GRAND Theft Auto IV has blown away videogame and Hollywood records as its creators raked in an unprecedented $US500 million ($531.01 million) in its opening week.
Take-Two Interactive said approximately six million copies of GTA IV have sold worldwide, with more than half of those games snatched up within 24 hours of the game hitting store shelves April 29.
"Grand Theft Auto IV's first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment," said Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick.
"We believe these retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date."
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest took in $US196 million ($208.16 million) in its first week to seize the Hollywood crown for top-grossing film opening, according to Box Office Mojo.
Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects GTA IV to be the second best-selling videogame ever behind its predecessor GTA: San Andreas which has sold 23 million copies.
"I'm sure GTA IV beats Hollywood movie opening weeks," Mr Pachter said.
"But it depends how one looks at it. I'm sure more people saw Ironman than played Grand Theft Auto in the past week but fewer dollars changed hands."
The Ironman film based on the Marvel Comics character opened in cinemas last week.
The GTA franchise is the work of Take-Two's Rockstar Games studio and is an focal point for outrage over violence in videogames because players triumph with acts such as carjacking, thuggery, and killing.
An edited version of the game was rated MA15+ by the Classification Board for release in Australia, which does not have an adult rating for games.
Take-Two hopes the superstar launch of GTA IV will give it leverage in takeover talks with the world's largest video game maker, Electronic Arts, which is trying to buy the New York City-based firm.
Take-Two rejected a $US2 billion ($2.12 billion) offer from EA and delayed talk of negotiation until after the release of GTA IV.