In 2013, Rockstar released the fifth installment in their most popular and important game series, Grand Theft Auto, or GTA as it is known to its fans. The release coincided with the launch of the eighth generation of home gaming platforms (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) in September 2013.
The game quickly became one of the most successful in history, thanks to its innovative story, high-quality graphics, and impressive gameplay that fully utilized the capabilities of the new generation of gaming platforms. Even personal computers faced challenges running the game efficiently, and everyone was talking regarding it.
GTA V, the fifth installment, achieved iconic success, becoming a benchmark for the potential of games to achieve widespread popularity. Eleven years following its release, the game continues to succeed and generate sales, even as we approach the release of the next installment, GTA VI.
With anticipation building for the release of the new game, expected in 2025, users are eager to see what Rockstar will offer in their next masterpiece. The current gaming platforms (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X) are more powerful than previous generations, and computing power has doubled in recent years. This begs the question: will GTA VI live up to these expectations and satisfy the passion of its fans? Or will expectations become so high that the game fails to meet them?
GTA 5 has achieved an iconic success that is now referred to as the game’s potential to achieve success and widespread popularity (Shutterstock)
A Legacy That’s Hard to Top
GTA V set a high bar for what a successful game should offer. It became the gold standard for successful games, both commercially and in terms of popularity. The game sold 11 million copies on its first day, generating over $800 million in sales and breaking gaming industry records. Today, according to Statistica, the game is the best-selling game in history, with 195 million copies sold and sales reaching $7.7 billion. All this despite a development cost of less than $300 million.
The overwhelming success of GTA V makes it difficult for any game to catch up, even if it’s the sixth installment in the same series. A combination of factors contributed to this success, making it unique within the GTA series despite being one of the most successful game series worldwide. This success also puts tremendous pressure on GTA and its developers to try and replicate this commercial and financial achievement.
GTA VI’s legacy isn’t limited to commercial success, it also extends to critical and popular acclaim. With an average rating of 97% according to Metacritic, the game is one of the highest-rated games in history. This critical acclaim further elevates the bar that GTA VI must surpass to achieve similar levels of success.
That Fuels Expectations and Anticipation
Rockstar’s promotional campaign for their upcoming game has ignited anticipation and made fans eager to experience it. Even though the company doesn’t plan to release the game before 2025, they released the first trailer in December. The trailer has been watched by more than 186 million users, despite not providing much information regarding the game, its world, or revealing many details.
Another element contributing to the increased anticipation is the game’s prolonged development process. Initially planned for release with the current generation of platforms, the continued success of GTA V prompted the company to postpone it. This has led players to speculate regarding the game world, map size, and gameplay style.
Global news outlets have fueled the flame of anticipation through numerous leaks, including those stemming from a hacking incident where a hacker accessed a playable version of GTA VI and revealed map size, the game’s location, and gameplay details.
Leaks regarding the game’s production cost have further added to the anticipation. Reports suggest it will reach two billion dollars, eight times the cost of developing GTA 5 and ten times the cost of GTA 4. Naturally, this cost indicates a significant effort in developing the game and attempting to create a new iconic game that might surpass its predecessor.
Current gaming platforms, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, have more power than previous generations (Reuters)
Concerning News
Not all the information regarding GTA 6 is positive. The game’s large size and the involvement of numerous departments and developers present challenges. Perhaps the most concerning news is the postponement of the game’s release due to pressure on developers and the need to work long hours beyond official work hours.
In the gaming world, news regarding poor working conditions and mandatory overtime often indicates a troubled development process. The developer might be rushing to release the game before it’s finished, relying on subsequent updates to fix issues. Or, the game might be postponed altogether. Therefore, expectations and ambition should not reach an unrealistic level.
Cyberpunk 2077 serves as a stark example of excessive anticipation and ambition leading to a disappointing release. Despite the size differences between the companies developing both games, they share a similar level of anticipation and expectation. Announced in 2013, Cyberpunk 2077 was released in 2020. However, the delay did not benefit the studio, as the game launched in a deplorable state, prompting many players to abandon it and criticize it. It became a prime example of a bad game at launch. While the company managed to fix many errors through updates in the following years, the game wasn’t truly playable until 2023 with the addition of Phantom Liberty.
This doesn’t mean that GTA 6 will repeat the mistakes of Cyberpunk 2077, particularly given the difference in size between the two companies, but it’s crucial to temper expectations. Players should avoid being disappointed by a game that diverges from their anticipations or fails to meet them.
No Need for Mystery
Developers typically rely on mystery when announcing their games to attract players. However, a game like GTA 6 doesn’t require such mystery. Its high level of anticipation and anticipation already exists.
The company should forgo the aura of mystery surrounding the game. This aura might harm the game’s future by driving player expectations to unrealistic levels. Revealing more details, such as gameplay, map size, and available features, might bring those expectations down to earth and contribute to a more positive anticipation for the game.
GTA 6: Can it Live Up to the Hype?
In 2013, Rockstar released the fifth installment of their most popular and successful game series, Grand Theft Auto—or GTA, as it’s affectionately known by its fans—in September 2013, coinciding with the launch of the eighth generation of home gaming platforms (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).
