Any description of the hype behindGrand Theft Auto 6would likely be an understatement, including this one. GTA 5 is a beloved title, still enjoyed to this day - and it’s release was mid September of… 2013. Back when the Doge meme was still fresh.
Rockstarhas released a trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, and, well, not much else. Andthat was a year ago. Fans have gotten, let’s say “stir crazy”, with speculation and memes around the upcoming title growing in power by the day.
GTA 5 Has Now Sold Over 205 Million Copies
Over a decade after its release, GTA 5 continues to top sales charts and smash milestones for Rockstar Games.
Today, an ex Rockstar Dev who worked onRed Dead Redemption 2and GTA 5 releaseda youtube videohighlighting his thoughts on why Rockstar has stayed so silent for so long. The dev, Mike York, has a smile on his face the whole time.
First among the explanations is good ol' marketing. Brands pay loads of money to get people talking about their game, and here, GTA fans are giving them that for free.
“Specifically Rockstar, they’re very secretive about what they do, and this is a really cool tactic because it creates allure and it creates mystery and it creates people talking about it without them having to do anything."
But with the obvious out of the way, the fun begins. York speaks a lot about the various conspiracy theories surrounding GTA 6, and in particular, how much the team at Rockstar enjoys them.
When I was over there I would have little conversations with people and be like, ‘Did you hear this person found this mystery?’ And they’d go, ‘Oh yeah!’
York argues that the way Grand Theft Auto is set up, it naturally lends itself to these kinds of mysteries. GTA 5 had the famous Mt. Chiliad mystery, which invited in all sorts of prying eyes.
Regardless of any answers people may or may not find, the hunt for truth is exciting - for developers and players alike.
The Mt Chiliad mystery has yet to be solved because it’s probably not solvable! It’s just there to troll you, and may you go on in there forever.
York compares the experience of GTA fans to his own experience diving through the oceans of World of Warcraft, exploring and finding little mysteries to solve. He had a ton of fun there, and the fun continued from the other side of the development fence.
There are a lot of things in GTA 5 that are intentional, as things they want you to go out and seek, and find. And the only way you can find them is by playing the game a whole bunch. Or by buying one of those books that shows you all the little things on the map.
GTA 6 Fans Believe Lucia Has Potential To Be “Greatest Rockstar Character"
GTA 6’s Lucia could be exactly what the franchise needs as long as Rockstar doesn’t craft her into another stereotype.
Solvable or not, mysteries are one of the ways that games can generate fun for the player. And mysteries like these are what players find in the marketing material, which gets Rockstar the advertising they want, and gives the players a bit of fun as well.
While Rockstar certainly couldn’t come out and say that they’re being tight-lipped for “fun” (players would certainly prefer a released game to a never-ending cycle of hype), fun looks to be here regardless - and the developers seem to be enjoying it as much as the players are.
Grand Theft Auto’s Mysteries, In An Age Of Information
For a lot of people, big gaming mysteries seem to have gone the way of cheat codes - something people are reminded of when looking through old (and similarly depreciated) gaming magazines, like the ones Mike York showed in his video.
When a mystery’s solution is a quick search away, they tend not to stick in people’s minds as much anymore. Is Mew really under that truck? Google says no.
But what’s up with Mt. Chiliad? Find out. A mystery that’s “probably not solvable” may not be quite so satisfying, but it’s nonetheless tantalizing. There’s a reason why it’s GTA’s most famous enigma.
Sequels always come with lessons learned from previous titles. What lesson did Rockstar learn from that mountain? It’s no wonder why GTA 6 has been defined by mystery and silence for so long.
But unlike that mountain, the answers to GTA 6 will be found one day. The game will come out, but when? You’ll just have to readthe phase of the moonin the game’s marketing material to find out. Maybe. Maybe?
The Reason Grand Theft Auto 5’s DLC Was Cancelled Probably Won’t Surprise You
An ex-Rockstar developer has revealed why the leaked ‘Agent Trevor’ DLC never saw the light of day, but the reason isn’t exactly surprising.
