Normally even the most popular games die down after awhile, leaving only some dedicated players and those who have yet to buy or play the game. Though it really isn’t a huge surprise considering the long-time popularity of the series, Rockstar Game’s Grand Theft Auto V hasn’t strayed far from top-seller lists regardless of its initial release being even before the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
What is a little odd is that the price hasn’t dropped in those four years. Sure, there is the occasional sale at Gamestop, Amazon, Target, or even digital resources- most recently it has been offered at a 50% discount to Xbox Live Gold subscribers- but overall the game is still $60. Of course most of us will pay that price for a brand new title, but one that is four years old? It’s no wonder that Rockstar doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to drop the price if the demand is still so high.
Don’t believe us? Check out Gamestop’s website here.
Of course, the PC release in 2015 aided the game’s popularity because often Rockstar focuses solely on consoles. But we are in the holiday season of 2017 now and the game is still, well, killing it.
It was announced this week that Grand Theft Auto V is now the best-selling video game in United States history, at 85 billion copies. The previous record-holder was actually Nintendo’s Wii Sports at 82 billion. The sales for Wii Sports were largely in part the fact that it was bundled with the Nintendo Wii for quite some time, but it sold surprisingly well after it was removed and the system was sold on its own or bundled with other games. So that makes GTAV’s success all the more impressive, because that is 85 billion individual copies. Of course this probably includes gifted copies, rebuys for other systems, rebuys after a break or other issue with discs, and those who are buying the game for the first time. Maybe it has to do with all the kids that turn 17 every year and can finally buy it without their mom’s permission.
Aside from showing how a really great game can keep interest, this also shows that if it is really good and constantly updates content that people will almost always be willing to pay full price.
The popularity of Grand Theft Auto Online is a huge selling point for GTAV, because many fans had longed for such a title. From character creation to conducting heists with your buddies, there is always something to do. What really grabs players is that Rockstar keeps it running smoothly and updates it occasionally with new content. The scary thing is, that best-selling title doesn’t include the ridiculous amounts of money fans have spent on the cash cards for GTA Online.
This is definitely one for the books in video gaming history, and who knows if or when it will be beaten. If something ever does accomplish surpassing GTAV, it’s going to be really, really good.
Silver Soul Gaming 