( CNN ) -- Who would win in a fight : a police-killing , rampage-driven thug or a superhero encased in a technologically superior suit of armor ? `` Grand Theft Auto IV , '' released Tuesday , could give `` Iron Man '' a run for its money this weekend . The answer could come this weekend when video game enthusiasts find out whether `` Grand Theft Auto IV , '' expected to set sales records in the gaming world this week , will steal glory and revenue from a different entertainment empire : the movies . As the hype for `` GTA IV '' continues to grow and reviews scream perfection , some speculate that the game will put a dent in Marvel Studios ' opening weekend box office for `` Iron Man . '' `` GTA IV '' is the ninth incarnation of a video game in which the user acts as a criminal roaming a city . The series has faced criticism for being too violent , because users are allowed to beat , stab , shoot and kill citizens and police officers . `` Iron Man '' is a movie based on the Marvel comic book superhero who creates an impressive suit of armor to save his life and help save the world . `` GTA IV '' was released Tuesday at midnight and is expected to gross about $ 400 million in the first week . See what makes this violent game so popular » . Edward Woo , a research analyst specializing in media and interactive entertainment at Wedbush Morgan Securities , said the game 's release date and widespread reach could negatively affect opening box office numbers for `` Iron Man . '' `` People on Friday or Saturday might find themselves at home playing this game instead of at the Cineplex , '' Woo said. `` 'Iron Man ' will still have a pretty good release , but intuitively , I think it 's got be impacted when both share a similar audience and genre . '' Because of the time element the game requires of its faithful -- between 30 and 40 hours to finish depending on skill level -- the question is whether gamers will put down their controllers for a couple of hours and go for a change of scenery . Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore said he is n't worried . `` It 's crazy to think that young males ca n't carve out two hours for 'Iron Man , ' `` he told EW.com . `` It 's going to be a great week to be a young guy . '' Watch why violence in the game concerns some people » . This weekend wo n't be the first time analysts have speculated about video games damaging box office numbers . Last year , with $ 170 million in launch day sales and $ 300 million in its first week , `` Halo 3 '' was blamed by some for the poor box office performance of `` The Heartbreak Kid , '' starring Ben Stiller . Take-Two Interactive , the parent company of `` GTA IV '' publisher Rockstar Games , predicted that with 6 million preorders worldwide , the game will bring in more than $ 400 million . `` GTA IV '' has a chance of surpassing the movie `` Pirates of the Caribbean : At World 's End '' as the highest-grossing entertainment title in its first week of sales , and that 's across all genres . Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello told the Financial Times this month that movie executives told him , `` 'Iron Man ' the movie is going to get killed by 'Grand Theft Auto , ' the game . `` I do n't think I 've ever heard of that before , '' he said . The video game market is growing at a rate of 20 to 30 percent this year , but the movie industry is n't seeing as much of an increase , Woo said . Overall , video game sales as a whole have eclipsed box office sales , he said , but the movie industry catches up when it comes to DVDs . Ebullient reviews touted the game as `` The Godfather '' of video games because of its cult-like following . Andrew Reiner , who reviewed `` GTA IV '' for Game Informer , a well-known destination for all things gaming , scored it as a 10.0/10.0 under the title of `` Perfection . '' `` I now know how film critics felt after screening 'The Godfather , ' `` his review began . `` GTA IV '' is a `` landscape-changing event that does n't come around very often , '' Reiner said . It seems the feelings have translated to the regular consumer too . Gamers from Norway to Britain to America echoed similar sentiments on gaming message boards . D.J . Brotherson from Winnipeg , Canada , said he enjoyed the game so much , he wanted to skip work and keep playing all night , saying it was unlike any game he had ever played . `` The story line is very well-written , '' he said , adding that the game `` plays like an interactive Martin Scorsese movie . '' `` Today , I was as excited as I was when I was 5 years old and I just got my first Nintendo Entertainment System on Christmas Day . '' E-mail to a friend .
`` GTA IV '' released Tuesday , expected to gross $ 400 million in first week . `` Iron Man '' opens this weekend , expected to take in $ 50 to $ 60 million . Analysts say game release could hurt weekend ticket sales . Game reviewer calls `` GTA IV '' game `` Perfection ''