The Most Disappointing Video Game Announcement EVER
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VOICE OVER: Riccardo Tucci
WRITTEN BY: Alex Slade
Unfortunately, some video game development companies are either so misguided in what they think the players want, or they just don't care. Time and time again, we see video game announcements receive significant backlash from gamers for various reasons. It could be due to the lackluster gameplay shown, the fact that the development or port is a shameless cash grab, the game features controversial content, or it could be due to something else entirely. In this video, we're talking about a case of 'wrong game, right console,' and that game is Grand Theft Auto V.
Script written by Alex Slade
Unfortunately, some video game development companies are either so misguided in what they think the players want, or they just don’t care. Time and time again, we see video game announcements receive significant backlash from gamers for various reasons. It could be due to the lackluster gameplay shown, the fact that the development or port is a shameless cash grab, the game features controversial content, or it could be due to something else entirely. The “Diablo Immortal” for mobile announcement is an infamous case where the devs were booed on stage. That was a case of ‘right game, wrong console,’ but we’re not talking about Diablo today. We’re talking about a case of ‘wrong game, right console,’ and that game is Grand Theft Auto V.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hadn’t heard of Grand Theft Auto. The first one was released in 1997, and its violence and mayhem rapidly became well known, not just among the gaming community but among the entire world. It spawned sequels and spinoffs, generating billions of dollars and a whole lot of controversy. Its violence, mature themes, and freedom of choice in using your arsenal, made it the target of some unhappy people. While accused of being misogynistic, and being so violent it caused players to become violent in real-life, these comments are in the minority. The series’ later entries have been hailed as some of the greatest video games of all time.
GTA V has been the latest entry in the franchise for seven years now. Released in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360, the game came at the end of the seventh generation of consoles and the start of the eighth. Hence, it was no surprise that the game would get a re-release for newer hardware, with increased graphical fidelity, content, and support just one year later. Rockstar would continue to improve on the online component, releasing periodic updates and downloadable content via microtransactions. This was fine as we got to experience the game as it was meant to be played and enjoy Rockstar’s true vision of it. Still, we couldn’t help but wonder what GTA VI would look and play like.
GTA IV had released five years before V, and San Andreas had released four years prior IV, so it gave us the impression that if Rockstar were working on another entry, we would expect a four to five year, maybe six-year time frame. Well, seven years after GTA V was released, on the first year of the ninth generation of consoles, a new Grand Theft Auto was announced for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Was it Grand Theft Auto VI? No, it was Grand Theft Auto V… again.
We want to make this clear by saying that more GTA V is not necessarily a bad thing, but we have a lot of it already, and it’s been the longest time yet since a new entry. This would have been the perfect time to announce the sixth entry. This new announcement meant that GTA V would be released on three generations of consoles and we’ve played it to death for seven years already. The game doesn’t even appear to look any better on the new consoles if the announcement trailer is something to go by. While we’ll have to wait to play it, the trailer doesn’t give us any reason to purchase it again.
Can we all move to a quiet place, close our eyes, and just imagine what a new Grand Theft Auto would look like on new consoles, taking advantage of the current hardware? Better graphics, a bigger world, more attention to detail, more content, better physics, an upgrade in every way. It’s what we’re all after. It’s likely the sixth entry in the series won’t be out for at least a few more years, and playing V again on our new PS5’s is always going to be a reminder of that fact.
Let’s take a look at why this decision might have been made. We all know how successful Rockstar’s games are, both critically and financially, but we’ll just examine the finances for now. On a budget of $265 million, Grand Theft Auto V has made around $6 billion. As long as people keep playing and paying, it’s a no brainer for Rockstar to continue releasing it. Shark Cards are being bought daily. There’s a constant flow of revenue just pouring in. This is how many games bring in tons of dollars; through downloadable content and micro-transactions, and it doesn’t look like this format is going any time soon.
Okay, so the game was announced for the new generation of consoles. Are some of us going to purchase it? Definitely. Is everyone who bought it for the Xbox One, PS4, or PC going to purchase it again? Probably not, but there’s going to be enough for Rockstar to call it a win, and if we have to wait a couple of more years to play GTA 6, then we suppose GTA 5 on next-gen consoles will scratch our mayhem itch… for now, so long as we don’t see it on the PS6 in seven years.
The Most Disappointing Video Game Announcement EVER
Unfortunately, some video game development companies are either so misguided in what they think the players want, or they just don’t care. Time and time again, we see video game announcements receive significant backlash from gamers for various reasons. It could be due to the lackluster gameplay shown, the fact that the development or port is a shameless cash grab, the game features controversial content, or it could be due to something else entirely. The “Diablo Immortal” for mobile announcement is an infamous case where the devs were booed on stage. That was a case of ‘right game, wrong console,’ but we’re not talking about Diablo today. We’re talking about a case of ‘wrong game, right console,’ and that game is Grand Theft Auto V.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hadn’t heard of Grand Theft Auto. The first one was released in 1997, and its violence and mayhem rapidly became well known, not just among the gaming community but among the entire world. It spawned sequels and spinoffs, generating billions of dollars and a whole lot of controversy. Its violence, mature themes, and freedom of choice in using your arsenal, made it the target of some unhappy people. While accused of being misogynistic, and being so violent it caused players to become violent in real-life, these comments are in the minority. The series’ later entries have been hailed as some of the greatest video games of all time.
GTA V has been the latest entry in the franchise for seven years now. Released in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360, the game came at the end of the seventh generation of consoles and the start of the eighth. Hence, it was no surprise that the game would get a re-release for newer hardware, with increased graphical fidelity, content, and support just one year later. Rockstar would continue to improve on the online component, releasing periodic updates and downloadable content via microtransactions. This was fine as we got to experience the game as it was meant to be played and enjoy Rockstar’s true vision of it. Still, we couldn’t help but wonder what GTA VI would look and play like.
GTA IV had released five years before V, and San Andreas had released four years prior IV, so it gave us the impression that if Rockstar were working on another entry, we would expect a four to five year, maybe six-year time frame. Well, seven years after GTA V was released, on the first year of the ninth generation of consoles, a new Grand Theft Auto was announced for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Was it Grand Theft Auto VI? No, it was Grand Theft Auto V… again.
We want to make this clear by saying that more GTA V is not necessarily a bad thing, but we have a lot of it already, and it’s been the longest time yet since a new entry. This would have been the perfect time to announce the sixth entry. This new announcement meant that GTA V would be released on three generations of consoles and we’ve played it to death for seven years already. The game doesn’t even appear to look any better on the new consoles if the announcement trailer is something to go by. While we’ll have to wait to play it, the trailer doesn’t give us any reason to purchase it again.
Can we all move to a quiet place, close our eyes, and just imagine what a new Grand Theft Auto would look like on new consoles, taking advantage of the current hardware? Better graphics, a bigger world, more attention to detail, more content, better physics, an upgrade in every way. It’s what we’re all after. It’s likely the sixth entry in the series won’t be out for at least a few more years, and playing V again on our new PS5’s is always going to be a reminder of that fact.
Let’s take a look at why this decision might have been made. We all know how successful Rockstar’s games are, both critically and financially, but we’ll just examine the finances for now. On a budget of $265 million, Grand Theft Auto V has made around $6 billion. As long as people keep playing and paying, it’s a no brainer for Rockstar to continue releasing it. Shark Cards are being bought daily. There’s a constant flow of revenue just pouring in. This is how many games bring in tons of dollars; through downloadable content and micro-transactions, and it doesn’t look like this format is going any time soon.
Okay, so the game was announced for the new generation of consoles. Are some of us going to purchase it? Definitely. Is everyone who bought it for the Xbox One, PS4, or PC going to purchase it again? Probably not, but there’s going to be enough for Rockstar to call it a win, and if we have to wait a couple of more years to play GTA 6, then we suppose GTA 5 on next-gen consoles will scratch our mayhem itch… for now, so long as we don’t see it on the PS6 in seven years.
