Gamestop’s senior VP of merchandising has revealed that the release of GTA IV has inspired  a ‘vigorous’ uptake in purchases of PS3 hardware.

In a statement to the press reported by GameDaily, Bob McKenzie said:

"From our position, the launch of GTA IV has been tremendous in driving traffic to our stores, as well as providing a vigorous lift in PS3 console sales over this time last week. We attribute the growth to a huge fan base of PS2 owners who see this title as the trigger for the PS3 upgrade they've been planning," he said.

Sony’s American office is naturally beaming, adding that the ‘brand heritage’ of GTA and PlayStation bodes well for the rest of this weeks sales.

"Grand Theft Auto fans who love the game grew up on PlayStation and we believe that rich heritage will be a deciding factor for many gamers at retail," noted Peter Dille, SCEA’s senior VP of marketing and the PlayStation Network.

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"This enthusiasm for GTA IV, combined with the excitement behind Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, and Resistance 2 will further drive PS3 hardware sales."