WhenGrand Theft Auto 5first burst onto the scene during the twilight of the PS3 and Xbox 360-era, few observers could have predicted the journey it would go on. Even in the face of the franchise’s wider standing within pop culture, it’s almost unheard of for a game to remain at the sharp end of popularity for more than a handful of years. Against all odds, that’s exactly whatRockstar Games’ latest modern-day crime simulatorhas managed to achieve.
Since debuting towards the end of 2013, it’s estimated that a staggering 160 million copies ofGrand Theft Auto 5have been sold. As it stands right now, that figure places the open-world thriller in second place on the all-time best-selling list of games. OnlyMinecraft, a family-friendly title that’s evolved into a multimedia empire, has sold more. Make no mistake, that accolade hasn’t been achieved through sheer luck alone though. Rockstar Games has capitalized on multiple developments along the way, that have allowed it to keep selling copies so incredibly well.
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Grand Theft Auto: Online
WhenGrand Theft Auto 5debuted on the PS3 and Xbox 360, it was arguably ahead of its time in many respects. While the mechanics at the core of its DNA have remained largely unchangedsince the PS2-era, the way in which Rockstar Games has packaged the latest incarnation of its franchise is a radical departure from the norm. That’s because unlike previous installments,GTA 5comes complete with its own bespoke multiplayer spin-off. CreatingGrand Theft Auto: Onlineas a fully fleshed out game-within-a-game, is the biggest reason whyGTA 5has become such a sales juggernaut.
The way in whichRockstar Games has builtGTA: Onlineto be an ever-evolving world is more in line with the live service games of the current generation, rather than the multiplayer experiences of the era it debuted in. Considering the impact that the publisher has had on open-world games and third-person shooters in the past, this isn’t an entirely shocking turn of events. What’s been added to the mix online might not be the single-player DLC that players have been clamoring for, but more often than not it’s still substantial content that demands the attention of fans.
Constantly expanding the list of things players can do online, specificallywithin aGTAsandbox, has helped to keep the game pinned to sales charts across the globe. With content drops making internet headlines on such a regular basis, it’s become almost impossible to avoidGTA 5on the internet over the last decade. With so many players continuing to invest money intoGTA: Onlinevia microtransactions, the publisher is clearly in no rush to move on from its success. Continually pushingGTA 5is therefore a more lucrative investment than taking a risk on a brand-new replacement.
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GTA 5 Across Generations
From a timing perspective, Rockstar Games struck gold when it initially releasedGrand Theft Auto 5. Unleashing the open-world crime-thriller ontothe PS3 and Xbox 360, just as the PS4 and Xbox One were arriving, allowed the publisher to push its game on multiple fronts. With no free upgrade plan at the time, fans who wanted to continue playing the game on the newer consoles had to double-dip. This goes a decent way to explaining why the game’s sales started high, and have remained so for nearly a decade. In a lot of cases, a single-player can actually account for multiple sales.
Getting in on the action as the generation ticked over ensured thatGTA 5was well-placed to dominate conversations for longer than other releases. Players only have to look atGrand Theft Auto 4,which has ended up in an awkward place thanks to its single mid-generation debut, for how things pan out for most games. Even though the industry has become dominated with similar open-world titles, it’s also worth keeping in mind that no game has really emulated Rockstar’s formula from a critical perspective either. For a decent portion of the last generation,GTA 5was a unique experiencethat was simply too engaging for many to ignore.
Thanks to the arrival ofthe PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Rockstar Games has been able to capitalize on the same tactic that it employed a generation ago.GTA 5is already available on Sony and Microsoft’s latest hardware, which means every new console owner is going to be faced with the option to buy the game again. With an upgrade plan now in place for existing owners, effectively making the game cheaper than ever in the process, it stands to reason that its domination of the charts isn’t over yet.
Rockstar Games’ Schedule
Since the release ofGrand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar Games’ approach to content has changed. In the aftermath of the open-world title’s debut in 2013, across the entire Rockstar family of studios, only one brand-new game has been put out into the world. That’s a dramatic shift considering how between 2005 and 2012, it released 14 games and several DLC expansions. Aside from thewild-west themedRed Dead Redemption 2, every other release sinceGTA 5has been a remake or remaster of a beloved classic. With the recent announcement of theMax Payne 1and2remakes, that trend looks set to continue into the foreseeable future.
From a marketing perspective, this has allowed Rockstar Games to keep public attention largely onGTA 5. Having raked in upwards of $6 billion from a game estimated to have cost $250 million to make, it’s understandable why the publisher hasn’t created a successor to it yet. Whiledemand forGrand Theft Auto 6is understandably reaching feverish levels right now, there’s little incentive for the publisher to pull the plug on its guaranteed moneymaker. In many ways the game’s success has become a self repeating cycle. The more content Rockstar creates for the game to meet demand, the more it continues to sell.
Grand Theft Auto 5is out now on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
