Red Dead Redemption 2 could hit 20 million in sales — and turn a profit — by December

Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games announced that Red Dead Redemption 2 sold through more than $725 million worth in its first three days of sales. That indicates roughly 10 million copies sold at the outset (and if you consider average game prices, 12 million units at $60 each), according to analyst Ben Schachter at Macquarie Research. And it means that game sales could hit 15 million or 20 million copies sold by the end of the holidays, he said. Based on my own take, that means the game could be profitable by the end of the year.

These numbers help me come up with a revised amateur analysis of Red Dead Redemption 2’s costs and revenues, which I started in my DeanBeat column on Friday. Take-Two said Red Dead Redemption had the highest-ever preorder level on the PlayStation Network. Those preorders likely included more collector’s edition units, raising the average price, so the likely number sold so far is around 11 million copies or so, said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush.