Expert predicts GTA VI will cost $100 and believes gamers will snap it up without complaint
Grand Theft Auto VI is the most anticipated game of the year.
The long-awaited sequel by developer Rockstar Games is expected in the autumn – 12 years on from the record-breaking GTA V.
While gamers excitedly await its release, the industry itself is buzzing with anticipation over rumblings the base game could command a premium $100 (about £80) price point and still achieve colossal sales.
Setting this precedent could lead to other game publishers wanting a slice of the action by increasing their own starting prices.
However, the GTA series boasts two winning ingredients that some other games do not have – brand power and fan loyalty.
Gamers queuing up outside a Game store in London for the release of GTA V in 2013. Pic: PA
Expert research analyst Michael Pachter told Sky News he believes Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive Software will be able to charge $100 with little complaint.
Mr Pachter, a managing director at US-based Wedbush Securities, highlighted the rising cost of entertainment since GTA V was released in September 2013.
He said: “Realistically, video games are the only form of entertainment that hasn’t kept up pricing with inflation.
“Look at movie tickets, concerts, Disneyland, video on demand (VOD) – all have doubled.”
Mr Pachter said the key to “charging” more is to justify the value to the consumer.
He explained: “I expect GTA VI to be fully integrated with GTA Online, and Rockstar can offer premium edition purchasers $100-worth of in-game items – currency, skins, vehicles, weapons, etc – as a trade-off for the higher price point.
“The level of integration will make the in-game items more valuable, and I don’t expect a lot of pushback.
“I think $100 or so makes sense, and don’t expect that we will ever see a $500 game.”
The GTA V release in California. Pic: Reuters
If history repeats itself, GTA Online will be the moneymaker.
The persistent online world offers endless monetisation opportunities – with gamers enticed to splash out on new vehicles, weapons, properties, businesses and cosmetic upgrades.
Mr Pachter said GTA VI’s integration with its online offering provides an “excuse” for engaged players to spend more money.
He added: “Some players will spend an additional $500 and most won’t, but those who spend more than $100 will do so if they perceive there is value derived from the purchase.”
The Rockstar North studio in Edinburgh. Pic: Thomas Ortega/iStock
The GTA series – which was created in Dundee, Scotland – is one of the biggest franchises in the industry.
GTA V became the fastest entertainment product in history to make $1bn (in its first three days) and has since sold more than 210 million copies worldwide.
Developer Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design), based in Edinburgh, has achieved additional success by collaborating with fellow studio Rockstar San Diego on the Red Dead Redemption games.
Read more from Sky News:
The impact and legacy of Rockstar’s biggest game
The ‘geeky’ hobby that’s a billion-pound industry
A GTA V billboard in Los Angeles. Pic: AP
When GTA V made its debut, it launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. That was two consoles ago, with the new game set to arrive via PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
AAA (Triple-A) games – big budget, high-profile productions – are now taking longer to make as gamers demand seamless multiplayer experiences, cross-device gaming capabilities, visually impressive graphics, and fully immersive storylines.
From the GTA VI trailer footage, players will be returning to the Miami-flavoured metropolis of Vice City in the fictional state of Leonida.
The Bonnie and Clyde-style story is set to include the first playable female character in the series’ history.
GTA has always poked fun at American culture, with the nation’s past decade of politics like something out of the game.
GTA VI looks certain to continue the series’ tradition of satire, but the trailer also shows that no expense has been spared in regards to bringing the sun-soaked streets of Vice City to life.
The cost of creating a game can vary widely based on a multitude of factors, including the studio size, staff skill level, and development time.
Given the size of Rockstar’s workforce and the number of years the game has been in development, Mr Pachter believes the cost of GTA VI “is highly likely to be nearly $1bn”.
Mr Pachter said: “They spent this much time because they can, and the scope of the game is typically immense.”
Rockstar has so far remained tight-lipped over its budget and whether GTA VI is indeed the most expensive video game ever made.
After COVID all but wiped out trips to see a movie on the silver screen, film studios are now having to contend with the cost of living crisis and audiences preferring to wait for digital releases instead of spending money at the cinema.
For those concerned about a $100 starting point for GTA VI, or indeed if it becomes the new standard for video games, Mr Pachter is advising to similarly wait it out.
He said: “Like theatrical releases, game prices decline over time.
“Rockstar can charge $100 for six months, can drop to $70 for six months, then drop periodically thereafter.
“Nobody has to ‘afford’ $100; they all know they can wait.”
Even if GTA VI fans do wait it out for a cheaper price or for it to potentially drop via Xbox Games Pass, Mr Pachter is confident that will not affect Rockstar’s overall success.
He said: “There is no question they will sell 100 million copies – or more – eventually.”
Pic: Reuters
So, while there is little doubt all eyes will be on GTA VI’s launch, the lasting question is whether other studios will attempt to follow suit if we do indeed see a price rise.
But a word to the wise, there are few games with a legacy as formidable as GTA and any price increase may turn out to be the exception rather than the rule.
As career criminal and former bank robber Trevor Philips (GTA V character) nicely put it: “I said something nice, not expensive.”
Britain should have access to the EU’s rearmament fund before the end of the year but “wounds of Brexit” mean some member states want it to be limited, the bloc’s foreign affairs chief has said.
Kaja Kallas told Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby that the “technical details” of Security Action for Europe (SAFE) still need to be sorted out.
SAFE is a €150bn (£126bn) fund to provide loans to EU nations and other participants to bolster their defences.
Politics Live: Starmer says EU deal ‘win-win’
As part of Sir Keir Starmer’s new reset deal with the EU, a new defence partnership was struck that will allow the UK to access it.
