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Gamestop: GTA IV drove PS3 sales this week

The launch of Rockstar’s critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto IV has been a key driver in the number of PlayStation 3’s sold this week, according to reports from US retailer, Gamestop.

The company’s Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Bob McKenzie, commented, “From our position, the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV has been tremendous in driving traffic to our stores, as well as providing a vigorous lift in PS3 console sales over this time last week.”

“We attribute the growth to a huge fan base of PS2 owners who see this title as the trigger for the PS3 upgrade they’ve been planning.”

Renowned industry analyst Michael Pachter also backed up these comments, noting that users are likely to flock to GTA IV as a reason to upgrade to the next-generation of consoles.

“I think brand loyalty is going to kick in for Sony, starting today,” said Pachter.

“There is a huge installed base of loyal PlayStation 2 owners who have been looking for a reason to upgrade, and they have strong previous ties to the Grand Theft Auto franchise on PlayStation platforms.”

“Add to that a number of other big exclusive games for PS3, including Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, and SOCOM: Confrontation, to name a few, and it seems like Sony’s in a great position right now.”

“Grand Theft Auto fans who love the game grew up on PlayStation and we believe that rich heritage will be a deciding factor for many gamers at retail,” added Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA.

“This enthusiasm for Grand Theft Auto IV, combined with the excitement behind Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, and Resistance 2 will further drive PS3 hardware sales.”

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