While Grand Theft Auto IV is racking up sales records, console makers are vying for bragging rights of their own, and Microsoft seems to be the victor.

GTA IV was released April 29 and global sales totaled more than $500 million in the first week alone. The first day the latest addition to the hit Rockstar Games series hit retail store shelves, sales were $310 million. More than six million copies have been sold.

The only question is, which console is the game being played on? GTA IV was developed by Rockstar North on two platforms — the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Both manufacturers are reporting higher console sales as a outcome.

Is GTA IV a Console-Seller?

According to news reports that claim to have the inside scoop on Microsoft’s sales notes, Redmond is the big winner. Reportedly Xbox 360 console sales jumped 54 percent. Other reports estimate more than 60 percent of GTA IV

games went to Xboxers, leaving less than 40 percent for PlayStation 3 gamers.

Microsoft and Sony could not immediately be reached for comment.

Brian O’Rourke, a video-game analyst with In-Stat, said GTA IV may have sold some consoles. But he senses that many GTA IV players are hard-core gamers who probably bought next-generation consoles enlarged before game’s release.

“The GTA IV release might help sell consoles on the margins. whether folks were on the edge about buying a next-generation console and they wanted GTA IV, that could have pushed them off the fence and convinced them to buy either an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3,” O’Rourke said. “But I don’t think that game release is going to have a huge influence on console sales overall.”

The Xbox Live Advantage

Microsoft may have an advantage, thanks to its Xbox Live Arcade and its exclusive relationship with GTA IV online….

Orginal post by Top Tech News