‘GTA 5’: Grand Theft Auto maker says ‘there’s plenty more content to come’

Rockstar
Games

Last month, like nearly every month before it, “Grand Theft Auto
5” was on the top 20 list of best-selling video games in the
United States. 

It appeared in third place, below “Mario Tennis Aces” and “God of
War,” and above “The Crew 2” — a trio of games that came out in
2018. “Grand Theft Auto 5” didn’t come out in 2018, though: It
came out in September 2013.

Next month, “GTA 5” turns five. For most games, that amount of
time would make it a distant memory. 

Instead, in a twist befitting a game centered on heists, “Grand
Theft Auto 5” is on the verge of crossing 100 million units sold.
“Grand Theft Auto 5” has made somewhere in the neighborhood of $6
billion
according to one report. 

“What can I say? We’re extraordinarily grateful to our colleagues
at Rockstar Games for this incredible creative achievement, and
to the entire team responsible for physical/digital distribution,
and marketing of course,” Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss
Zelnick told me in a phone interview on Monday.

Rockstar / GTA
V

Zelnick runs the publisher that owns Rockstar Games, the
legendary game development studio behind blockbuster franchises
like “GTA” and “Red Dead Redemption.”

“We would never have expected to sell something like 100 million
units and still be in the market and still be active,” Zelnick
said.

He’s right to be shocked: It’s more or less unprecedented, even
for mega-hit franchises like “GTA.” Zelnick pointed out that the
entire “GTA” franchise has sold “something like 285 million
units” — “Grand Theft Auto 5” makes up nearly 100 million of that
alone.

It’s bumping up against the likes of “Minecraft” and “Tetris” for
title of all-time best-selling video game. That’s due to its
extraordinarily long legs — the game keeps selling over time.

“Tetris”
is shown, as played on the Nintendo Entertainment System, in New
York, June 1990.

Richard
Drew

The NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United
States, offered another incredible statistic: Since “GTA 5” went
on sale in September 2013, it has appeared in the top 20
best-selling games list 57 out of 58 times.

“The only time it didn’t was October 2014 when it hit at #21,”
NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella told me in an email. “No other title
comes anywhere near close. Its performance is just other
worldly.” 

There are a few reasons for that:

• “GTA 5” is an excellent game with an incredibly recognizable
  name — if you’re buying a game console and are looking for a
  first game, it’s a strong choice.
• It’s available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One,
  PlayStation 4, and PC. If you bought a game console or a gaming
  PC in the last five years, chances are you also got “GTA 5.”
• Rockstar Games has carefully updated the game over the past
  five years, first bringing it to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in
  2014, then to PC in 2015. A “Premium Edition” launched earlier
  this year as well, which offers additional content.
• It’s got a massive online component, known as “GTA Online,”
  that people love.
• It’s an extremely shareable game — GIFs and
  videos of “GTA 5” are still regularly shared online.

“GTA 5” has been quietly dominating for years at this point.

“Our own approach here is — probably to a fault — we don’t engage
in self-congratulatory behavior,” Zelnick said.

Outside of financial calls and filings, where Take-Two makes
disclosures to investors and the government, information on
Rockstar Games and its products tends to remain private. 

Such is the case with “GTA Online,” for instance, the multiplayer
component of “GTA 5.” It’s clear that the service is
popular, but it’s not clear how many of those 100 million copies
sold are people playing online. 

The “After Hours” update
is the latest addition to “GTA Online.”
Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive

When pressed on details regarding “GTA Online” player numbers,
Zelnick deflected. “We don’t really give out that kind of
information,” he said. The closest he would get is saying it has
“a huge audience.” Rockstar Games
said in January that “GTA Online” had more players in
December 2017 than any previous time; when asked on Monday,
Rockstar representatives declined to offer an update.

One thing is clear: The number of players is significant enough
for Rockstar to continue producing massive new expansions for
“GTA Online.”

The latest update, “After Hours,” is far from the last, Zelnick
said. “There’s plenty more content to come.” From the sound of
it, 100 million units sold is just the lastest milestone for
“Grand Theft Auto 5.”