GTAO: a condensed history (Is R* Abandoning GTAO?)

[xNinjaStarfishx]

So, this isn't a complaint thread, nor a "they should" or a "they have". This is about the history of GTAO up until now and the reasoning behind why R* will or has likely made a decision to downsize of stop future GTAO improvements they had planned, but not mentioned.

 

TL;DR: Due to persistent problems, R* has likely pulled the plug on internally planned improvements to GTAO.

 

A History of GTAO (problems)

 

So let's begin with the beginning, after all it's normally a good place to start. At launch R* suffered major issues with server load and had significant issues for many weeks after with the "cloud" based saving as well. This takes us 4+ weeks into GTAO's existence... Following the "clean up" of server issues for the majority of players was the first weekend event and the first "DLC", both proved to be severely limited in scale due to the community's distain to the so-called "flimsy" and "meager" DLC and the buggy event. Now we are 7+ weeks in...

 

Soon after the first weekend problems arose (to a much more severe degree than before) with gifted in-game money and DNS glitches and "hacks". These ruined the economy R* had hoped for and was a cloud that hung over GTAO for some time. During this time, the Content Creator was released. This revitalized parts of the community for a short time, but after the second event weekend (labeled the Creator Weekend" by R*) it became apparent that R* had simply labeled the most popular races "verified". This lead to a steep decline in race and deathmatch quality, a pair of game modes which were once a saving grace for many parts of the GTAO community. Add to this the sharp rise and decline in the new "Capture" mode and we see Freeroam becoming the set standard of gameplay for GTAO. This brings us to 12+ weeks in...

 

At current, the community has been wiped of the glitched cash, plays few game modes other than Freeroam and when alternate game modes are played they are often low quality user created, verified content. R* is still in "planning" to release Heists and an additional Story/Online DLC. No news has been confirmed and many people note that player have moved on to Next Gen Console games or other games all together. This leads much of the community to assume Heists or additional content will be the saving grace...but will it?

 

With that said, my point is that R* may have had grandiose dreams for GTAO but after issue upon issue, it would be wise to assume that they have made a decision to cut their losses after their already in-the-works projects have been released. They can move on to their next project after and from a production standpoint, they can't be blamed. I do not assign blame on the community nor the designers in this theory, I simply state that the game had too many issues to be viable in the long term for most gamers.

 

My Prediction

After following this and the R* forums community since release, I'd say that popularity has fallen to levels that leave only hardcore fans and the occasional casual gamer on GTAO. When R* releases Heists it will do little to "bring back" casual gamers. When they release their DLC it will garner many revisits to Story Mode, but few will revisit Online and even fewer will be able to stomach the condition that GTAO is in to stick around. I feel that knowing this as a studio, R* will abandon any additional DLC that may have been suggested/thought of but not mentioned.

 

What do you think?

 

 

[WavyWeazel]

I disagree.

[MantisFang]

We have a ways to go before they drop off completely.

[xNinjaStarfishx]

I disagree.

What makes you feel that way? I don't think game studios over-estimate the attention span of their audience, so why improve something with a limited audience?

 

@ Mantis Fang -

I agree, but I also feel that unknown or unheard of "future" expansions are null at this point. As I stated above, why cater to the minority? Why not just develop another SA based game al la "TBOGT" or "TLATD"?

Edited February 2, 2014 by xNinjaStarfishx

[marco-polo]

I think you should give it a few more months before you get all dramatic to be honest.

Maybe if at 8-12 months in and they're still at the spot they're at now, you'd have a point.

 

No, i don't think they've/they're abandoning it any time soon.

[Alarming]

I think it's people who were gifted month and had it taken away that normally make these kinds of threads crying that GTAO is dead unless rockstar gives more cash or makes things free.

 

If your bored of it, leave the forums and the game because no one simple cares.

[xNinjaStarfishx]

I think you should give it a few more months before you get all dramatic to be honest.

Maybe if at 8-12 months in and they're still at the spot they're at now, you'd have a point.

 

No, i don't think they've/they're abandoning it any time soon.

Maybe you're right, maybe I am being a bit dramatic. I am assuming that a good cross section of the community are forum (here or R*) goers AND that they are catering to COD demographic players... But I feel like these are good assumptions. I never meant for anyone to infer that I was suggesting they were abandoning GTA V.

 

@ Alarming -

Please read the original post before posting your opinion. Thank you.

