Grand Theft Auto V has become quite the business model when it comes to succeeding in the video game industry. The game released four years ago for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and then subsequently arrived for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, and has managed to sell over 80 million copies (as of May 2017 – it could’ve easily stacked on a few more) since that time – becoming one of the greatest sellers in video game history.
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And even without any single player expansions (which a lot of games are notorious for), it’s kind of crazy how wild the game has become – and how much people enjoy it after all this time. Even Grand Theft Auto IV and other games in the series didn’t have that kind of longevity.
So what is it about Grand Theft Auto V that continues to be a sales hit? There are many factors to consider, both from someone on the team, as well as with our own personal theories. Let’s dig in…
Rockstar’s Director Of Design Chimes In
First off, Game Informer recently conducted an interview with Imran Sarwar, director of design for Rockstar, about the game’s success, and he put it like this:
“We put that down to a combination of factors: at a fundamental level, there is this amazingly detailed, living open world that works for both a single-player story and a shared multiplayer experience,” he says. “We put a huge amount of work into the single-player experience, and have subsequently put a huge amount into the multiplayer experience. Both have been both pretty evolutionary and polished. The other real strength of GTA Online is the diversity of the gameplay in the world. You can treat it like a traditional GTA world and explore on your own, or take a friend to the movies or play a game of tennis. Then there is the wide range of relatively structured activities like classic missions or Heists, through to running a business or forming a biker gang, or just attempting a few Free Mode challenges. And of course, at any moment you can jump in with friends (or strangers) and invent something of your own – creating your own metagames using props inside the world, teaming up to do a series of convenience store robberies or just stopping traffic to create carnage. We love checking out the latest crazy videos when people discover some new way to play in the world.”
Now let’s break down some of the other successes regarding the game.
The Best Kind of Open World
While previous Grand Theft Auto games, namely San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV, have offered sensational open-world environments, Grand Theft Auto V really steps up the game with its world, whether you go hiking in the woods to hunt some rare game, go skydiving off of buildings (while conveniently forgetting to open your parachute, or maybe going nuts with your wingsuit), or getting in trouble with the police or some local thugs. The game gives you a ton of activities to partake in, and some of them don’t even tie in with the main story, which is still one of the best you’ll find in a game due to its characters and pacing. So, yeah, the game has a lot to offer, no matter which version you’re playing.
Speaking of which…
The Newer Versions Aren’t Just Mere Ports
A lot of companies these days like to port over their games quickly and conveniently in the hopes of making a buck. However, Rockstar Games took their time with their version of Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, basically reprogramming them from the ground up with highlight editing options, as well as the ability to play the entire thing from a first-person perspective. And ask any devoted player how much that affects their experience, and they’ll tell you it’s fundamentally different – but still cool as hell. That factor alone has resulted in people upgrading from older versions of the game to newer ones without batting an eye.
There’s also one more thing to consider…
Grand Theft Auto Online Is Addictive As Hell
When it comes to online experiences, most of them can be forgettable without that hook to bring you in. Grand Theft Auto Online has several hooks, namely with weekly events and bonuses that are offered (like the recent Transform Races event that’s filled with innovation), as well as special holiday events revolving around Halloween and Christmas, and the ability to build a nice virtual life for yourself – and then watch it go down the tubes so you can build yourself back up again. GTA Online also has an extraordinary community filled with players, with more joining on a weekly basis. And it doesn’t sound like Rockstar is going to back off their support anytime soon, if at all. Yes, that’s even with Red Dead Redemption II coming next year.
Grand Theft Auto V is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, as well as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
