Not many would argue against Rockstar Games being one of the most prolific video game companies in the industry, as it holds several major video game properties under its belt:Grand Theft Auto,Red Dead Redemption,Bully, and perhaps even further back,Manhunt,Midnight Club, and so many more. Nowadays, however, those who think of Rockstar Games think of one of the first three. This is partially due to the company’s acute adaptation and reinventions over the year.
For example, Rockstar Games was known for high-profile single-player DLC for the longest time, includingRed Dead Redemption’s Undead Nightmare, and had plans to do a big DLC forGTA 5as well. It quickly realized the success ofGTA 5was moreso tied toGTA Onlinethan any thing else, though, and by adapting to the changing times,GTA 5became the most profitable entertainment productof all time.
Even further back, many may remember the large Rockstar Games logo onMidnight Club, an incredibly popular racing game, but the publisher hasn’t put out a racing game sinceMidnight Club: Los Angelesin 2008. All of this is to look ahead and ask: how will its next reinvention take place and what does this mean forGrand Theft Auto 6?
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Grand Theft Auto 6: Rockstar’s History
With the massive popularity ofGrand Theft Auto 5, a game that tops sales chartsto this day, it seems highly likely thatGrand Theft Auto 6is a legitimate thing. Nothing is confirmed, but there are plenty of rumors out there that purport its existence. However, many may take note that the last game released 7 years ago, and it’s not likelyGrand Theft Auto 6releases this year. Rockstar has a reputation for taking its time and producing high-quality games; looking back at the history of its biggest franchises has some interesting implications about that.
Bully, for example as the shortest, has been re-release a couple of times with new editions, but it originally came out in 2006. Come October, it will have been 14 years with no follow-up sequel.Red Dead Revolver, however disconnected fromRed Dead Redemptionit may be, originally came out in 2004.Red Dead Redemptionfollow 6 years later in 2010, andRDR 2followed suit in 2019.
By comparison,Grand Theft Autois Rockstar’s longest-running franchise to date. It first publishedGrand Theft Auto 2in 1999 (the firstGTAwas first published by BMG Interactive before it became part of Rockstar Games), followed byGTA 3in 2001,Vice Cityin 2002,San Andreasin 2004,Liberty City Storiesin 2005,Vice City Storiesin 2006,Grand Theft Auto 4in 2008 (DLC followed),Chinatown Warsin 2009, andGrand Theft Auto 5in 2013. In short, 2006 Rockstar is far different from 2010 Rockstar, which is an even further cry from 2020 Rockstar.
What to take note of here is how the spin-off titles eventually fell to the wayside, alongside the major slowdown in numbered titles.GTAhasn’t really been affected by this yet, but that day may eventually come. From 2 years, it jumps to 7 between numbered titles, which is the same time frame the jump fromGrand Theft Auto 5to6would be if it released this year. Again, that’s unlikely. Slowly but surely,Grand Theft Autoturned from a wave of content into something more consolidated like theRed Deadseries.
What This Means for Grand Theft Auto 6
Red Dead Redemptionstill has more stories to tell, but it’s unlikely they are told soon. Fans have been clamoring for a sequel toBullyfor near half-a-decade to no avail. There are rumors thatRockstar Games is working on a new IP, and there are several projects likeBully 2,Red Dead Redemption 3, and so on that’ll likely left to the wayside, as is the case with many of the aforementioned older projects. That’s not to say it would be those precisely, per se, but as Rockstar Games moves forward, it’ll almost assuredly reinvent itself again.
What that means exactly remains to be seen, but without spin-offs, an unlikely future forGTAsingle-player DLC, and an increasing online popularity, one has to wonder when it’ll come to an end.GTA 6is practically a must for the company, butGrand Theft Auto 7, 8, or9? The question becomes when does it end, what becomes of these old and new projects. A strongGrand Theft Auto 6to followGTA 5would be the perfect sunset for the franchise, as while it’s popularity may be at its height, it seems uncertain if that kind of momentum could be maintained for the next few decades at the current rate. ArumoredGTA 6in the next couple of yearssounds much better thanGrand Theft Auto 7in 2030 or beyond, for example.
Of course, Rockstar could just reinvent itself again and put the gaming world on its heads.Houser’s departuremay be shocking and will inevitably evoke changes, but that’s not a bad thing. A new Rockstar, that would not be surprising either, not with as often as the company has shifted and really focused in on something.
Grand Theft Auto 6is rumored to be in development.
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