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[Represent.]

Amid mass layoffs, studio closures, and high-profile triple-A flops, the video game industry is currently suffering one of the worst periods in its history. Revenue wise, it’s also struggling. According to U.S. sales data tracking firm Circana, 2024 game spending is set to end up down 2% — and that’s the most optimistic outlook.

Explaining Microsoft’s shock mass layoff that affected nearly 2,000 staff at its gaming business, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the industry had failed to grow the gaming audience in recent years, especially on console. But there is one bright spark looming over the horizon: Grand Theft Auto 6.

In an interview with GI.biz, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said Rockstar’s surefire hit will spark “renewed interest” in video games, before going one step further: “There's probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry, so no pressure.”

But there’s more. GTA 6 is the kind of game that will sell consoles. Sony is expected to release a PS5 Pro later this year, and it will no doubt benefit from interest in GTA 6. Similarly, GTA 6 will sell Xbox Series X and S and whatever hardware refresh Microsoft plans. Let’s remember, GTA 6 is not coming out on PC at launch. To play the game, you have to own a PlayStation or an Xbox.

More here

2024 game spending down 2% is Circana analyst's "most optimistic" outlook

When GamesIndustry.biz reports on Circana, it's usually the tracking firm's reports on US consumer spending in the past…

www.gamesindustry.biz

and here

There’s a Lot Riding on GTA 6 — and Not Just for Rockstar and Take-Two - IGN

Why GTA 6 is probably the most important release in games history, and not just for Rockstar and Take-Two.

www.ign.com

I've been saying this for quite some time, I dont know about EVER, but absolutely the most important release in the past few decades.

The industry has been on a downwards trend financially for the best few years - MANY are counting on this to make video games hot again.

It will move consoles like no nothing else, Sony has a new PRO console coming Im sure they are banking on this game to basically market it for them.

 

[German Hops]

GTA 6 and the PS5 pro will fix everything

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

And Sony might not be the only new console at that time

 

[Senua]

GTA 6 and the PS5 pro will fix everything

 

[nush]

It will move consoles like no nothing else

Avatar.. Avatar Way of the Water. Don't count on it.

 

[mansoor1980]

strauss zelnick will fix everything

 

[Dacvak]

I hope it doesn’t “save” anything. We’ve been in a downward financial trend because of the ever-stupid decisions by AAA devs/management. The industry needs to shift to something sustainable in the long term, not wait for the GTA 6 hotfix.

 

[Puscifer]

Meh, it might and it might not. I know after Red Dead Dead being the slog it was that I'm in no rush to get this day 1, especially if they start leaning even more into "realism"

 

[Deerock71]

This rising tide will help nobody but R*.

 

[killatopak]

I bet all my money it’s the online component they’re banking on.

 

[kiphalfton]

As GTA Trilogy shows, it doesn't matter if it turns out to be a turd, it will sell well.

 

[amigastar]

I bet all my money it’s the online component they’re banking on.

I hope not, i want an amazing singleplayer experience.

 

[fart town usa]

It's not going change anything or lift up other Western AAA games. It's just gonna be the next GTA game that makes a ton of money.

 

[Represent.]

I bet all my money it’s the online component they’re banking on.

nahhhh, people got hyped as shit for the single player campaign trailer. the online will be the legs though

 

[Arsic]

Don’t put pussy on a pedestal applies here.

When you set up a game to be Jesus’ second coming in pixel format (see starfield or cp2077) it will come back to bite you. Granted CP2077 is a stellar game NOW.

If someone thinks GTA6 is the most important game ever they need their head checked. It’s just another game. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Hudo]

I mean, it's no secret that GTA is carrying the whole of T2 Interactive. Without that IP that publisher would been gone.

 

[YCoCg]

It's going to be the biggest Sweet Baby promotion of all time

 

[Chuck Berry]

Slow news day (combined with keeping their mouths (naturally) shut over the SBI fiasco).

