5 reasons why GTA 5 proved to be the most successful title for Rockstar Games

There is little that can be said about GTA 5 that hasn't already been said, given that the game has been out for 7 years.

In many ways, Grand Theft Auto 5 proved to be the title that caused the rest of the entertainment world to take note of the gaming industry.

Rockstar Games' budget for the development of GTA 5 could very well rival that of a big Hollywood production, and it turned profits like one, too.

Many expected GTA 5 to start declining in terms of popularity and sales. However, with recent reports suggesting that the game has had more sales in 2020 than any other year since its launch, the notion that its popularity is declining is far from the truth.

5 reasons why GTA 5 is the most successful title for Rockstar Games

#1 Positive word of mouth

In many ways, GTA 5 represents the very best of AAA games: a $60 title that offers endless amounts of value and quality.

Given that it's been seven years since its launch, picking the game up for a much lower price is too good of a deal for any player to walk away from.

Rockstar Games is one of the few publishers that players can expect to put out great AAA releases each time. This sort of word of mouth does better marketing for the game than any number of beaming reviews.

Simply put, GTA 5 represents value-for-money unlike any other game from its time. It has aged extremely well and could even pass as a current-gen game, even though it came out in the PS3/Xbox 360 generation.

#2 Multiple launches

Many often forget that GTA 5 was not meant for the PS4/Xbox One generation and was brought to newer consoles long past its initial release on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

While a re-launch of a next-gen version of the game doesn't necessarily always translate to more sales, given the popularity of GTA 5, that has always been the case.

The thing about Grand Theft Auto 5 is that it also shipped with GTA Online, which was, in many ways, an entire game in itself. Its title updates brought even more eyeballs to the game.

With GTA 5 set for another launch on next-gen consoles in the second half of 2021, it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers the game produces.

#3 GTA Online

Rockstar's decision to focus on the online multiplayer experience of GTA 5 paid off in a huge way, evidenced by the profits that the game has been turning on a yearly basis.

While the microtransaction model rakes in huge bucks on a daily basis, the real value of GTA Online lies in its title updates.

With each huge title update, GTA Online brings fans back to GTA 5 as they look to discover the new stuff that the game has to offer. Title updates change the game up in a massive way and provide a ton of value for both existing players and new players alike.

The popularity of Online does not seem to be waning as Rockstar has been hard at work providing quality content with each title update. If recent reports suggest anything, it is that GTA Online is perhaps one of the most profitable properties under the Rockstar banner

#4 Streamer Paradise

When GTA 5 eventually came out for PC, the modding community was primed and ready to create all sorts of fascinating stuff. One of the biggest things to come out of the modding community is GTA RP (Roleplaying).

It is essentially a collection of mods unique to each server that offers its players an entirely new way to experience the game. Roleplaying has taken off in a massive way, and it even shot GTA 5 back onto the top of Twitch charts for a while.

Mods provide a great way for streamers and other content creators to make interesting content out of popular games. It can be argued that no other game (closest rival being Skyrim) is as fun with mods as GTA 5.

#5 The game is impervious to age

Players who recently bought a console and are looking for games that offer endless hours of play time and interesting content should pick up GTA 5.

The game's writing, design, visuals and design seem to defy all that players have come to know about games. GTA 5 simply does not age. With the right hardware and combination of mods, it could very well pass for a next-gen game.

This can be credited to Rockstar's forward-thinking when it comes to the game's design: from its writing to its visuals.

It is very hard to call a title timeless in the gaming industry, but GTA 5 might just have earned the label.