Edited February 2, 2014 by xNinjaStarfishx

[WavyWeazel]

I think you're over-reacting a bit, OP. They're not going to completely abandon the game.

 

They still have DLCs to release so they can get more of our money.

Edited February 3, 2014 by JayWeazel

[Dottie]

If GTA goes to next gen. R* will most likely slowly stop working on 360 & PS3. Maybe a few months-1 year of "updates"

[xNinjaStarfishx]

Yeah, I actually visited that in the end of my looonnnggg post. I think they'll release those but scrap any other GTAO features they had brainstormed but never mentioned...

[marco-polo]

If GTA goes to next gen. R* will most likely slowly stop working on 360 & PS3. Maybe a few months-1 year of "updates"

 

Just jump ship like that? I dunno, a huge number of people are on these consoles...if they expect to have a decent reputation, would it make sense to say "well get a PS4 or shut up"?

[xNinjaStarfishx]

 

 

If GTA goes to next gen. R* will most likely slowly stop working on 360 & PS3. Maybe a few months-1 year of "updates"

Just jump ship like that? I dunno, a huge number of people are on these consoles...if they expect to have a decent reputation, would it make sense to say "well get a PS4 or shut up"?

I agree, this isn't a reason to abandon the current iteration of GTAO. Besides, wouldn't it run on the same servers, I know Xbox 360 and One can communicate just fine.

[marco-polo]

I think someone said the servers between PS4/PS3 are different. You have to pay for the PS4 one don't you?

[xNinjaStarfishx]

Yeah, PS maybe... But sadly Old Fatty (my ps3 console) ylod'd on me so I don't know. But I was playing Halo with my friend today and he was on Xbox One... Input from a Ps4 owner would be helpful.

[chriiis125]

While the game hasn't had the best history so far, I'm still fairly hopeful (not confident, I'll admit) that we will see big updates at least for a year. Most console games stop getting support a year after launch, so I'm not sure if this would be an exception. Guess we'll have to wait and see, since R* has been pretty quiet on their online plans for months now.

 

Of course, they don't have to keep supporting it, but from a creative standpoint, it would suck to abandon something with sooo much potential just because some modder farts wanted to mess with it.

 

Nice post, BTW.

[Mr.Faustin]

I doubt it.
Way too soon.

[Gunner Eleven]

To the OP, I agree. It's sad that the majority of these GTA fans feel entitled. Since you already get it, I'll try and explain it to the rest of this banal community.

 

The game is f*cked. Move on.

[WBaker]

I still laugh when I see the word economy applied to GTA. Next R* will be claiming someone counterfeited cash in game.

 

Anyways, my disdain of R*'s phrasing aside the "economy" was first ruined by the LSC glitch, not the DNS cheats. I never really had a problem with that, but perhaps the loss of millions of dollars of micro transactions is biting us in the ass. That money may very well been earmarked for future development. Just an idea, only R* knows why they aren't delivering content.

[MrJaffaJugs]

You don't develop a game for 5 years just to give up on it less than 6 months in, unless of course you're rockstar

[xNinjaStarfishx]

Thanks Chriiis!

 

I too have hope, maybe blind faith, that R* will pull the rabbit out of the hat so to speak. I'm just left questioning if I'm ignoring the facts sometimes... So many problems with a good idea...does it make the idea sour?

[Josh410]

Disagree, there is still next gen version of GTAV, which means a revive of gta online later. Since there is a record low of people playing online now, (guess), they want to fix as many glitches as possible before the online and GTAV release on next gen, which would make sense, to have a mainly bug free next gen online. They might bring out heists before next gen but all DLC after heist will probably be on next gen. Just a slow, transfer over from gen to next gen, while there aren't as many people and they can fix glitches.

[xNinjaStarfishx]

I still laugh when I see the word economy applied to GTA. Next R* will be claiming someone counterfeited cash in game.

 

Anyways, my disdain of R*'s phrasing aside the "economy" was first ruined by the LSC glitch, not the DNS cheats. I never really had a problem with that, but perhaps the loss of millions of dollars of micro transactions is biting us in the ass. That money may very well been earmarked for future development. Just an idea, only R* knows why they aren't delivering content.

!!!!

 

Ya know, I thought the same about Cash Cards! (Also a big Whoops is due for forgetting the LSC Glitches in my history.) Back when Cash was rampantly given away I recall thinking that the Micro Transactions that the "hackers" were rebelling against were the very things planned to support the game long term.

 

Funny that you brought that up, haven't thought it in a while.

