Take Two Interactive Software Inc. subsidiary Rockstar Games has released GTA V for the third time since its initial release in 2013. The most recent release brings the game to the latest generation of consoles: the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X.
While the ‘new release’ boasts better graphics options such as 4K resolution and ray-tracing, the latest version of GTA V is no different to when it came out initially 9 years ago.
When GTA V was originally released in late 2013 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, it took the world by storm, and since then has sold 160 million copies. To put that number in perspective, the entirety of Ubisoft’s Assassin Creed series, which is made up of twelve main games, seventeen spin off games and several other media projects, and combined has sold 155 million units.
To this day, the game has generated over $6 billion USD in revenue, and is one of the most profitable single entertainment properties of all time.
With the game being so successful, it would be safe to assume that a rerelease of the game with updated graphics and support for a new console would be met positively. However, it seems that Rockstar fans are quite disappointed in the lack of new content.
To make matters worse for the New York-based company, their remake and release of the GTA Trilogy was met with a wave of negative feedback and reviews, due to the way it seemed extremely rushed, lazy and full of bugs making it next to unplayable. Rockstar fans, while knowing that the company can make fantastic games such as GTA V and the Red Dead Redemption Series, have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths over the companies lack of care.
Credit: Den Of Geek
A Bloomberg Intelligence analyst at Bloomberg said that the rerelease of GTA V “could help in offsetting the disappointing launch” of the GTA Trilogy last year and “help alleviate near-term bookings volatility due to lack of new titles”.
While reviews so far of the GTA V remake show solid performance on the new consoles, poor performance would be shocking for a game that has been out for 9 years. To add to fans disappointment, just like when GTA V was released for PS4, Xbox One and PC, support for the previous generation of consoles will be ending, forcing players who play the game regularly to either stop or buy a new console and another copy.
In good news, Rockstar announced last month that the new Grand Theft Auto, GTA VI, is indeed being developed.
