The answer is as varied as those that play it.
How to bring gamers to games is easily one of the key “cornerstone questions” of the industry. After all, there are plenty of well-made titles that don’t sell as well as ones that shouldn’t have been released in the state they were in. There are plenty of “cult classics” that should’ve been much more, and franchises that should’ve gone on longer than ones that are just “repeating the past to make money.” And then, there are franchises like Grand Theft Auto, which Rockstar Games has turned into one of the premier games to get, no matter what platform you play it on.
The fact that the series has done so well is almost baffling, because it is legit one of the most controversial game franchises ever, with various people, including “activists,” parents, and even government officials, trying to stop it from selling…but that just made it all the more appealing to younger gamers. On Reddit, one poster asked the simple question of what “drew people” to the game:
“I was pondering the other day over why GTA became this behemoth it is today. It goes beyond a game. It usually punches the veil of gaming and becomes a topic of discussion even in other circles. The news talk about GTA, for better or worse. But if you take the aspects of a GTA apart, at first it doesn’t FEEL like it’s that much better than other games. So what exactly draws YOU to GTA?”
It’s a fair question, and one that many Redditors were happy to answer. One noted that, like many other games they’ve enjoyed, Grand Theft Auto is a combination of things that simply:
“Everything comes together so well: the setting, the atmosphere, music, cinematics, characters, humor – add to that all the fun gameplay elements like fast cars, loud guns and the freedom to do almost anything you want, and you have an amazing sandbox for anyone playing the game.”
For many others, they simply loved the open worlds and freedom that Rockstar Games provided for them in these titles. There certainly is a lot to do, and the new online elements add even MORE to the mix, which is why there’s been a 12-year gap between titles!
Some even admitted that they weren’t sure what drove them to the title, but they had fun when they played it, and that was enough. In the end, there’s no “right or wrong” answer as to why someone enjoyed a game, but many do enjoy what Rockstar provides, and that’s why next May will likely be an all-time important month for the gaming industry.
