Did you know that Grand Theft Auto V is the second best selling game of all time? At last count 200,000,000 copies sold, second only to Minecraft. For some additional perspective, Wii Sports is at #3 with 82,900,000 sold and that is because it was a console pack-in game. For even more perspective, Pokémon Red/Green/Blue and Yellow top out at 47,520,000 copies sold combined. No wonder the world is waiting on Grand Theft Auto VI, a title that’s highly likely to make back its production costs on day zero, probably even before launch. GTA V itself set a sales record on the day of release.
So what is the enduring appeal of GTA V? In my view, it is GTA Online.
Full disclosure, I reckon I have played GTA Online on and off for the last ten years. I migrated my character from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation 4 and then finally to the PlayStation 5. It is just one of those games that I go back to time and time again. I have to say though, my character “Larcen” (if anyone is interested) is totally living his best life.
Over time, Larcen and I bought those businesses, the Night Club is going great to help bring in the dollaridoos, we are the CEO of Zaibatsu (for those that remember GTA 2), and we have a mix of legal, semi-legal, and highly illegal streams of income. To be honest, our only problem is choosing what clothes to wear for any given day or mission we choose to participate in.
Larcen has also partaken in race events, stock cars, transforming cars, and open wheel Formula 1-style cars. A proper race car driver we are. The trip about GTA Online is that it is the ultimate sandbox – you can live your life on the level, or you can live your life on the edge, or just be a race car driver. But that is just me, 10 years in – what is the barrier for entry for a beginner?
The truth is, when I first started out as a beginner, way back in the day, my character was homeless for more than a little while. It took forever for me to get the cash together to buy my first crappy apartment and start to get my hustle on. It was only from hours of play – and a few shark cards if I’m honest – that I started to get ahead in the world of GTA Online. Things are fine now, but the initial grind was brutal.
Rockstar recently offered us a 12-month free GTA+ subscription, and whilst I don’t need it (got that cash rolling in), I figured I would take up the offer. I wanted to play from the lens of a newbie into the world of Los Santos – a place that can be as brutal as it is beautiful – and think to myself whether it might just be worth it.
The main benefit of the GTA+ subscription is the cash – 500k into your virtual bank account each month when your subscription renews. That’s enough to get yourself an apartment on day 1, some clothes, and a car. But money is also easy to spend, so be smart. I think I still have my day 1 car (that I stole and repainted, then insured…) in a garage somewhere, alongside my more legitimate purchases later on.
You also get access to the Vinewood Garage to take some cars out on loan, plus some exclusive clothes. You may choose to be careful in an open lobby. GTA Online players can be opinionated and I don’t think ‘pay to win’ is going to get you much respect on the streets, so keeping your subscription on the down low is my recommendation. Take the extra cash, spend it wisely, but still work your way up in whatever endeavour you choose to pursue.
Don’t forget that you will need to level up your character anyway because things like heavy body armour are still going to be level-locked as well as heavier weapons. Remember to take your character for regular running and swimming sessions to get those stats up. Otherwise, all that cash is all for naught. GTA+ will help you on your way, but you are going to need more than that to make a life out of GTA Online.
The reality is that GTA Online is the ultimate sandbox, whether you want to be a race car driver, a petty criminal, a pizza delivery driver, a taxi driver, or even a special agent. The game engine has allowed Rockstar to just bolt on whatever they wish. Hell, these days you can even head out into the mountains and photograph animals for a living. Outsiders may think it’s all murder and mayhem, but I personally think that is a misconception.
Some may view GTA Online players as a bit exclusionary, but that is not true in my experience. In fact, in open lobbies, the server groups like-minded players together and you can even see on your mini-map who is more aggressive in the world by their icon colour. Most of us are just living life and enjoying the world. So if you are thinking about the barrier to entry, GTA+ might just lower it a tiny bit. Come and meet us, as 200,000,000 players can’t be wrong, right?
About the Author
Kolby James
He/Him
Advocate for Sega. Fan of the 90s.
