When video game companies say that they want to create a game as a service that can continue to be profitable well after release there is one title that is the model: Grand Theft Auto V. Everyone knows the popularity of the Grand Theft Auto series, but it’s hard to believe even the most optimistic of developers knew that a game released in 2013 was going to continue to be relevant into 2021.
Yet, that is exactly what is going to be happening. We’ve already known that the game would be ported to next-gen consoles, but it would have been a safe assumption to guess that it would just be a port and nothing else. However, as we approach an intended November release it’s becoming clear that Rockstar plans to put some resources behind this port. Via VideoGamesChronicle.
On Tuesday, Rockstar said that this summer’s updates to GTA Online will include “special benefits” for players to take advantage of the expanded and enhanced versions when they drop.
Plus, in honor of the upcoming 20th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III, “more fun surprises” are planned, including some specifically for GTA Online players.
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“Grand Theft Auto V remains one of the most iconic titles ever released and it continues to exceed our expectations, having sold in over 140 million units,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said.
“In fact, in calendar 2020, more copies of Grand Theft Auto V were sold than in any other year except for 2013 when it first launched on PS3 and Xbox 360.”
GTA V is an anomaly. It’s already the most profitable piece of media in history, but how it got to that point is unlike other long-lasting titles. It’s not unheard of for a game to have a long lifespan, but that is typically the case with MMO’s like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, etc. However, these titles change frequently over that lifespan. Expansions are released, the worlds change, and the game itself will see massive updates. GTA V’s additions have been far more minor in comparison.
This isn’t to say that GTA V’s developers have done absolutely nothing to improve their game. They’ve worked tirelessly to add content to GTA Online since launch with new missions and events. The main game has received new features in ports, but traditional console games typically lose steam after a year or two even with this kind of support. That GTA V has managed to survive this long speaks volumes to how much the community surrounding that game enjoys GTA V, but for a game to become the most profitable of all time it needs more than just a diehard community.
Like many things in modern video games a lot of it can be traced back to Twitch. The online streaming service can keep games alive well past release, or in the case of something like an Among Us, it can vault it to popularity years after it initially came out. GTA V is a fun enough game on its own, but the secret to its long-sustained popularity can be traced back to Twitch.
GTA V is regularly a highly viewed game on Twitch. As of 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, it has 130K viewers. So what exactly is everyone on Twitch doing? Role-playing! GTA as a franchise has always been at its most fun when the player took control of their own experience. The game releases you into a world and says “Go do whatever you want,” but how much fun that really depends on the imagination. Some players can only play within the constraints of the game, but others have always managed to go well beyond that and make their own experience.
When the developers added an online element to it, the players took off and ran with it to create their own universes. Easily the most popular type of way to play GTA V right now is to create a character and role-play it with others, and this isn’t just something nerds are doing in their basement. NBA stars like Anthony Davis are getting in on the fun as well.
There is nothing more powerful in video games than player choice. When players are given the opportunity to go off and make something on their own they can take a game well beyond its own limitations. GTA V on its own is an award winning game that was considered one of the best on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
GTA V in 2021 is an immersive experience where players can be whatever they want to be. That is how even now it is still the most profitable video game ever made.