Article is too early for its own good. God knows where this industry will be in 2026. Thats right I said 2026 because there's no way GTA6 will arrive without delays. Its a Rockstar tradition.

 

[amigastar]

I mean, it's no secret that GTA is carrying the whole of T2 Interactive. Without that IP that publisher would been gone.

Yeah, they are lucky to have such an important IP.
I just hope PC version will take max 6 months.

 

[TexMex]

I mean sure but it's the safest bet on earth. It's going to sell millions within 24 hours.

 

[angrod14]

Never more important than Part III.

 

[Arsic]

It's going to be the biggest Sweet Baby promotion of all time

Is rock star in that list too?

Holy cow. How does that relationship even work?

 

[Roni]

This will either soar high and reach the sun or cement the industry's crash. Could you imagine if GTA, of all things, fell prey to talent erosion?

 

[nush]

Holy cow. How does that relationship even work?

ESG funding.

 

[VolticArchangel]

And Sony might not be the only new console at that time

Whoa, WTF! Plans pre-poned now, instead of next year?

 

[Lionel Richie]

Never more important than Part III.

Bro, Ring Fit Adventure sold more copies than TLOU 2 lol. The only thing important about Part 3 is if they will give us a golfing minigame.

 

[Represent.]

Don’t put pussy on a pedestal applies here.

When you set up a game to be Jesus’ second coming in pixel format (see starfield or cp2077) it will come back to bite you. Granted CP2077 is a stellar game NOW.

If someone thinks GTA6 is the most important game ever they need their head checked. It’s just another game. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

whats a more important release? we're not talking about it being a good game or not - we're talking about it being important for the industry on a financial level.

CyberPunk was nowhere near the level of importance. CPDR doesnt have the same recognition as R* to casuals and even non-gamers

 

[angrod14]

Bro, Ring Fit Adventure sold more copies than TLOU 2 lol. The only thing important about Part 3 is if they will give us a golfing minigame.

There's commercial importance, and there's artistic importance.

 

[Generic]

And yet the game will still be a basic third-person shooter.

 

[Eiknarf]

Man, imagine GTA6 scores a 58 out of 100 average on Metacritic and ruins the gaming industry!?!!??

 

[touchfuzzy]

I'm sure it will be a high quality game that sells extremely well, but I'm also sure it will carry with it a lot of the hallmarks of current AAA development that gamers hate (woke, live service focus, etc.)

 

[kiphalfton]

It's not going change anything or lift up other Western AAA games. It's just gonna be the next GTA game that makes a ton of money.

Exactly.

I don't quite understand how GTA VI doing well will reinvigorate the gaming industry. How does that benefit other studios. It's not like Rockstar will let out a fucking war cry, and it will invigorate/inspire other devs to pull their pathetic studios up out of the shit.

Look at all the bitching that went on when Baldurs Gate III came out. A bunch of low effort devs whined about it, and then they continued doing the bare minimum.

 

[Arsic]

whats a more important release? we're not talking about it being a good game or not - we're talking about it being important for the industry on a financial level.

CyberPunk was nowhere near the level of importance. CPDR doesnt have the same recognition as R* to casuals and even non-gamers

Let me ask you this first: why do YOU think this game over any other, is the most important release ever?

Any answer you give is completely subjective by the way. Just like if I said a world of Warcraft 2 would be more important or Elden Ring 2.

What’s important to you and to me is separate.

If you think the game will sell a lot and that’s important to you somehow, then great. It should do that.

Me? I don’t see this anymore important than any other GTa release or high profile AAA release.

 

[Kacho]

Man, imagine GTA6 scores a 58 out of 100 average on Metacritic and ruins the gaming industry!?!!??

It would be disastrous for the industry. Thankfully that’s incredibly unlikely.

 

[Thyuda]

What a load of crap.

