Relief over GTA VI's RM331 price tag gives way to debate over missing game discs

PARIS, June 25 — Gamers were relieved to learn there was only a minimal price increase for Grand Theft Auto VI when preorders launched at midnight on Thursday, but some fans and retailers criticised the decision not to provide a physical disc.

Predicted to be the biggest-selling cultural product of all time, speculation had been rife that GTA VI would cost players far more than a typical high-end title.

In the end, Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive announced a price tag around US$10 (RM41) higher than the base version in the United States, landing at US$80 (RM331), and US$100 (RM414) for an “Ultimate” edition with additional content like weapons and vehicles.

Six years of development for GTA VI are estimated to have cost up to US$2 billion (RM8.28 billion), which had prompted fears it could cost as much as US$100 (RM414).

“If there is one game that can price at US$80 (RM331) without garnering significant player pushback, Grand Theft Auto VI is that game given its massive scale and anticipation,” said Andrew Marok of specialist consultancy Raymond James.

As preorders went live on Thursday, the price in Europe was €80 (RM376) (US$90; RM373).

In Japan, the PlayStation store listed the game at ¥9,800 (US$61; RM253). In New Zealand, it was listed at NZ$140 (US$79; RM327), similar to the price in Australia. In the UK, it was priced at £70 (US$92; RM381).

Preorders have not launched yet in the Americas.

Disc disappointment

Fans of the GTA series, which dates back to 1997 when the very first 2D game was released, have been waiting 13 years for a new instalment since 2013’s GTA V.

The 230 million copies moved made GTA V the second-best-selling game in history after Minecraft.

Finally getting his hands on the game “doesn’t exactly feel like a real thing that would ever happen”, said Red Young, a 26-year-old Scotsman who helps run fan site GTABase. It “is borderline a miracle.”

Anticipation was only stoked by successive delays: first from autumn 2025 to May this year, and next to November.

Some players were nevertheless shocked to learn that physical copies sold at retailers would contain a redeemable download code — likely meaning there will be no disc containing the game data.

There were grumbles on social media that the lack of a physical disc would eliminate any second-hand market for the title.

But these days, around 80 per cent of game sales on PlayStation and 90 per cent on Xbox are digital versions delivered over the internet, according to specialist firm Niko Partners.

Two independent North American retailers, Video Games Plus and Loot Box Gaming, announced on X that they would not sell the game unless a physical disc becomes available.

“The full launch including pre-orders will be the biggest entertainment launch ever ... bigger than any movie, TV series, music concert or album,” said Piers Harding-Rolls of the UK-based data firm Ampere Analysis.

Analysts at the investment bank Piper Sandler expect around 45 million units to have already sold when the game is released.

Courting controversy

That should put GTA VI on track to top the record for the fastest cultural product to make a billion dollars (RM4.14 billion) in sales, set by its predecessor, GTA V, in barely three days.

Although millions of fans have been kept busy with the multiplayer version GTA Online, the anticipation for a true successor has been fierce.

The GTA saga’s action-adventure titles set in a sprawling open world have immersed players in high-definition imaginary cities heavily inspired by American metropolises.

This instalment’s Bonnie and Clyde-style protagonists will roam Vice City, a fictional version of Miami.

Each game offers players a huge degree of freedom to either carry out missions that advance the plot, or simply to explore the world on foot or at the controls of a fleet of vehicles — with the option to explode into guns-blazing criminal mayhem at any time.

Story missions often involve illegal activity ranging from burglary to murder and drug trafficking.

The focus on crime has created long-running controversy around the series, with some critics warning about its impact on young gamers.

All of its titles are rated for players aged 18 and over under Europe’s PEGI classification system. — AFP