Grand Theft Auto parent publisher Take-Two Interactive has announced that following the success of Grand Theft Auto V, total Grand Theft Auto lifetime shipments stand at 185 million units. This is up substantially from the 125 million figure Take-Two announced in November 2012.

"We believe that Rockstar has established a uniquely original, popular cultural phenomenon with its Grand Theft Auto series, which is the interactive entertainment industry's most iconic and critically acclaimed brand," Take-Two said in a government filing this month.

At 185 million units shipped to date, Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest franchises in all of video games. Other franchises that have crossed the 100 million sold mark include Mario, Pokemon, Need for Speed, Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto, FIFA, and most recently the LEGO series.

GTA V alone has shipped 32.5 million copies, meaning that game by itself makes up around 17.5 percent of all franchise sales. Predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) has shipped over 25 million copies. Take-Two did not provide any information regarding how the 185 million total franchise sales figure breaks down between individual installments.

The GTA series began in 1997 with the original Grand Theft Auto for PC. Numerous installments have followed, including Grand Theft Auto 2, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto IV. Versions of Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Advance, PSP, and Nintendo DS have also been released.

Rockstar Games is not finished with GTA V yet, as the studio continues to support the game's popular online mode, GTA Online, and is also at work on a new story mode expansion. In addition, Rockstar Games will release a title for the Xbox One/PlayStation 4 console generation in 2014, though this game has not yet been announced.