madden is in the same boat. I suppose if you added up the sales of every game every saying Mario or Pokemon on it then you might come closer, but I still think Madden and CoD franchises would edge them out in pure numbers due to spam.

CoD does yearly installments AND puts up 20 million units with each release. Madden is in the same boat. I suppose if you added up the sales of every game every saying Mario or Pokemon on it then you might come closer, but I still think Madden and CoD franchises would edge them out in pure numbers due to spam.

stizz-

Why is this even news? I think anyone who knows anything about games knows that COD is the biggest franchise around... all these analysts never make any daring predictions. COD is bigger than GTA? Duh, Pachter.

make a sequel to san andreas and watch the saleseboyishere

tbh do an hd remake in the vein of Halo CE with multiplayer like SAMP and watch that game fly off the shleves.That alone would be the best news i could hear despite owning that game on xbox and on PC :P

Like somone else had pointed out, GTA was never at top.

[QUOTE="me2002"][QUOTE="charizard1605"] thread should have ended at this postnhh18

Now as for the topic, I strongly disagree. GTA V will regain the top spot. GTA IV sold over 22 million to date and it came out in 2008. With a much larger install base by the time GTA V comes out, expect GTA V sales to destroy GTA IV. If GTA V comes out next year like I expect it to, and it releases right around the time the next yearly COD comes out, I guarantee GTA will outsell it. There's going to be a LOT more hype around the next GTA. Ever heard the saying absence makes the heart grow fonder? That's exactly why GTA will regain the top spot when it finally returns. People are only going to be super excited about yearly COD games with little to no changes for so long. GTA will capture the interest of everybody, especially if it's every bit as good as I expect it to be. I expect Rockstar to finally top San Andreas.

Since when was cod on top of GTA. GTA will always be on top. To date the GTA franchise has sold 40 million more than the cod franchise. GTA being a massive sandbox game will always be more appealing than a mediocre, rehashed fps trash.

GTA 3 changed gaming forever. Cod has been the same game forever lol. When a new cod game is released i don't care. When a new GTA game is released i do backflips. The biggest sandbox game with the GTA name on it will put cod to shame. Cod just doesn't do what GTA does, it will never have the appeal GTA does & therefore will never take GTA off it's throne.

I can't stand analysts. They get paid to "guess". Like for some reason the're opinions are better than everyone elses...

Can't stand analysts.

Since when was cod on top of GTA. GTA will always be on top. To date the GTA franchise has sold 40 million more than the cod franchise. GTA being a massive sandbox game will always be more appealing than a mediocre, rehashed fps trash.

GTA 3 changed gaming forever. Cod has been the same game forever lol. When a new cod game is released i don't care. When a new GTA game is released i do backflips. The biggest sandbox game with the GTA name on it will put cod to shame. Cod just doesn't do what GTA does, it will never have the appeal GTA does & therefore will never take GTA off it's throne.

brucecambell

GTA used to be the King of Kings (sales and media attention).

Times have changed.

The new King since 2007, is called Call of Duty. Don't you know this?

I would tend to agree, I think COD may have got as big as it's going to, FPS it's downhill fast from there. A new more exciting one will take it's place.

GTA lost its spot as top dog when MW2 was released.

LOL. Trust me, once GTA V comes out (when ever that will be) it will sell ALOT. But honestly... There are a few games that are still bigger than COD, but what ever.

i'd love to be an analyst.

*look at facts in documents* *tell other people*

i'd love to be an analyst.

*look at facts in documents* *tell other people*

PcGamingRig

Um... Pokemon and Mario. GTA has never been at the top.

DarkLink77

For a single game it has been.

GTA4 was the biggest entertainment launch EVER.

Not just games, but MOVEIS aswell.

But then I believe COD owned it.

That's the way I figured it... But then Pachter said so. Now I know it isn't true :P

I would believe it, but it's Pachter so he is wrong.

Entertainment wise. GTA is KING. Better than your COD, Mario, and Pokemon. :P

GTA IV was poor anyway despite how well it was recevied by the game media.

[QUOTE="me2002"]GTA sells 20+ millions each installation, does pokemon?charizard1605