Grand Theft Auto Brings In $500 Mil In Debut Week

"Grand Theft Auto IV" hit shelves on April 29 and hasn't stayed on them since. The criminal action video game has earned more than $500 million in global sales its first week out.

Industry analyst projected that 5 million people would cop the game in its first two weeks, according to the New York Times. GTA sold 6 million in half that time.

The game beat out Halo 3's 2007 record for pulling in $400 million in its first week, according to Reuters.

"Grand Theft Auto IV's first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe these retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date," said Strauss Zelnick, chairman of Take-Two Interactive Software, which publishes the game.

As previously reported, "GTA 4" also boasts the largest soundtrack of any video game, featuring big name artists like Kanye West, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes and Ne-Yo. It's also the first game that allows players to tag songs in the soundtrack for subsequent purchase online through Amazon.

"GTA 4" casts players as an Eastern European immigrant who gets into organized crime and begins running drugs, shooting cops and beating up hookers and has been compared to movies like The Godfather in its graphic violence.