The game immediately became one of the most successful games in history, thanks to its innovative storytelling, cutting-edge graphics, and impressive gameplay that fully leveraged the capabilities of the then-new generation of gaming platforms. Personal computers faced many challenges running the game efficiently, and everyone started talking regarding it.
GTA V, the fifth installment, achieved iconic success, setting a benchmark for the potential of games to achieve widespread popularity. After 11 years since its release, the game continues to thrive, generating ongoing sales, even as we stand on the cusp of the next version of the game, bearing the number six (“VI”).
With anticipation for the release of the new installment, slated for 2025, user expectations of what Rockstar might deliver in its next masterpiece are skyrocketing. Especially given the increased power of current gaming platforms (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X), along with the exponential growth in computer power in recent years, we’re compelled to ask: will “GTA VI” succeed in meeting these expectations and satisfying the passion of its fans? Or will those expectations rise to an unachievable ceiling, causing the game to fail completely?
GTA 5 has achieved iconic success that is now referred to as the game’s potential to achieve success and widespread popularity (Shutterstock)
A Legacy that is Difficult to Live Up To
GTA V set a high bar for what a successful game should offer, becoming the gold standard for successful games, both popularly and commercially. It sold 11 million copies on its first day, generating over $800 million in sales and breaking records in the gaming industry. Today, the game stands as the best-selling game in history, with over 195 million copies sold according to the “Statistica” website, and sales reaching $7.7 billion, despite development costs not exceeding $300 million.
The overwhelming success of GTA V makes it challenging for any game to catch up, even if it’s the sixth installment of the same series. Several factors combined to make this particular version a success that was uncommon in the GTA series, even though it’s one of the most successful game series globally. This success also places GTA and its developers under immense pressure to try to replicate the commercial and financial triumph of their previous game.
GTA VI’s legacy isn’t limited to commercial success. It also extends to critical and popular acclaim, with the game receiving an average rating of 97% according to Metacritic, making it one of the best-rated games in history. This critical superiority adds another hurdle that GTA VI must clear to achieve success comparable to its predecessor.
that Increases Expectations and Anticipation
Rockstar’s promotional campaign for their upcoming game has helped ignite anticipation and made fans eagerly await its release. While the company doesn’t plan to release the game until 2025, they did release the first trailer last December. It has garnered over 186 million views, despite the trailer not providing much information regarding the game or its world, and not revealing enough details.
Another factor fueling anticipation is the fact that the game has been in development for over 10 years. Originally planned for release with the current generation of platforms, the continued success of “GTA V” led the company to postpone the release. This has given players ample time to build theories regarding the game world, the size of the map, and the style of play.
Global news platforms have fueled the fire of anticipation for the game through numerous leaks, including those resulting from Rockstar’s servers being hacked, with a hacker accessing a playable version of “GTA VI” and revealing the size of the map, the city where the game is set, and gameplay details.
Leaks regarding the game’s production cost have also added fuel to the fire of anticipation. Reports suggest that the cost will reach two billion dollars, which is eight times the cost of producing “GTA 5” and ten times the cost of producing “GTA 4.” Of course, this cost indicates a tremendous effort in developing the game and attempting to create a new icon that might surpass its predecessor, and this is why some people wonder if GTA 6 can live up to the hype.
Current gaming platforms, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, have more power than previous generations (Reuters)
Unpromising News
Not all the information available regarding “GTA 6” is positive. The game’s large size and the work of many departments and developers on it have led to some concerning news. Perhaps the most worrying news is the postponement of the game’s release, attributed to pressure on developers and their need to work long hours outside of official working hours.
In the world of games, news of poor working conditions for developers and their need to work overtime often signals a poor development situation for the game. It might indicate that the developer is rushing to release the game before it’s finished, attempting to fix it through subsequent updates, or postponing the release for a period of time. Therefore, expectations and ambitions should not rise to an unrealistic level.
Cyberpunk 2077 is perhaps the most prominent example of high anticipation and ambitions in the gaming world, with the release ultimately failing to meet expectations. Despite the difference in the size of the companies developing both games, they share similarities in terms of anticipation and expectations. Cyberpunk 2077 was initially announced in 2013 and then released in 2020. The delay, however, didn’t benefit the studio, as it released the game in a deplorable state, prompting many players to abandon it quickly. This led to widespread criticism until the game became synonymous with poorly released games at the time. While the company managed to fix many errors through updates in the following years, the game didn’t become playable until 2023, with the addition of Phantom Liberty.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that GTA 6 will repeat the mistakes of Cyberpunk 2077, thanks to the size difference between the two companies. However, it’s crucial to keep expectations grounded so that players aren’t surprised by a game that’s completely different from their expectations and fails to live up to them.
No Need for Mystery
Developers often rely on mystery when announcing their games to attract players. However, a game like “GTA 6” doesn’t need such mystery, as it enjoys a high level of anticipation and waiting.
Therefore, Rockstar shouldn’t maintain an aura of mystery around the game. This aura might harm the game’s future by raising players’ expectations to the point of madness. Revealing more details regarding the game, such as gameplay, the size of the map, and available features, might ground these expectations in reality. It might also contribute to enhancing positive anticipation for the game.
