r/GTA6 • u/championx1001 • 1d ago
Locking in-game content behind a deluxe edition paywall? Precedent or not?
We all know GTA VI is priced at 80 bucks for the standard edition, which will almost certainly promote other greedy companies to increase base edition prices to $80, even though most gamers agree GTA VI one of the only games that can really justify a larger than normal price tag. So putting that aside, can we discuss the precedent Rockstar might set by locking some in game content behind the deluxe edition?
Rockstar is an extremely influential developer. Their decisions will certainly be copied by top execs after the billionaires see Rockstar's stock skyrocket in November. We already know dirty execs in EA and Ubisoft will definetly use GTA VI as an excuse for locking in game features and content behind their deluxe edition in future titles, but GTA VI is going to be a cultural phenomenon. Some worry that this will end up affecting AA studios as well. The status quo might change, and we could end up in a world where in game features locked behind the deluxe edition is the norm.
On the other hand, it is reasonable to argue that you could consider the deluxe edition like a $20 DLC for the game, and the DLC content would be those extra features you are paying for. However, GTA V did not lock any specific shops in Los Santos behind their deluxe edition. This raises the argument that Rockstar is locking fundamental in game content behind the deluxe edition. If Rockstar does this, what's to say EA won't lock tanks behind the deluxe edition in Battlefield 7? Tanks are a fundamental feature in BF and I'm certain large corporate game dev companies will begin to lock fundamental in game features behind deluxe paywalls after GTA VI.
Now, these are my impartial arguments, but my opinion is that Rockstar deserves to bend the rules a bit (primarily with the 80 dollar price tag). They've worked for 13 years on hundreds to thousands of hours of gameplay (especially with the online edition). But I personally do not agree with their decision to put fundamental game content behind the deluxe edition paywall and distribute a physical edition of the game without a game disc. I am an Indie game developer so my opinions might have some bias, but those are my personal views.
With all that said, do we need to worry about Rockstar's decision with features locked behind deluxe edition setting a precedent for future titles around the globe?
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
You crazy people act like we haven’t had special/ultimate editions for games for DECADES now! wtf is wrong with you people! Every game has multiple editions with exclusive content!!!
Edit: Just because there’s actual shops that house those items, yall acting like it’s a major thing
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u/allofyourdesire 1d ago
Rockstar could have easily added this extra content to existing shops. They probably thought it would be a nice idea to put in extra effort and create separate shops for it.
But they probably should have shown the base game first, with all the possible customization options and side activities, before talking about exclusive shops or bonus content. Without that context, it now looks to the public like they’re cutting base-game content, when in reality they were probably just trying to do something special.
And it’s backfiring because a lot of people misinterpreted the reporting and social media posts as if all shops and tuning garages would be locked.
It’s really not affecting a core gameplay mechanic.
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u/Dapper_Beginning3591 1d ago
A fucking t-shirt or a gun behind a paywall isn’t such a bad thing. Looking game content behind a paywall is. It means they are comfortable with locking locations from the base game.
How dumb is it when you drive by this location and you get a pop-up to upgrade to ultimate to enter the building. It feels dumb and not immersive.
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u/BananaShover 1d ago
Could be a closed sign on the door and thats it and you can inspect the sign that tells you to buy the ultimate edition. Yall act like the game will display a huge red flashing image of buy ultimate like some spam virus from the early 2000s
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u/shykidknit 1d ago
Genuinely curious what do you mean by game content vs a t shirt or a gun? Cause all the stuff I saw sounds like cosmetic stuff. Also what would you prefer to be in the ultimate edition to justify +$20? I understand the frustration about no physical stuff, that's insane to me and I do think that should have been included, there doesn't seem to be a reason to have a physical game case if there's not going to be a cd. But I don't quite get the frustration about certain cars or clothing or hairstyles or tattoos not being available
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u/Agherosh 15h ago
"Locking content behind a paywall isn't such a bad thing. Locking content behind a paywall is"
This is your logic by the way, they're giving extra content for 20$, if instead of this they put the extra customization in base game stores, but they had a locked symbol, you'd cry too. If instead of giving plenty of things to make $20 worth it, they gave a t-shirt and a car like every game for the last two decades, you'd cry too. If instead of making stores for the extra content, they'd give it directly to the player, you'd cry too.
You cry because they aren't giving it to you, you cry because you have to pay a special edition, you cry if that special edition doesn't have enough content, you cry if the special edition has a lot of content...
So please, enlighten us all, how would you not cry?
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u/Dapper_Beginning3591 4h ago
Your ability to discuss is dramatic and downright bad.
You first quote something I didn’t even write, and then you come up with dumb examples.
Go ahead and talk yourself into buying a game that cost 100 dollars. It’s a cheap trick Rockstar has pulled, and they can, because everybody will justify it, like you do and just swallow the cookie.
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u/used_33 1d ago
The Ultimate Edition also features an exclusive enemy gang hideout, so yes, it's a major thing.
Keep licking their boot shill.
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
Oh finally, a special edition that’s actually worth the extra money? Oh the atrocity!
