Former Grand Theft Auto developer hints at potential delay of GTA 6's PC release, provided console versions are out first, as long as a last-minute decision at Rockstar doesn't intervene.
Rockstar Games may have laid the law down hard on ex-Rockstar North programmer Obbe Vermeij's personal blog, but it ain't stopping him from tweeting his thoughts. In celebration of GTA 4's 17-year anniversary yesterday, Vermeij delighted his followers with a chat about his time working on the game, some educated guesses about GTA 6, and a rant on why Rockstar keeps snubbing the PC gaming community.
First off, if you've ever pondered the reasons behind GTA 4 losing some intriguing elements from San Andreas - stats, multiple cities, sneaky approaches, swimming underwater, jetpacks, tanks, bicycles, custom monster trucks, and car modifications - Vermeij reveals it was all for improving the game's graphics and refining the handling of vehicles for the Xbox 360 era. "Sacrificing those old features," he said, "allowed Rockstar to funnel resources into the rendering engine, optimization, and other elements to make the game truly next-gen."
The fancy visuals and car-crazy chaos don't just pop up accidentally, you gotta give credit where it's due. Rockstar had to juggle their funds to create that impressive output. So, say goodbye to buff CJ and monster trucks - I'd've preferred the latter, but what's done is done. And with Rockstar's gigantic warchest, Vermeij anticipates they won't be making "the same cuts for 6."
Vermeij then began to speculate about the upcoming GTA 6. "[GTA 4's] original release date was October 16th 2007," he wrote, with a hint of nostalgia. "But we delayed the game in July 2007, pushing it back to April 2008, only at that time, just a few months before the initial release, did it become clear that we were going to miss the deadline."
He then added, with a dose of uncertainty, "I'm guessing the decision-day for 6 will be similar. Fingers crossed for Take-Two's August earnings report."
Now, this sure sounds ominous, but Vermeij stresses that he's just spitballing based on his experience. Whether GTA 6 sees a delay or not, us PC gamers will still face a delay, just like we did with GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and even RDR 1. Someone asked Vermeij about this, and he offered a less mercenary explanation: "Consoles were always a bigger market for a game like GTA."
He went on, "There used to be a lot of money in the console versions. Now that that's changed, hopefully the PC version will be closer behind." Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two boss, has been vocal about PC being a more important part of their business these days, but with the publisher persistently dodging a day-and-date release? I wouldn't bet my cybercash on it.
Here's hoping Room 233 won't make us wait another decade for GTA 6, but who are we kidding? Rockstar energy drinks are probably more likely to see a release sooner.
- Vermeij hints at potential intriguing elements in GTA 6, contrasting the losses in GTA 4, such as statistics, multiple cities, and jetpacks.
- Rockstar's strategic use of funds during the development of GTA 4 is praised by Vermeij, which allowed them to create visually impressive graphics and handling for the Xbox 360 era.
- In the past, Rockstar Games made significant cuts to appease the console market, affecting the PC gaming community, and Vermeij expects a similar approach for GTA 6.
- Vermeij speculates that GTA 6's release date decision may mirror that of GTA 4, potentially leading to a delay impacting the PC version.
- Regarding the delay of the PC version, Vermeij references the persistent console market and suggests that Take-Two's focus on PC is yet to affect their day-and-date release strategy.
- Vermeij discusses the importance of various platforms, including smartphones, gadgets, technology, social media, entertainment, sports, basketball, NCAA basketball, and the NBA in modern gaming conversation.
- Rockstar Games' tendency to prioritize console versions over PC has led to a notable delay in the PC release of their titles, including Grand Theft Auto 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and even Red Dead Redemption 1.
