Software company Take-Two Interactive has announced the appointment of a new president for its Asian region.

Hubert Larenaudie, who has held senior roles with Electronic Arts and Vivendi, has joined the company to head its expansion into the region.

Mr Larenaudie said: "Many of Take-Two's franchises, such as Grand Theft Auto, Midnight Club, Sid Meier's Civilization and BioShock are international hits, and already have attracted large and enthusiastic fan bases in markets such as Japan, South Korea and China.

He explained how he saw an exciting potential to build a large market for the companies products in the Asia Pacific region, with a particular emphasis on the on-line gaming sector.

Take-Two Interactive markets, distributes and publishes software for a variety of formats. Their largest franchise is the Grand Theft Auto games, with the latest version being released worldwide on April 29th.

The Hollywood Variety say a source close to Take-Two claim that 6 million units of the new Grand Theft Auto game will be sold during its first week of release, generating over $400 million in revenue.