Grand Theft Auto V has been the undisputed juggernaut of 2013 in the video gaming community. Let's take a look at some of the pertinent news surrounding the record-breaking new game from the folks at Rockstar Games.

First off, is the inescapable financial success the game has experienced thus far.  After only three days on shelves, GTA V was already able to surpass the $1 billion mark in sales. That shattered the previous record of fifteen days held by Call of Duty: Black Ops.

That explosive success of the latest installment in the always-controversial Grand Theft Auto series may be short-lived, however. As Gamespot has reported, there are several factors that are getting in the way  of GTA V having a prolonged run of sales.

Grand Theft Auto V sales are expected to be 'extremely front-loaded,' according to Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz. In a note to investors today, Creytz said GTA V will have a shorter sales tail due to 'high gamer anticipation' and the launch of next generation consoles in November," reported the gaming site.

That doesn't mean that the joy ride is over just yet though. GTA Online is set to launch Oct. 1, and it could be a nice stream of additional revenue for the game. There would likely be plenty of content packs and other micro-transactions that could supply revenue for the foreseeable future.

"Call of Duty generates several hundred million dollars per year in digital revenue, and we think GTA could do the same," Creutz said. "Success here would take significant pressure off of next year's as-of-yet undetermined title slate."

Specifically, those micro-transactions would take the form of players paying real-life money for large bundles of fake money in the online version of the game. For the meager sum of just a few dollars, players will be able to amass hundreds of thousands of in-game dollars. Rockstar Games insists that it's not necessary to partake in any micro-transactions to get the full experience of the game.

"The game and its economy have been designed and balanced for the vast majority of players who will not buy extra cash. There is no in-game paywall and nothing that should disrupt the balance of the game. You don't have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker," read a post on their website.