[marco-polo]

Since there is a record low of people playing online now, (guess)

 

Not to be an asshole, but based on what?

[Xyn]

They won't abandon this so soon.
I suspect a hard year and a half before they slowly drop GTA: O on it's lists of priorities.

But it could turn out to be completely awesome further along as well... If they release a full content creator & add the former cities of GTA (IV or III era) to Online, they could just end up with a modestly good MMO.

Whatever happens, i see more hope for GTA:O than TES:O...

[xNinjaStarfishx]

Disagree, there is still next gen version of GTAV, which means a revive of gta online later. Since there is a record low of people playing online now, (guess), they want to fix as many glitches as possible before the online and GTAV release on next gen, which would make sense, to have a mainly bug free next gen online. They might bring out heists before next gen but all DLC after heist will probably be on next gen. Just a slow, transfer over from gen to next gen, while there aren't as many people and they can fix glitches.

This is actually well put and thought provoking. I wonder if there is some credibility to this train of thought... I suppose if GTAO were a $10 download or "free to play" with characters carried over (via cloud) it would all make sense. You may have some sort of Nostradamus-like prophecy here.

 

Suggestion: Write this in an envelope and mimic Johnny Carson on YouTube and post the vid here if it happens. That would be worth some well-deserves likes.

[beat_savy_9]

OP, I believe production budgeted for a certain life cycle and staff is under contract for that set period. To abandon those agreements would mean financial penalties discouraging such a decision. However, if rather than relying on micro transactions based on no new content, and instead adopting the accepted model of cosmetic micro transactions, also modifying the lobby system to accommodate more then one style of game play, I think the longevity might have surpassed the afore mentioned discrete cycle.

As it stands now, I think we can expect at least a year and a half more attention from production, after that, crap shoot guess.

[xNinjaStarfishx]

 

 

Since there is a record low of people playing online now, (guess)

Not to be an asshole, but based on what?

I think if you watch traffic on the R* forums and here AND jump servers AND try to find full races you'd come to this conclusion. At least in comparison to a month ago or in October/November. What leads you to believe that interest isn't at a record low (for this game)?

[marco-polo]

I think if you watch traffic on the R* forums and here AND jump servers AND try to find full races you'd come to this conclusion. At least in comparison to a month ago or in October/November. What leads you to believe that interest isn't at a record low (for this game)?

 

I've always had empty races, this isn't new for me but that's not what i was getting at.

The traffic here is only a small number, you read complaint threads enough and suddenly it seems like 10,000 players have left.

 

I just find it interesting that some people think up something and make it seem like it's a fact. (I know you said guess though, so i was asking you how you worked that out in a friendly manner.)

[xNinjaStarfishx]

OP, I believe production budgeted for a certain life cycle and staff is under contract for that set period. To abandon those agreements would mean financial penalties discouraging such a decision. However, if rather than relying on micro transactions based on no new content, and instead adopting the accepted model of cosmetic micro transactions, also modifying the lobby system to accommodate more then one style of game play, I think the longevity might have surpassed the afore mentioned discrete cycle.

 

As it stands now, I think we can expect at least a year and a half more attention from production, after that, crap shoot guess.

Seems like you have some insight into the game development process. If they followed industry standards and contracted employees based solely on GTAO development, then yeah we will see a good amount of support for the life of those contracts. What if, however, they used on-staff Devs to support GTAO and could move them to another project within the studio? Is this even a possibility?

[Cincy32]

I do not assign blame on the community nor the designers in this theory, I simply state that the game had too many issues to be viable in the long term for most gamers.

If the game has "too many issues to be viable in the long term" then who is to blame for those issues?

 

I would say that it is Rockstar themselves. This release was the highest grossing media release OF ALL TIME. I know they couldn't please everyone, that's understandable, but they should be able to at least please their longterm fans.

 

They released what was obviously an unfinished product in order to maximize corporate profits and as a result, it was their most loyal fans who paid the biggest price.

 

As someone who has been a huge GTA fan since GTAIII, I feel slighted by how Rockstar blatantly lied to their core fanbase prerelease of GTAV and their half-assed actions post-release. The GTA games were the only games in the last 8 years that I bought new at full price. As a result of how disrespectful and arrogant Rockstar has been to their longterm fanbase I will never be buying a Rockstar game "new" ever again.

 

I'll continue to play their games, but I will make sure that they do not see any of my money.

 

They have abandoned GTAVO; they've also abandoned their longterm fanbase.