Rockstar Games Is Primed For Their GTA 6 Game Debut on PS5
Rockstar Games is getting themselves set up for development on the PS5 (if that’s even what it’s going to be called). For those not entirely familiar with the plight of Rockstar Games, they are the developer of the most-profitable entertainment product of all-time, Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 5, having made $6 billion in revenue since the game’s 2013 release. Rockstar has sold more than 100 million copies of GTA V to date, and more than 250 million copies in the series to date (as of 2017).
Fans have been clamoring for the studio to release GTA 6 for years, but the studio has been mum about developing anything for years. Recently, a series of cryptic job listings hit the web, giving gamers a glimmer of hope that Rockstar has something big planned. Let’s see what those job listings entailed and what they mean for the future of the GTA series on the PS5.
Job Listings Galore
After the insane success of Red Dead Redemption 2, which has surpassed 20 million units sold since October 26, Rockstar Games is apparently developing their next cash cow. According to new job listings, Rockstar Games is hiring employees for an “exciting” new project. This shows that Rockstar is focused on prepping their release IP for the next generation of consoles. One of the listings from Rockstar India notes that their future technical artists will:
Create next-generation worlds for some exciting upcoming projects!
This may seem vaguely written to some, but to other industry employees know full well that this has historically hinted at the development of games for next-gen consoles. With news of the PS5 trickling out in the news over the past couple of months, gamers are eager for something new and exciting. But like anything good in life, you must wait for it…a long time. Polygon reported in early 2018 that a PS5 would be at least 3 years off; a date which is nearly identical to the anticipated release date for GTA 6 (2022). Coincidence? Perhaps.
GTA 6 for PS5?
According to Tokyo-based Rakuten Securities Economic Research Institute’s Yasuo Imanaka via gaming blog Twinfinite, the PS5 could be out between April 2021 and March 2022. PlayStation understands that the console market is ultra-competitive and requires them to come in stacked with quality games that will give them a chance at swallowing up more market share than Microsoft or Nintendo (who is also rumored to be developing a new, dockless, Nintendo Switch 2). Attaching GTA 6 as a PS5 exclusive may seemed like a good strategic move for Sony, after a rumor from a March 2019 Market Watch report sent stock prices skyrocketing for GTA’s publisher, Take-Two Interactive, but it’s not worth the $16 billion price tag.
Wrap Up
Sony isn’t buying Take-Two, but that doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a ton of anticipation for GTA 6 being a possible PS5 exclusive. GTA5 broke the record for the most expensive video game ever produced ($265 million). Nearly half of that amount went into marketing the game ($128 million) and you better believe that they’re going to break that record with much gusto this time around.
What’s your best guess as to how much Rockstar Games will spend on developing and marketing GTA 6? Will GTA 6 be released in tandem with the PS5?
