Rockstar Games and Microsoft haven't disclosed exact sales of the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Lost and Damned, only boasting that it has broken Xbox Live Arcade records. But one analyst has a guess.
We're sure it's more of an informed estimate than a guess, really, considering the source is Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. Mr. Pachter pegs The Lost and Damned sales at a cool 1 million, according to GameSpot, expecting to see that download figure double to more than 2 million by the end of October.
That would mean approximately $40 million in revenue, should Rockstar Games hold the price steady.
If the second Xbox 360 exclusive episode does similar business, it could make that $50 million investment in securing the two GTA IV episodes a financial success for those involved. Possible forthcoming bundles and greatest hits version could eventually make that big payout a drop in the bucket.
The second episode, which is rumored to feature Liberty City resident Luis Fernandez Lopez, is planned for a release later this year.
According to Pachter's note, he also has a "reasonable expectation" that the next fully-fledged Grand Theft Auto game would hit between November 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010. With Rockstar creative bigwigs Sam Houser, Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies only locked in to a contractual agreement until January 2012, we'd bet Take-Two want the developer to get the next one (and its expected downloadable episodes) as soon as is humanly possible.
Analyst: 2 million Lost and Damned, next GTA by Nov. '10 [GameSpot]