With unprecedented blockbuster Grand Theft Auto VI just three months away, anticipation is building among players who are yet to see a decent representation of what the game actually is. But while publisher Rockstar recently confirmed that an “extended look” was coming on August 28, one detail in particular has caused a stir: the video will premiere on Netflix.
No details have been given on what the presentation will include, or how long it will be, although Rockstar has said the video will be available on YouTube and its own website six hours after the premiere. Still, this is uncharted territory for promoting a video game. Generally, prerelease videos are disseminated as accessibly as possible because the publisher needs to drum up hype. Here, Rockstar is saying its first in-depth look at the game is a product unto itself, worthy of a platform that people pay up to $29 a month for.
And Rockstar is not unjustified in its confidence. Grand Theft Auto V was a massive hit that topped bestseller charts for more than 10 years, and is the biggest entertainment product in history by practically any metric. The 2013 game has sold 230 million copies to date, making more than $14 billion in revenue.
Despite consumer backlash over Rockstar’s decision to launch Grand Theft Auto VI as a $130 digital-only game — with no option to buy it on disc — and its decision to lock certain gameplay elements and features behind a $160 Ultimate Edition, pre-orders for the game have been off the charts.
At a quarterly earnings call last week, Rockstar parent Take-Two reported $US1.4 billion ($1.98 billion) in net bookings, which considering previous reports and its current slate of games, might indicate that GTA VI pre-orders are on track to make $1.5 billion by launch if they haven’t already. Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick said at the call that the pre-orders had been “unprecedented and astonishing”, but defended the game’s high pricing, saying the company was not aiming to maximise cost to consumer.
“The truth is that the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago. And our goal is to continue to overdeliver for our consumers because how you feel about any experience is the intersection of the experience itself and what you pay for it,” he said.
“So to say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto VI will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement because Rockstar Games is known for overdelivering.”
As with the high cost, debuting new footage exclusively on Netflix will not ultimately hurt the game. But it does feed into an undertone of negativity surrounding GTA VI from some players and commentators, who take issue with Rockstar’s hubris. The game, which has been estimated to have cost about $US2 billion ($2.9 billion) to develop, is destined to be close to the most lucrative media product of all time based on game sales alone. Does it really need to squeeze people with extra paid content at launch, or accept undoubtedly massive stacks of cash from Netflix as well?
“The next few months are going to be a parade of marketing bullshit they wouldn’t dare try if it were any game other than GTA,” said writer David Smith on Bluesky, reacting to the Netflix news.
“This is unbelievably scummy … This needs to be called out because if any other studio such as Bethesda did this they would be crucified,” said @BaileyPoints on X.
Still, not every voice was so critical, especially on forums dedicated to GTA hype. People are desperate to see more of this modernised Bonnie and Clyde story, its fictionalised satirical version of Florida, and the huge assortment of vehicles, guns, locations and activities.
“Waited 13 years, but can’t wait 6 hours longer,” said Reddit user Bong55555 sarcastically in response to the complaints.
“They used to do specials, ‘making-ofs’, and other stuff on network tv to build hype back in the day. Mainly for blockbuster movies. Nice to see it still exists for those that care,” said user buttbuttlolbuttbutt in the same thread.
Regardless, the deal speaks to how both Netflix and Rockstar see themselves, and the direction in which games may be moving within wider culture.
Netflix has begun including certain mobile games – including from Rockstar – with its subscriptions, and bringing streamed game experiences to its TV app. But it’s also increasingly selling its ability to host live events, including sports and concerts. The GTA VI premiere allows it to flex both angles, tying the Netflix brand to a much-anticipated milestone in mainstream gaming.
For Rockstar, which knows that practically anybody who seeks out game trailers is already planning to buy GTA VI, Netflix could be a door to a wider audience that isn’t even aware of the game. Netflix has 325 million subscribers globally, a tiny fraction of the potential audience on YouTube. But a big chunk of that base may be immune to online game advertising, with Netflix being the place they go for movies and TV. The presentation will undoubtedly be heavily promoted, and appear at the top of the service’s trending lists.
A similarly meteoric run to Grand Theft Auto V is not guaranteed this time around. That game arrived at the end of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era, when consoles were cheap, and it was then able to re-release on more powerful hardware as a definitive version of an already celebrated game. This time, although the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have been out for almost six years, hardware prices are going up thanks to the dire component shortages caused by AI infrastructure build-outs.
While sales at launch will be strong, Rockstar may ultimately end up relying on companies like Netflix to support its massive game over the next 10 years, if the bulk of casual video game consumers are priced out of the console market and turn to mobile and streaming.
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Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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