The upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto VI is shaping up to be a stress test of who can best capture players’ money, time, and attention.
Game retailers anticipate the release of GTA VI — both on consoles on November 19 and on PCs in the future — will be a bonanza for stakeholders across the industry, and they are preparing accordingly. As one of the most highly-anticipated game releases ever, GTA VI threatens to accelerate ongoing industry trends, from the death of physical games media to the rise of out-of-home games marketing. GamesBeat spoke to representatives of leading game sellers and marketers to learn how Rockstar Game’s upcoming release might impact the retail side of the industry. Here are some of the key takeaways.
With Sony planning to permanently discontinue physical disc production for all new PlayStation releases in 2028, the writing is on the wall for the slow death of physical games media — but the release of GTA VI is poised to accelerate this shift.
“Rockstar isn’t necessarily the one closing the lid on the box, but they’re definitely the ones making sure you’ll never have to pick one up again,” said Cormac Moylan, the chief marketing officer of the digital game storefront Loaded, in an interview with GamesBeat.
Although many gamers profess a desire for physical games media, Moylan said that the reality is that the “vast majority of gamers” have already made the switch to primarily playing digitally for reasons of both price and convenience.
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