GTA 5 to move 18 million copies during first sixth months - analyst

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia expects Grand Theft Auto 5 to outsell Call of Duty in 2013, and estimates Rockstar has spent around $137.5 million on development.

The massive figure was deduced by the analyst using a "hypothetical probability model" which figures around 250 staffers have been working on the game for five years.

Bhatia feels that if the game moves at least 15 million copies, and Take-Two go easy on marketing, the game could generate $193.6 million in sales; however, the analyst predicts the game will shift 18 million copies during its first first sixth months on the market.

Originally slated for a spring release, GTA 5 will now release in September in order to provide additional development time. Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz suspects the delay signals a possible release on next-gen consoles.

Thanks, GI International.