Asked when this might be, Ms Kallas said: “The SAFE instrument has just been finalised between the institutions but it also needs approval from the European Council. And when that is done, we also move on with the implementation of that, and that is in the coming months.”
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Who wins from the UK-EU deal?
Asked about reports that some member states think there should be a limit on what the UK can access, she said: “ Of course these discussions are there. We have the wounds from Brexit very clearly.
“I mean you wanted to exit the European Union and then there are many voices who say that you shouldn’t have the same benefits from the European instruments that the European Union countries have.”
According to The Times, France is pushing to freeze the UK out of 85% of the fund.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs. Pic: Reuters
Asked if Britain’s access should be higher, Ms Kallas said her personal view is that given the current climate “we should do both. We should invest more in European industry. But we should also cooperate with our outside partners like the UK”.
She added that the EU hasn’t had discussions in terms of percentage, because the fund is “down to the capabilities”.
“That is, I think, more important than numbers,” she said.
The UK government has said accessing SAFE will support thousands of British jobs.
Defence was one of the many areas that has been agreed as part of the new UK and the EU trade deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer – five years after Brexit kicked in.
A key part of the deal involves giving European fishing boats a further 12 years of access to British waters.
In return, there will be increased access to EU eGates for British passport holders in Europe, no health certificates every time pets travel to Europe and the removal of red tape from most UK food and drink imports and exports.
UK
‘I recognise the error and upset caused’ – Gary Lineker releases statement as BBC departure confirmed
Gary Lineker has confirmed reports he is leaving the BBC after this season’s Match Of The Day and will no longer present its World Cup coverage.
It comes after the 64-year-old “apologised unreservedly” for sharing a social media post illustrated with a rat – which has been used to represent Jewish people in antisemitic propaganda, including Nazi Germany.
In a statement on Monday, Lineker said: “Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.
Read more: A history of Gary Lineker’s most controversial posts
“I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.
“However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
Lineker has fronted Match Of The Day since 1999. PA
Lineker said he deleted the post when he learned about the rat’s symbolism, adding that he would “never knowingly share anything antisemitic”.
In a video posted to Instagram, the pundit added: “I’ve stood up for minorities and humanitarian issues and against all forms of racism all of my life, including, of course, antisemitism, which I absolutely abhor.
“There’s no place for it and never should be.”
He went on to thank the “brilliant, talented” people he has worked with and described his relationship with the BBC as “long and wonderful”.
He added: “But it’s the right time for the organisation and myself to go our separate ways.”
Lineker’s last appearance on the BBC will be on Sunday 25 May, the final day of the season.
‘A defining voice in football coverage’
Also confirming Lineker’s exit, BBC director general Tim Davie said: “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.
“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond.
“We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.”
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will share the role of presenting Match of the Day. Pic BBC/PA
The former England star announced in November he would step down from Match Of The Day this year, but was set to return to front the World Cup in 2026, as well as FA Cup coverage.
The presenter was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then Conservative government’s asylum policy.
He will be replaced on Match Of The Day by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, who will share the presenting role from the next Premier League season.
Lineker has hosted Match Of The Day since 1999 and has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years.
He is also the co-founder of podcast producing company Goalhanger, which makes the popular The Rest Is History series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money.
Lineker parting ways with the BBC also includes the licensing deal for Goalhanger podcast titles on BBC Sounds which ends this year, the PA news agency reported.
A “significant amount of personal data” of people who applied to the Legal Aid Agency – including criminal records – was accessed and downloaded by hackers, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.
The group that carried out the cyber attack says it accessed 2.1 million pieces of data, but the MoJ has not verified that figure, it is understood.
The government became aware of the incident on 23 April, but realised on Friday it was more extensive than first thought.
An MoJ source put the breach down to the “neglect and mismanagement” of the previous government, saying vulnerabilities in the Legal Aid Agency systems have been known for many years.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA), is an executive agency, sponsored by the MoJ, which is responsible for administering legal aid funding – around £2.3bn in 2023/24.
The data accessed affected those who applied for legal aid in the last 15 years, and may include contact details and addresses of legal aid applicants, their dates of birth, national insurance numbers, criminal history, employment status and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts and payments.
The MoJ has urged anyone who applied for legal aid since 2010 to update any passwords that could have been exposed, and be alert to unknown messages and phone calls.
The organisation’s digital services, which are used by legal aid providers to log their work and get paid, have been taken offline.
‘We needed to take radical action’
Legal Aid Agency chief executive Jane Harbottle has apologised for the breach and acknowledged the news would be “shocking and upsetting”.
“Since the discovery of the attack, my team has been working around the clock with the National Cyber Security Centre to bolster the security of our systems so we can safely continue the vital work of the agency,” she said.
“However, it has become clear that, to safeguard the service and its users, we needed to take radical action. That is why we’ve taken the decision to take the online service down,” she said.
Ms Harbottle said contingency plans are in place for those who need legal support and advice.
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Retail disruption to ‘last months’
The Law Society, an organisation representing solicitors across the UK, blamed the attack on Legal Aid’s “antiquated IT system”.
“The incident once again demonstrates the need for sustained investment to bring the LAA’s antiquated IT system up to date and ensure the public have continued trust in the justice system,” said a Law Society spokesperson.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it is working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the data breach.
The National Crime Agency said it was aware of the incident and was working closely with the MoJ to “better understand the incident and support the department”.
It comes after retailers Co-op, Harrods and Marks & Spencer were hit by cyber attacks, although there is no suggestion that they are connected to the incident at the LAA.
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