It cost more to make then many Hollywood blockbusters and, in certain circles, it has generated a similar hype.
Now the gaming world is preparing for what it has dubbed the “most exciting” event in the entertainment calendar Grand Theft Auto V will finally go on sale, the latest in a record-breaking series of games that have their origins in Dundee.
The video game reportedly cost about £170 million to make and market more than films such as Avatar and has sparked so much interest that stores will open their doors at midnight tonight for special launch events.
Experts are tipping the game to smash sales records and estimates suggest it could generate £1 billion during its first year on sale when gamers are predicted to snap up some 25 million copies.
Tom Butler, social media editor of gaming site IGN.com, said thousands of workers have taken the day off for the launch or plan to call in sick.
“Grand Theft Auto V will be the biggest entertainment launch of the year and possibly all-time with levels of consumer anticipation outstripping Harry Potter and Twilight,” he said.
“With gamers queuing at midnight to be among the first to play and the developer boasting thousands of hours of game play, there’s no surprise that we’re likely to see an outbreak of GTA flu this September.”
The gaming site polled 10,995 readers to ask if they would take time off work on Tuesday after GTA V goes on sale.
According to its findings, 5,059 readers (46%) said they booked the day off as a holiday. Another 2,012 (19%) said they would phone in claiming to be unwell while 3,884 (35%) said they would wait to get their hands on the game.
Fans are expected to start queuing outside shops stocking the game today when a handful will open their doors for night-time launches.
The Grand Theft Auto series has accumulated sales of 135 million copies since its 1997 debut.
GTA IV has reportedly sold more than 25 million copies since its 2008 release.Death and destruction born in DundeeIt is a hyperreal version of America: a violent, trashy world that celebrates the dark underbelly of the American dream and it all began in Dundee.
Created by games designer Dave Jones, the original Grand Theft Auto was a sequel to his company DMA Design’s first smash hit, Lemmings.
Unlike in Lemmings, in which players had to save as many of the suicidal rodents’ lives as possible, Grand Theft Auto encourages players to cause carnage..embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 30px; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }
Released in 1997, the game put players in the shoes of a gangster attempting to climb up the ranks of the criminal underworld.
Limited by the technology available at the time, the original GTA was a far different beast from the game that exists today.
The entire game was viewed from above rather than the more immersive third-person perspective the title uses today but the key ingredients were already in place.
Although all games have a series of missions the player must complete to progress, it is the ability for players to wander off and commit whatever crimes take their fancy that has proved irresistible to players.
Jones’ last involvement in the series was GTA II but the title is still developed in Scotland by Rockstar North in Edinburgh.