UK Delight Over Grand Theft Auto Record

Reuters Business Report - It's action packed and violent but hugely successful.

The Grand Theft Auto franchise is a global phenomenon - and it's fifth game has just become the world's fastest selling.

It earned $800 million on the first day - easily beating its main rival 'Call of Duty'.

It's Take-Two Interactive Software's most lucrative franchise.But it's not made in the US - a tiny Scottish firm Rockstar North developed the video.

James Binns says the industry is fast becoming one of Britain's best exports.

James Binns, Founder of PC Games N.com:

"I think the UK has got a healthy Geek culture, the weather's never too good so you're in doors plenty and if you trace it back to Sinclair Spectrum, a lot of people making games now played on those systems."

The global industry has been struggling in recent years.

But several big players are thriving

'Call of Duty' and Nintendo's Mario sell around 20 million copies of their games every year.

Sophistication it seems is the key.

James Binns, Founder of PC Games N.com:

"People aren't spending less time gaming, they're playing fewer games for longer. So a game like Mindcraft or a game like GTA V is a huge time commitment. Also the definition of gaming has broadened. More people are playing on things like Smartphones or playing the Facebook Games. So infact there's more games than ever it's just the basket of games and therefore the opportunity to have lots of business' profiting has got smaller."

It took five years for Rockstar to produce the latest Grand Theft Auto at a reported cost of between $200 and $250 million.

After such a long wait its popularity is perhaps no surprise.

And the British government is now being urged to do more to support the industry locally in the hope that video games can do for Britain what movies have done for Hollywood.