The record for first week sales set by Take-Two’s game seems out of reach for some time from now on. Grand Theft Auto IV, launched on April 29, managed to gather $310 million in its first day and an incredible $500 million during its first week.

The previous record was set last September by Halo 3, which cashed in around $170 million in its first seven days.

One of the main reasons for the game’s success is that the popular franchise is available on multiple video game platforms, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 sharing the game’s fan base.

Out of the 6 million copies of GTA IV sold, more than 60 % were purchased for the Xbox 360 consoles. Also, the Xbox consoles sales have increased by 54 %, 40 % of those being connected to a GTA IV game.

"We knew Grand Theft Auto IV would break new ground in terms of the player's experience, with its compelling story line, extraordinary game play and action that ranges over a broad urban canvas. Now, it has broken sales and rating records as well," Take-Two’s chairman Strauss Zelnick said, according to the Associated Press. He also added: "We congratulate the entire Rockstar team on creating a must-have experience that takes the legendary Grand Theft Auto franchise to a new level."

The video game received huge media coverage before its release and had a carefully planned launch campaign which surely contributed to its record sales. Even though there are several games announced for release in the near future, such as Electronic Arts’ Spore, Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II, Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, EA’s 2009 version of Madden Football, LucasArts’ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Nintendo’s Wii Fit, GTA IV’s figures will surely be hard to reach.