Last week, Take-Two Interactive Inc. announced “Grand Theft Auto V” sold 29 million units in the six weeks since its launch. Somehow that’s not a misprint. To put it in perspective, every “Call of Duty” installment has trended toward 20 million or so lifetime sales. “GTA V” eclipsed that in six weeks. My mind exploded when I saw that so as I haphazardly stuff it back together, let’s look at the implications of this mind-boggling number.
I guess production delays didn’t hurt sales numbers too bad. Despite the inevitable whining about pushing to a fall release, Rockstar Games used their creative control to ensure a tip-top product. They understand when a game is finished—although, you wouldn’t guess that from the cacophony of incessant complaining about the game’s online component not working properly.
It cements the status of Take Two as perhaps the finest publisher going right now. Built around a stable of talent including Rockstar’s numerous studios, Irrational Games, Gearbox’s “Borderlands” series and the finest sport franchise year after year, “NBA 2K,” their library is staggering. It also speaks to the publisher’s ability to attract talented industry creators.
Rod Fergusson, longtime “Gears of War” producer started up a new studio under their umbrella. Turtle Rock Studios, co-developer of “Left 4 Dead,” is still hiding in its shell while working on their game. Like FX empowering showrunners on television, Take Two understands talented developers shouldn’t be hampered by ham-fisted corporate requests. Assuredly that goes on, but Take Two understands a quality game, delay or no delay, should produce regardless of when it’s released.
It also appears that the waning console cycles aren’t enough to hold back sales numbers. While overall figures are still in decline, this ridiculous explosion that still shouldn’t be real indicates people are clearly starving for high quality entertainment breaking from traditional fall releases. That sentiment brings me to what these numbers indicate about the “GTA” brand.
With over five years in between releases, there was bound to be some speculation about whether or not the “GTA” brand still resonated with as many people as it used to. Looks like the answer is a resounding “yes.”
Part of the franchise’s appeal is how meticulously crafted their densely populated landscapes are. Simply by virtue of its vast gameplay offerings, it appeals to a wide range of players. If someone wants to stick to the tightly woven Hollywood story, they assuredly can. Others may want to just hop in a plane or drive over pedestrians. It’s the nearly obsessive amount of care going into literally every portion of this product that makes the game so enticing to everyone.
Activision and Ubisoft will never do this, but most importantly, the five-year hiatus illustrates how letting fans clamor for a new franchise rather than shoving new entries down their throat can build up something we peasants call desire. Almost the entire narrative surrounding “Assassin’s Creed” and “Call of Duty” at this point is how the new-game-a-year practice is getting ridiculous. Of course that conversation means nothing economically when they keep selling at blockbuster numbers.
Still, Rockstar is rarely cast in a negative light in terms of abusing properties. Besides the misogynistic claims and usual fervor surrounding its mature themes, “GTA V” hasn’t acquired the negative press these overdone franchises recieves. Every entry stands alone and still stands as a towering tent-pole game. It’s interesting to chart the dissolution of “Final Fantasy’s” credibility versus what a “GTA” launch means. “Grand Theft Auto” is an event created by Rockstar’s ability to not milk the franchise.
In all honesty, I have literally no idea how or why “GTA V” single handedly saved the US economy this month. 29 million copies sold in six weeks isn’t a thing that should ever be said. Congratulations Rockstar, you made every other game franchise feel like inadequate pieces of crap and I love you for it.
Are you as amazed as Adam that “GTA V” has sold so well in such a short time? Let him know about it at arparis@wisc.edu.
