GTA 6 PS5 PlayStation

According to prophecy and conventional video game industry wisdom, GTA 6 is expected to make staggering, unprecedented amounts of money. Rockstar's next entry in the legendary series is also expected to suck up much of gamer's mind share, and most valuable of all, their time; so much so that at least three major publishers are willing to delay their games to get out of its way.

The Game Business, the new venture from former GamesIndustry.biz editor Chris Dring, spoke to a trio of executives from some of gaming's most prominent publishers at GDC, whose identities have been kept anonymous. The first GTA in 12 years is expected in Fall 2025, and according to the boss of one of the world's biggest video game publishers:

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"Rockstar games always suck a lot of money and, more importantly, time out of the market. We don’t want to be anywhere near that. We are working up multiple different plans for our titles."

A senior executive representing another pub added: "Even without GTA, it’s immensely difficult to find free time for new games to shine. Time is the real scarcity for us, not money. It’s tough out there." A third person, this time the boss of a AAA European publisher, said that the specific timing of GTA 6 in Fall will have consequences for them in the notoriously busy release window:

"We don’t want to launch just before or just after the game. If it arrives in late October, that means you either have to launch early – which a lot of people seem to be doing with the recent glut of summer release dates. Or go later, putting you up against the Black Friday sales."

The Game Business also spoke to developers who think GTA 6 will likely have lots of games either pushing forward or holding back updates, too: "GTA 6 is basically a huge meteor and we will just stay clear of the blast zone... . Of course, the problem is everyone is going to do the same. So three to four weeks before or after GTA 6, you’re going to get a load of games dropping content in what they believe will be the safe zone."

Another put our own thoughts into words, as you'd have to be quite foolish to ever go up against Rockstar's behemoth: "There’s no point swimming against the current. We just need to prepare to win players back once the excitement has started to die down."

Can you believe what a big deal GTA 6 is to the video game industry at large? With no firm release date, publishers are going to have to do what they can to say nimble. Anticipate Rockstar's next in the comments section below.

[source thegamebusiness.com]