The gaming industry as a whole will be fine, what they mean is inflated, unnecessarily big "quadruple A" titles from out of touch mega corpos, and they really do deserve a reality check and reboot.

 

[Pop]

This thing selling 20 mil copies minimum in the first week

IGN on some bullshit like usual

 

[fart town usa]

Exactly.

I don't quite understand how GTA VI doing well will reinvigorate the gaming industry. How does that benefit other studios. It's not like Rockstar will let out a fucking war cry, and it will invigorate/inspire other devs to pull their pathetic studios up out of the shit.

Look at all the bitching that went on when Baldurs Gate III came out. A bunch of low effort devs whined about it, and then they continued doing the bare minimum.

I was thinking the same with BG3.

Also makes me think of Modern Warfare during the 360/PS3 gen. All that success did was cause studios to lose focus and get quickly dissolved by whichever publisher owned them.

 

[Lumpyoatmeal]

I'm sure it will be a high quality game that sells extremely well, but I'm also sure it will carry with it a lot of the hallmarks of current AAA development that gamers hate (woke, live service focus, etc.)

People have been playing the GTA games online since GTA 2 bruh.

 

[midnightAI]

There's probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry, so no pressure

I mean, I guess that statement is true if the industry was only 5 years old

 

[amigastar]

And yet the game will still be a basic third-person shooter.

With fantastic driving and awesome radio stations. Good enough for me. And tbh shooting looks really fun this time also.

 

[Hudo]

I just hope PC version will take max 6 months.

I hope so, too. But if we're being honest with ourselves then we both know it will be at least a year....

 

[Represent.]

Let me ask you this first: why do YOU think this game over any other, is the most important release ever?

Any answer you give is completely subjective by the way. Just like if I said a world of Warcraft 2 would be more important or Elden Ring 2.

What’s important to you and to me is separate.

If you think the game will sell a lot and that’s important to you somehow, then great. It should do that.

Me? I don’t see this anymore important than any other GTa release or high profile AAA release.

I judge importance on an objective scale. Any game that can sell hardware is important. If one game sells more consoles than another game, its more important. This game will undoubtedly sell more consoles than any other game, probably in history, most definitely in the past 2 generations. Importance = makes money, sells hardware. not how good or bad i think the game is.

Another way to judge importance is by what the game does for a genre. GTA 3 was important for open worlds, it created the blueprint still followed today.

GTA 6 may now create another blueprint for the rest of the industry to strive towards.

This thing selling 20 mil copies minimum in the first week

IGN on some bullshit like usual

It'll do that in a day not a week

 

[Beer Baelly]

Sweet baby best not fuck up

 

[Sleepwalker]

It will sell extremely well of course, and I will buy it day one.


But I think it won't be a masterpiece and I hope I'm wrong.

 

[fart town usa]

GTA 6 may now create another blueprint for the rest of the industry to strive towards.

It'll do that in a day not a week

That's just gonna cause studios to close up shop.

GTA is a unicorn, other studios can't compete with it. We've seen it for nearly 2 decades now; chasing trends ruins studios and causes closures.

 

[Chuck Berry]

This thing selling 20 mil copies minimum in the first week

Itll take less than a week.

 

[Represent.]

That's just gonna cause studios to close up shop.

GTA is a unicorn, other studios can't compete with it. We've seen it for nearly 2 decades now; chasing trends ruins studios and causes closures.

not this gen, perhaps next - there was a time where no one could compete with GTA V - now that open world is standard

 

[Kacho]

But I think it won't be a masterpiece

I share this concern. Benzies, Dan Houser and Lazlow are gone. That will have an impact on some level.

 

[nush]

not this gen, perhaps next - there was a time where no one could compete with GTA V - now that open world is standard

GTA open world is different from fetch quests, cloned areas and markers on a big map to be fair.

 

[Putonahappyface]

And Sony might not be the only new console at that time

It is for me seeing as Xbox won't have a disc drive.