Earlier, Nick wrote about the three month delay of GTAV all the way to September 2013. While normally a small extension like this wouldn't be a big deal, there is a certain issue of the new generation barreling down the tracks to consider. It's fairly accepted that the the Q4 2013 will bring at least one new console from either Microsoft or Sony, meaning that we'll quickly be entering a black hole wherein releases on previous hardware become mostly null and void. They'll appear, of course, but most gamers will be looking ahead, with a much smaller percentage suckling the teat of last gen ports.

This puts GTAV in an odd position. First of all it means that GTAV will probably be the last AAA title of this generation. Fitting, if you ask me, but it also raises the question as to how long of a tail GTAV will be able to muster unless some next gen form of the game is eventually released. Some talk of that has already started, but Take 2 knows full well if that talk gets too loud, many people are just going to wait. Then there is the question of extended DLC, sometimes lasting years, for a game on a console that most people have moved away from. It's a delicate publishing situation, to be sure, and I wouldn't be surprised if an Ultimate Edition of some sort makes it onto the next gen consoles within six months of their release.

It reminds me a lot of the situation that played itself out for the release of San Andreas. The PlayStation 2 version was released far ahead of the PC version and many people opted for the console version simply to hold themselves off until they could obtain the better looking, and better running, PC version.  That situation might be playing out again -though this time between consoles- here.

Does this mean I'll be one of those who wait? Hell no. I won't be able to hold myself back from GTAV on release and that essentially means I'll end up buying the game again for the new hardware. A move that I'm sure a lot of people will end up making eventually. Personally. I'm just surprised they're shooting for a this-gen release at all. Yes, 'known hardware' and all that...but is the next gen architecture really going to be that different? Bigger, yes...but different?

Comments

  • Avatar
    Miggins
    11 years, 10 months ago

    Final Fantasy 12 was released in the US a month before the PS3 release and I don't believe that affected people buying FF12. Then again, that was before DLC became a staple of gaming and where companies expect to get a lot of money.

    Guess we'll see if that really affects if there is a console coming out, especially since the PS3 was announced a year before it came out and they haven't even announced the release date of any of the new consoles (wii u excluded since it's already out). So I'd say we have at least a year or so before the next generation of xbox or playstation.

  • dumon Avatar
    dumon
    11 years, 10 months ago

    There's already a huge established console base to work with. GTA 4 broke records when it came out. I'm not saying GTA V will outsell Calladooty, but it will certainly do very well. Of course, GTA is a special case. It's like a must-own title.

    From what I've read (rumors,) the next gen architecture is indeed going to be different. The rumors say both Sony and Microsoft are going for more "off the shelf" parts than they have in the past.

  • Avatar
    Golem100
    11 years, 10 months ago

    I think Rockstar are probably very capable of transferring their GTA V assets between the generations IF they think it's worth it. They might not be the only developers waiting to see how the initial pick up of the next gen consoles are before deciding whethere to up-port a title.