MAY 27, 2008 • Grand Theft Auto IV is selling more units on the Xbox 360 platform in the U.K. than the PlayStation 3, according to research form Chart-Track. In the four weeks after the game’s launch 750,000 units out of a total of 1.3 million have been Xbox 360 versions. What’s more, during that time, sales of the Microsoft console have increased 47% compared to 8% for the PS3. Prior to GTA IV’s debut, Sony’s system had been consistently leading in hardware sales by about 20% in the U.K.

Impact: Europe will be a key battleground for the Xbox 360 and the U.K. is the strongest market for Microsoft.  Prior to the launch of GTA IV, Microsoft dropped the price of the Xbox 360 in Europe and this aggressive move is clearly helping system sales. The Xbox 360 is now priced from £160 to £ 260 in the U.K. versus £300 for the PlayStation 3.  With this type of price advantage, DFC forecasts that the Xbox 360 will maintain a lead over the PS3 in the U.K. until 2011.