Why Rockstar Won't Release Grand Theft Auto 6 | Facts And Reasons

Why Rockstar Won't Release Grand Theft Auto 6

You know it's coming. There's never been a bigger gaming franchise
than Grand Theft Auto. Its last installment, Grand Theft Auto 5,
is the best-selling videogame of all time in the United States and the U.K. Like death and taxes, Grand Theft Auto 6 is
inevitable. But don't hold your breath waiting for the
next entry in Rockstar Games' open-world crime simulator — cuz you'll pass out! Grand Theft Auto 6 will hit consoles and PCs
eventually, but Rockstar is in no hurry. Here's why. Grand Theft Auto 5 launched in 2013 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was an immediate hit, moving over 11 million
units in its first 24 hours on the market, raking in more than one billion dollars in
revenue, and setting all kinds of world records. Just over a year later, after the PlayStation
4 and Xbox One versions hit the market, Grand Theft Auto 5 went on to become the best-selling
game ever released in the United Kingdom, period. "We're not worthy!" In the years since, Grand Theft Auto 5 hasn't
lost any of its momentum. In June 2017, it topped the UK sales charts,
beating out newer hits such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Between May and November 2017, Rockstar sold
over 5 million copies to American gamers, pushing the game's lifetime total to 85 million
copies sold. As far as the company's bottom line is concerned,
a new Grand Theft Auto is unnecessary. The last one is still doing just fine. One of the reasons why Grand Theft Auto 5 continues to thrive is its multiplayer component,
known as Grand Theft Auto Online. While it features the same map and open world
as Grand Theft Auto 5, the internet-connected version of the game offers players a bunch
of extra content, including complex multiplayer heists, in addition to the ability to cause
epic mayhem and destruction with friends. "The big one." "The big one!" "The big one!" GTA Online receives regular, free updates,
too, each of which adds tons of new content to the game. It also has made Rockstar a tidy profit, thanks
largely to the option to buy GTA currency for real-world cash. It's the gift that keeps on giving for both
players and the publisher. The folks over at Rockstar aren't dummies. They've been at this video game thing for
a while, and they know that there's no good reason to compete against yourself. The upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2, after
all, checks a lot of the same boxes as the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Settings aside, they're both open-world games
that let players live out their tawdry criminal fantasies. Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto are
essentially cousins, and releasing a new Grand Theft Auto shortly after the western adventure
would undoubtedly cut into Red Dead's profits. Grand Theft Auto isn't an annual franchise like Call of Duty or Madden. Rockstar doesn't crank them out every year
or two. Ever since GTA made the move to 3D, the numbered
installments have been few and far between. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft
Auto: San Andreas might've come out one and three years after Grand Theft Auto III, respectively,
but those aren't fully-fledged sequels. They're more like spin-offs, using the same
engine as their predecessors with some new content thrown in. A truly new Grand Theft Auto only comes out
a couple of times a decade. After Grand Theft Auto III's 2001 debut, fans
had to wait seven years before 2008's Grand Theft Auto 4. Grand Theft Auto 5 didn't come out until 2013—a
five year gap—and the next-generation editions of the same game didn't hit the market until
2014. The PC version of the game arrived even later:
players without consoles had to wait until 2015 to cruise Los Santos' crime-ridden streets. Even if Rockstar did have Grand Theft Auto 6 locked in and ready to go, there's no guarantee
that players would be prepared for it. Close to half a decade after launch, people
are still finding new ways to have fun with Grand Theft Auto 5. Some are busy using GTA 5's filmmaking tools
to put together movies. Others use Grand Theft Auto Online's multiplayer
infrastructure to assemble motorcycle gangs, or to challenge each other to complete insane
stunts. On PCs, players are even busier, with mods
allowing for all kinds of crazy gameplay augmentations. Chances are, Rockstar is going to be done
with Grand Theft Auto 5 well before the players are. Take your time with Grand Theft Auto 6, guys. In the meantime, we'll be just fine.