Yeah, we’re still called the Couch Potatoes, not the Grand-Theft-Auto Potatoes, but can you really blame us for the non-stop “GTA” coverage when numbers like this roll in?

”Grand Theft Auto IV” made $500 million in its first week. That’s Five ... Hundred ... Million. In its first week. That’s about 6 million copies sold worldwide.

Take-Two honchos begged and pleaded with their shareholders to sandbag a takeover offer from Electronic Arts until after the game hit the market. It looks like they were right to do so.

Take-Two’s stock closed Tuesday at $26.35 and should climb higher amid the sales news. EA’s last offer? $26 per share.

By the way, “GTA IV” also smashed the first-day sales records set by “Halo 3” last September. It moved 3.6 million units to haul in about $310 million in its first 24 hours on the market.

So, when we pour $500 million into a single product in the space of seven days, can the economy really be in the toilet? Maybe those economic stimulus checks weren’t necessary, after all.

For those who haven’t purchased “GTA IV” and are wondering whether it’s worth the hard-earned cash, check out Rommie’s the-whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth review here. And look for a more comprehensive story on “GTA’s” record-breaking launch in Friday’s Tribune.