Max Payne may have a tough life, but his latest efforts will prove fruitful for publisher Take-Two Interactive, according to one analyst. In a note to investors, Sterne Agee industry watcher Arvind Bhatia said he expects Max Payne 3 to sell 4 million copies during its lifetime. Max Payne 3 was worth the wait, says Bhatia.

　　Max Payne 3 shipped for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 last week to a positive critical reception. It is the first new installment in the action shooter series since 2003's Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. A PC version of Max Payne 3 is due out in the US on May 29, with an international release following on June 1.

　　Take-Two will release its fourth-quarter earnings this afternoon, and Bhatia believes the report will be in line with consensus, down 18 percent year-over-year. Looking to the company's future, Bhatia has rosy expectations for the firm, saying the publisher's fiscal year 2013 product lineup is its "best-ever." Borderlands 2, Spec Ops: The Line, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM, and possibly Grand Theft Auto V will be "key contributors" to upcoming earnings, he said.