S. Samuel
Diehard Grand Theft Auto V fans are going to have to pay a few more bucks after dropping $60 on the new Rockstar release as reports claim the highly anticipated online mode is coming at a price.
According to the latest reports, gamers will have to now dish out real money to enjoy the luxuries of online features.
This week it was revealed that Grand Theft Auto Online, the much-anticipated multiplayer mode for GTA V will feature micro-transactions. Players will be able to complete in-game missions, heists and races to accrue cash to buy weapons, cars and houses. However, they’ll also be able to use real money to buy in-game cash bundles. According to a report in Eurogamer, there are four cash cards available. The cheapest, £1.99, gets you $100,000, while the most expensive, at £13.49 gets you $1.25m. (The Guardian)
Following some immediate backlash, Rockstar clarified its new online approach and why real cash can enhance an experience but is not required.
“The game and its economy have been designed and balanced for the vast majority of players who will not buy extra cash. There is no in-game paywall and nothing that should disrupt the balance of the game. You don’t have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker. The economy is balanced differently from the single-player economy, and cash earned in one cannot be taken over to the other. Most players will earn cash much faster online than in story mode.” (Rockstar)
The unexpected power move makes Rockstar the latest company to join the growing trend.
Avatar ended up making about $2.8 billion thanks to the long life cycle of the film in theaters, something video games can’t exactly replicate. While plenty of people see a movie they love a couple of times, not many will buy their favorite game twice. But where modern games can replicate that long, sustained spending cycle — and for much longer periods — is by getting their players to keep shelling out money as they play the game. Some charge monthly subscriptions for access to enhanced online worlds, others offer in-game stores where players can kit-out their characters by spending real-world money. Take-Two is about to jump into that phase of revenue raising, as it prepares to roll out GTA Online on October 1. GTA Online will work like a multiplayer online world in parallel to the game released last week, and anybody who bought GTA V will have access to it. (Wall Street Journal)
Coincidentally, the new video game has already cracked a billion sales since its release last week.
Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto V has officially hit $1 billion in sales in just three days. Take-Two Interactive has officially announced more than $1 billion in sales of Grand Theft Auto V durings its first three days on sale. The company believe “this marks the fastest than any entertainment property, including video games and feature films, has reached this significant milestone.” According to an LA Times report last year Call of Duty: Black Ops managed to earn $1 billion, but on its 15th day on sale. Chairman and CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zeinick, states “Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon and Rockstar Games continues to redefine what can be achieved in interactive entertainment. We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary critical and commercial response to Grand Theft Auto V.” (T3)
Check out the game’s online trailer:
