Grand Theft Auto IV has claimed two entertainment industry sales records, posting the best ever single-day and seven-day sales totals for a computer game.

The highly-anticipated, and highly-controversial, game is the latest instalment in Rockstar Games' flagship franchise.

Take Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar, said that GTA IV sold more than 3.6 million copies on its first day of availability, garnering $310m in sales.

Over the course of the first week, that total grew to six million units and $500m in sales.

The launch has not been without controversy, however. GTA IV has been the target of everyone from spammers to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The game was even speculated for a short time to be the cause of a stabbing on the night of its release, although authorities have since ruled this out.

Meanwhile, anti-gaming lawyer Jack Thompson wrote a letter to Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick's mother in an attempt to shame Zelnick and highlight the damage Thompson believes he has done with the GTA series.

"We knew Grand Theft Auto IV would break new ground in terms of player experience," said Zelnick. "Now it has broken sales and rating records as well."