Former Grand Theft Auto developer suggests PC version of GTA 6 might follow console release more closely, assuming no unexpected delays from Rockstar's decision-making process.
Here Comes the Retro GTA Insider 🕰️
Former Rockstar North dev, Obbe Vermeij, who put in the years from 1995 to 2009 at the studio, ain't shy about spilling the beans. Yesterday, to mark the 17th anniversary of GTA 4's drop, he jumped on Twitter to dish on his GTA 4 experience, speculate about GTA 6, and let us know why Rockstar seems to forget about the ol' PC gaming community.
First things first, if you've ever been curious about why GTA 4 ditched some freakin' awesome San Andreas features like stats, multiple cities, stealth, and jet packs, here's the lowdown straight from the horse's mouth: Rockstar needed to concentrate on making the game super next-gen for the Xbox 360 era. Basically, they had to focus on pushing those fancy graphics and handling those finicky cars that felt like zone-jumping cruiseliners, so they had to sacrifice some of our favorite goodies, like buff CJ and monster trucks.
Oh well, c'est la vie. But hey, Vermeij thinks Rockstar won't be making the same cuts for GTA 6. 💰💰💰
Next up, Vermeij started geeking out about GTA 6. He reminded us that GTA 4's original release date was supposed to be October 16th, 2007, but it got delayed until April 2008. According to him, Rockstar likely made a similar decision for GTA 6. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for Take-Two's August earnings report!
But remember, he doesn't have any inside info, he's just speculating based on his own experiences. With any luck, GTA 6 won't get delayed—but if it does, we'll be waiting as patiently as a stuck driver in GTA 4's infamous traffic.
Someone asked Vermeij about Rockstar's PC delays, and he offered up a slightly less mercenary explanation: Initially, consoles were the bigger gaming market, and Rockstar just got into the habit of focusing on them first. But now that the PC market has grown, hopefully we'll see the PC version of GTA 6 closer behind. That would be a breath of fresh air!
As for Rockstar's PC-centric strategies, that's where Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick comes in. He's been touting the importance of PC gaming lately, and with any luck, PC will become a more important part of Rockstar's future productions. #FingersCrossed
*GTA 6: Everything we know 🕰️GTA 5 mods: Revved up 🎮GTA 5 cheats: Phone it in 📱GTA 6 cars*: The lineup 🚗San Andreas cheats: All the codes 🤖
Joshua Wolens 🕸️One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War. 😜
- Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar North developer who worked on GTA 4 from 1995 to 2009, believes Rockstar may not make the same cuts to GTA 6 as they did with GTA 4, hoping for a possible return of lost features like stats and multiple cities.
- Vermeij speculated that GTA 6's original release date might have been October 16th, 2007, but due to development complications, it was delayed until April 2008, suggesting a similar scenario could occur for GTA 6's release.
- Vermeij admitted he doesn't have any inside information, but speculated based on his own experiences that the PC version of GTA 6 might be released closer to the console version, given the growth of the PC market compared to the console market during his time at Rockstar.
- Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two boss, has shown interest in PC gaming, which may lead to PC becoming a more significant part of Rockstar's future productions, according to Vermeij's analysis of Rockstar's historical focus.
- Vermeij, a self-proclaimed gaming enthusiast, shares enthusiasm for the potential return of PC gaming in Rockstar's future productions, expressing hope that it would bring more variety and enjoyment to the gaming community.
