The secret to GTA 5's unprecedented success wasn't just becoming the fastest-selling entertainment product ever within three days of launch back in 2013. The real goldmine is GTA Online.
GTA Onlince once generated over $500 million just from Shark Cards alone. This ongoing revenue stream has generated billions in additional income long after the initial purchase, fundamentally changing how Rockstar thinks about pricing strategy.
Case in point: Rockstar cancelled all planned single-player DLC for GTA 5 to focus exclusively on GTA Online updates.
This business model changes everything. Rather than trying to recoup development costs through a higher initial price, the company is likely to keep GTA 6 at standard pricing to maximize the player base. More players mean more potential customers for the online component, where the real profits await through subscriptions, downloadable content, and various in-game purchases.
The gaming industry is facing challenging times. Overall game sales are down 27% this year, console sales are struggling, and consumers everywhere are feeling the pinch of inflation and economic uncertainty.
In this environment, pricing a game at $100 could be a fatal mistake, even if we're talking about Grand Theft Auto.
Recent signals support Vermeij's prediction. When Take-Two priced Mafia: The Old Country at just $50, it raised eyebrows across the industry. If Take-Two is comfortable pricing a major franchise title below the $70 standard, it suggests they're not planning to break the bank with GTA 6 either.
While executives at other companies might be tempted to test the waters with premium pricing, Vermeij believes Rockstar will take the long view. The franchise has essentially created its own genre, with few real competitors offering the same level of immersion and expansive gameplay. Why risk alienating potential customers with a premium price when you can hook them at $70 and monetize them for years through online content?
For now, gamers can rest easy knowing that when GTA 6 finally arrives, it likely won't cost more than $70.
The real cost will come later, of course. Once you're cruising through Leonida's streets, once GTA Online launches with its inevitable flood of tempting content, once your friends are all showing off their new properties and vehicles, that's when Rockstar starts making the real money.
But at least that initial barrier to entry won't be the budget-breaking $100 that so many feared. Sixty-nine ninety-nine might feel like a steal compared to what some analysts were predicting. And knowing Rockstar's business model, they're counting on that relief to get as many people as possible through the door.
Because once you're in? Well, that's when the real spending begins. Just ask anyone who's played GTA Online for the past decade. They'll tell you all about it while showing off their latest estate after spending countless hours making money in GTA Online, and occasionally buying Shark Cards.
