Founders of Rockstar Games Among the Richest People in UK
The owners of Rockstar Games have again found themselves among the richest people in the UK. Making the GTA V available for free can still affect their total assets, as microtransactions from online mode are still in constant demand.
- Sam and Dan Houser were ranked 418th in the list of richest people in the UK,
- Their total assets are worth 310 million pounds,
- The revenues of the Housers are significantly influenced by profits from microtransactions (e.g. from Grand Theft Auto Online).
Brothers Sam and Dan Houser, founders of Rockstar Games, have reasons to be happy. Their company stands behind hits that not only sustain excellent sales, but also generate huge revenues from microtransactions available in multiplayer modes. Which means that giving away their games for free doesn't bother their wallets too much.
Both men are once again among the top five hundred richest people in the UK according to The Sunday Times.
The fortune of Rockstar Games' founders is constantly growing
The magazine placed Housers on the 418th place of the annual list of the richest Brits. In comparison to the previous year, they moved up by thirteen positions. They also recorded an increase of 10 million pounds in their joint property (currently 310 million pounds).
It may seem like a "small" amount compared to other big fish in the tank, but it shows a constant upward trend. Probably only one of the brothers will be working on the result in the future ranking, because Dan Houser recently left Rockstar Games.
Mel Morris, co-founder of King, the company responsible for Candy Crush Saga, is the highest rated person connected with the video game industry. The businessman can be found on spot 266 (down from 230) with assets reaching 515 million pounds. Morris also owns the Derby County football club.
GTA V may be free, but it will still generate profits
This year, Rockstar Games has surprised fans of its games several times. It started in January, when GTA V went to Xbox Game Pass. This was unexpected, as the title was constantly on the list of best-selling games on various platforms, and this despite being over 6 years old. Then the fifth installment was replaced by a much fresher title, Red Dead Redemption 2. Fans didn't have to pay extra for these games, so they were much more willing to do some shopping in online store.
Last week, the Internet was electrified by the announcement that GTA V was made available for free on Epic Games Store. The platform did not withstand the huge interest in the title and for some time it caused many problems for its users. However, Rockstar Games has gained a lot of new players, who can be tempted by microtransactions.
By the way, that didn't stop the game from being reaching Steam's bestseller list yet again. The result probably consists of sales from before the promotion on Epic Games Store, but nevertheless, Rockstar Games is the biggest winner here.
