Grand Theft Auto V's satirical world of guns, gangs and gags has topped the ranks as the highest grossing media title of all time, according to a report from Dow Jones' investment website Marketwatch.

Since the game's release in 2013, Rockstar Games' 'GTA V' has made a ridiculous $6 billion (£4.2 billion) off the back of its $265 million (£187 million) budget.

This figure towers over the success of famous films such as the original Star Wars, which grossed a measly $3 billion (adjusted for inflation) and James Cameron's Avatar, which earned $2.8 billion upon release in 2009 to become the highest grossing film of all time.

"Video games are a much better business than [movie] studios," commented KeyBanc, analyst Even Wingren. "Games in general have the enviable position that their content is interactive, which allows them to make data-driven insights and adjust games and business models that benefits players and the company."

The mayhem-fuelled fun of Los Santos is still proving popular, too, selling 90 million copies since its release. The longevity of its connected multiplayer portion, GTA Online, saw it round off 2017 as the third biggest-selling game in the UK and the sixth best-selling video game in the US, according to data from The NDP Group.

GTA creator Rockstar Games last month won a legal battle filed by actress Lindsay Lohan claiming that the company had copied her likeness for a character within the game.

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