Grand Theft Auto could be Hollywood's biggest summer competition
Tuesday's release of Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to be so big, there's a real concern in Hollywood that the video game could dampen the box office for the May 2nd release of Iron Man.
With projected sales of $400 million in its first week alone, Rockstar Games' long-awaited sequel could set a precedent - one where Hollywood begins browsing video game release dates to check for conflicts.
"This will be the first major release in what is considered Hollywood's summer movie period, and if there's any title that could put a dent in box office for a major movie, it's Grand Theft Auto," says Victor Lucas, host and producer of TV's Electric Playground.
"This is one of the biggest franchises in the history of the industry, so it's going to be one of the biggest weeks we've ever seen," adds Jason Anderson of Xbox Canada. "If those guys (in Hollywood) are smart, they'll be keeping an eye on us."
The last big launch in the gaming industry, Halo 3, made more than $300 million in its first week of release in September 2007, and relegated that week's big movie, Ben Stiller's $60 million comedy The Heartbreak Kid, to just a $14 million opening.
As for the quality of GTA IV, the few that have played it say it is worth the hype. The first person to finish GTA IV is Xbox World 360 editor Rob Taylor, who played the game at Rockstar offices in March for three straight days.
"Obviously, you can't make everyone happy all of the time," he told Games Radar magazine, "but if any GTA fans aren't happy with IV, they need to take a good long look at themselves."
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