In the five days left in the retail calendar following the April 29 release of GTA IV on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Rockstar"s criminally brilliant open world action game sold 2.85 million units across both platforms, according to data released Thursday by research firm NPD Group.

The game helped push total industry sales to mmoabc.23 billion for the month.

The Xbox 360 version of GTA IV was the top-selling game for the month, selling 1.85 million units. The PS3 version, despite the console"s smaller installed base, still sold 1 million units, securing the third spot on the chart.

Mario Kart for Wii was caught in the GTA IV sandwich at the number two slot with 1.12 million sold.

Total software sales were $654.7 million, a 68 percent year-on-year increase for April.

NPD analyst Anita Fraizer said, "GTA IV captured two of the three top game spots, realizing an attach rate of 20 percent to the combined Xbox 360 and PS3 install bases. With only five days at retail during the reporting month, GTA IV is one of the fastest-selling titles in videogames history."

On a global basis, GTA IV publisher Take-Two said the game generated about $500 million in its first week, breaking retail records.

Many in the industry expected that GTA IV would be a significant sales driver for PS3 and Xbox 360. But hardware figures for both consoles actually dropped month-over-month.

In April, Xbox 360 sold 188,000 units, down from 262,000 last in March. PS3 was virtually neck-and-neck with its rival with 187,100 sold in April, down from 257,000 a month prior.

Frazier commented, "...Since [GTA IV] was only in the market for five days during this reporting period, that [hardware] sales lift could very well be evident in May data."

Once again, it was the Wii that set the hardware charts on fire. The console sold 714,200 units, easily outselling its more expensive competitors combined.

The Nintendo DS had another strong month with 414,800 units sold, while the PSP sold 192,700 and the aging PS2 still managed 124,400 units.

Total hardware sales were up 26 percent to $426.2 million.

Frazier said, "This is the first month in many that we"ve seen a decrease in portable hardware and software sales, but it"s important to remember that this year, the Easter holiday fell in March as compared to April in 2007. April 2007 and March 2008 saw sizable games in portable in part due to the holiday timing."

Accessories were up 39 percent to mmoabc54 million.

Here are the rest of the top-selling titles in April, including bundles and special editions, according to NPD:

1. 360 GTA IV--1.85mm
2. Wii Mario Kart w/ wheel--1.12mm
3. PS3 GTA IV--1.00mm
4. Wii Play--360K
5. Wii Super Smash Bros. Brawl--326K
6. PS3 Gran Turismo 5:  Prologue--224K
7. DS Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:  Explorers of Darkness--202K
8. DS Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:  Explorers of Time--202K
9. Wii Guitar Hero III--152K
10. 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare--141K