Rockstar Knows How to Hype Up GTA 5; This Chart Proves It
Game Pass subscribers can play GTA V again. Adding the popular game to Microsoft's service is also likely to prove to be a bullseye for Rockstar and Take-Two.
Yesterday, GTA V returned to the Xbox Game Pass offer. This happened after more than two years - this time the game is also available on the latest generation of consoles. That such a move really pays off for Rockstar was proven by journalist and analyst Derek Strickland in his brief analysis on Twitter.
Sales increase after GTA 5's inclusion in Game Pass
Derek Strickland is professionally involved in analyzing the video game market, so it's no surprise that after the news of the release of GTA V on Microsoft's service, he prepared a special chart. It shows Take-Two Interactive's quarterly revenues from the sales of all installments of Grand Theft Auto from the end of 2014 to the beginning of 2023.
The aforementioned chart shows that after the introduction of GTA V to Game Pass in the fourth quarter of 2020, the brand's revenue increased from $179 million (third quarter 2020) to $210 million.. The financial situation was also improved by the provision of a periodic free version of this game on Epic Games Store. For the following months and years, sales of games in the series remained very high, reaching the maximum result ($310 million) in the third quarter of 2022.
It is worth noting that after the release of GTA V on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles in the second half of 2015, revenues began to rise sharply. That's when the series managed to surpass $100 million in sales for the first time, and after the game's debut on Steam, the brand broke through the $200 million barrier.
If GTA sales fall, you have tosend GTA5 to Game Pass
Thanks to Strickland's analysis, it can also be seen that revenues in the first quarter of this year amounted to "only" $202 million. Such a low result has not been recorded by GTA since the second half of 2020, which was probably one of the main reasons for Rockstar's decision to make the fifth installment available in Game Pass.
Strickland points out that the periodic inclusion of GTA V in Microsoft's service is a good strategy for Rockstar and Take-Two, as it helps attract players back to the title and boost sales of other installments. For now, it's unclear how long the game will remain available in Game Pass.
Rumors about GTA 6 may hamper sales of the fifth game.
Let's point out that for a long time there have been leaks and rumors online about GTA 6 and Rockstar Games' upcoming reveal of this installment. It is therefore likely that some people will not be interested in buying GTA V, knowing that a new game is coming. In that case, they may be content with just checking out the 2013 game on Game Pass.
