Over the past few weeks, the video game industry has been the scene of numerous noteworthy events. There have been a lot of substantial game disclosures, including new announcements and controversial topics regarding various titles. In this context, over the past few years, Grand Theft Auto Online has undergone significant development, and one of the most effective new methods of monetization that Rockstar Games has introduced is GTA+.
This was something that happened a year ago, and it was something that was met with uproar from the gaming community. This was because many people felt that this was a sign of more pay-to-win foolishness coming in the form of microtransactions, and that is precisely what it has been.
Here, we’ve witnessed Rockstar battle a couple of inconsequential foes. In the past, if you were a subscriber to GTA+, you were eligible for richer rewards; however, they have significantly increased the ANSI after the launch of the Vinewood Car Club. This is a very innovative method for generating revenue. A few days ago, we included it in the GTA+ update. The first of these benefits of the new club is a new location for club members, as it has been announced.
At this new location, you’ll have access to a curated stock of unique Vehicles to test drive or do at your location, utilize a paywall and free mode, and purchase at an exclusive price. You also get to look over the complimentary GTA+ vehicle that’s been waiting for you inside the club, and you may claim it right there.
Additionally, in free mode, you will receive pretty much all of the special Vehicles content that was included in the most recent update for GTA Online or the overall update for GTA+. You will also be able to acquire any of these automobiles outright at a special discounted price thanks to the membership, in addition to claiming the club reward automobile for each month free of charge.
And once more, the intention was for this to cause one of the most popular Grand Theft Auto Online YouTubers, TGG, to react angrily by claiming, “They really did it! It’s absurd that not only does GTA Online cost $60 to play, but you also have to pay for a GTA+ subscription to access all of the newly released stuff.
And to add to this, what Rockstar did next is the least shocking thing that could have happened, but it nearly comes across as being even more insulting. They deleted over 180 vehicles from the game and placed some of them behind a paywall, which is also behind GTA+. According to TGC, a recently announced update for GTA Online has resulted in the removal of hundreds of automobiles that were played with less frequently, with some of the remaining cars being placed behind a paywall.
Rockstar revealed that it would be deleting some automobiles from the games in the universe shop before the release of the new San Andreas Mercenaries update for its popular online game. This decision was made prior to the release of the update. In addition, close to 200 automobiles have been taken out of Grand Theft Auto Online.
A step that Rockstar stated they were taking so that they could make the buying experience more streamlined. These businesses always provide an explanation for removing content, but the fact remains that whenever they engage in activities of this nature, they stand to gain monetarily.
The revelation that some of these automobiles may now only be acquired by subscribers of the GTA Online Plus subscription service has added to the backlash that has been received. This means that content that was once widely accessible to all players via in-game currency is now only available to those who pay a monthly price for the GTA Online Plus program. The YouTuber TGG mentioned earlier brought up the fact that the Stirling GT is an example of a vehicle that was formerly available but is now only accessible through GTA+.
And on the GTA Online thread, you can see some of the controversy and anger about this, as someone even joked that they said it was a new cover because Rockstar deleted the N5 from legendary motorsport. This is something that you can see for yourself. This is just one more thing that makes Rockstar Games appear horrible, and it has me worried about how they will make money off Grand Theft Auto 6.
Take-Two Interactive has been extremely outspoken about wanting to increase revenue. This is something that Strauss Zelnick mentioned a few years ago when he stated that they were not making the most of their monetization company.
From the perspective of the industry as a whole, we believe that we are probably monetizing on a per-user basis. There is work to be done because I think that we are capable of doing more, and I believe that we are capable of doing more without compromising either our strategy of being the most innovative or our ethical approach, which is to please customers.
There is no chance that we will get the very last nickel. However, it does appear as though that is precisely what is taking place, which has caused a lot of people to become concerned because the monetization of Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely to be a significant focus of debate.
Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive already anticipate making billions of dollars when Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally made available to the public. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the commercialization will be horrible. And the fact that Rockstar Games seems to be heading in the same route as Ubisoft is something that gives me cause for concern.
This direction involves single-player monetization options such as, for example, maybe time servers, possibly apparel monetization, and an in-game store. This is likely to be a highly popular game, and it will be fascinating to see how the developers make money from it. What we are witnessing right now from Grand Theft Auto Plus is. There is a subscription service, and if you genuinely want to get the entire GTA Online experience, GTA 6 Online, or whatever it’s going to be called, you will have to subscribe to it.
I think this is an indication of what the future holds. If you want to get the complete experience, you’ll have to subscribe to that service. And as of right now, it’s only $60 per year, but in the future, it might be more. This is simply how GTA Online operates in its multiplayer mode.
This is something that we have observed because there have been more pay-to-play and pay-to-win events in the past year than there ever have been before. I hope Grand Theft Auto 6 doesn’t head in that way at all. However, it does appear to have an interest in maximizing profits, which is something that Take-Two Interactive would most surely accomplish at this point.
