Analyst: 'GTA IV will sell 6m in one week'

The hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV will become one of the fastest-selling games ever released, according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.

Morgan believes the Rockstar-developed game is "likely to ship six million in the first week of sale", adding that he expects the game to "sell over nine million during the first year".

The analyst also predicts the game will make up an astonishing $450 million dollars of Take-Two's expected $1.073 billion dollar revenue this year, generating $135 million of the firm's overall profit.

The series, which began in 1997 and was originally designed by Lemmings creator Dave Jones, has boasted Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Penn among the stars who have provided voice-overs for some of the characters.

To date, more than 65 million copies of the Grand Theft Auto series, which focuses on action and driving, have been sold.

Grand Theft Auto IV will be released on April 29 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.