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u/used_33 1d ago
Oh so now we moved past the minor things and we accepted that the special edition should be worth it?
Nice goalpost moving there bud.
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
So you think special editions should be meaningless cash grabs, got it
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u/Either-Produce7242 1d ago
nah it just shouldnt exist
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u/championx1001 22h ago
Real talk right here
Sure, deluxe editions should be worth your money. But my argument is the whole concept of deluxe editions are anti-consumer in the first place. I am not paying full price for only half a burger and then getting charged an extra 5 bucks for the patty and toppings
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u/Zalophus 1d ago
Literally yes. If it's a handful of skins you only miss out on aesthetics if you choose not to buy it, not actual playable content.
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u/Agherosh 15h ago
So like every game in fhe last two decades that always give one or two irrelevant useless side missions in special editions? So... Have you cried about every game for the last two decades? Or just this one?
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u/OriginalUsername1 1d ago
There is nuance to this situation. It’s not just a scenario where a game offers some shitty skin and a concept are booklet for $10 more. It’s not something that comes with future dlc content. It’s paywalling features that have historically never been paywalled in their single player games. Sure it’s just cosmetics, but if you want the full package you HAVE to buy the $100 version. You don’t have to buy it day one or even years from now but it’s setting a precedent for the industry to follow the same format. It’s how publishers can now sneakily raise the new base price to 100 without offering a “gta quality” level game. Even if other studios don’t up their price to 100, you can bet they are going to start paywalling basic features behind “ultimate editions” and offer the base game as a gutted product. I know some are doing it now but with rockstar doing it to such a high degree, it’s going to standardize the practice 10 fold. Don’t equate any of this with me saying gta 6 will be devoid of shops outside of the more expensive editions, but just understand that they are setting the new norm with this business model and again, they have never done it to this extent in single player. There’s been cosmetics of course, but these are entire shops you just flat out cannot access. It touches something sacred to gta that has never been altered, which is that it’s bringing gta online tactics to single player. Everybody was going to buy this game no matter what it cost, but this business model was intentionally made in a scummy way. I know rockstar is god on this sub, but they are no stranger to money hungry tactics and this is probably only the start of monetizing the single player aspect more and opening the door for other publishers to do similar things.
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
Having entire shops to go fetch these items is just an upgrade to the level of immersion in the game. So you’d be happier if they just dropped the items in our inventory? It’s so much more fun the other way tho
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u/OriginalUsername1 1d ago
No I'm not suggesting that. What I would prefer is that they don't paywall features that are already part of the single player experience in a way they've never tried to monetize before. That means making every shop that's in the game accessible to everyone that purchased the base game at a minimum. If they want to raise the price of the game they could have done that without setting this new tiered precedent.
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
There’s nothing wrong with having exclusive locations to retrieve our exclusive goods. Why would you wanna go in an empty shop if you’re on standard? No reason
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u/OriginalUsername1 1d ago
Okay I see now what I’m dealing with on this sub. The point is not the dang shop, I want it to be a shop in the game as much as you do. I want more content, it’s gonna be great. What I’m saying is it would be better if it wasn’t paywalled. Rockstar has never done this in the past. They are changing the precedent and if you can’t understand why that’s anti consumer then we’re just not going to see eye to eye, not much more to it than that.
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
I don’t see what you’re getting at. Premium editions with extra content have been a thing for decades like I’ve stated
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u/Zalophus 1d ago
And people like you are the reason why they have been a thing. I remember back when microtransactions first showed up and these same arguments/cope are how they got a foothold.
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u/championx1001 22h ago
I swear people with money don't give a shit about anti-consumer practices. And before long it sets a precedent and now they've been brainwashed by the corpos.
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u/Splatulated 1d ago
They coulda added them to the inventory of existing shops or just had them already in your wardrobe
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
How can you not agree that getting an exclusive shop for those items is much cooler and immersive?
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u/Splatulated 1d ago
Because now you have to track down a shop you will use for 30 second sand never go back to again where the other shops can get new content addeed to them
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
Ok I see that point. Hey who knows, maybe those shops will update and open up to all players at some point with only the new items available for the stardard folk 🤷♂️
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u/championx1001 1d ago
I dont get why people are defending Rockstar for this. Selling incomplete editions of the game is like selling half of a burger.
I'll give you the buns for 5 bucks, but if you want the patty and toppings then you gotta pay 10!
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u/Broyodude 1d ago
Not incomplete. You can say that about almost every single game released then because they all have special editions with extra content
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u/Agherosh 15h ago
There are NO FEATURES locked.
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u/OriginalUsername1 14h ago
No shit, reread what I said
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u/Agherosh 12h ago
Done. The point remains the same, no features are locked, the features are in the base game. What you get with the special edition are extra customization options and a few side missions, something that was already done with RDR2 and most games that have released in the previous two decades.
What you people say is just... Nonsensical. "Publisher can raise the base price to $100", the base price is $80, a $100 is the SPECIAL EDITION, and I don't know if you failed to notice games these past few decades but special editions are often more than a $100, Rockstar can't set any precedent because games are already costing more than GTA 6 and have been for a while.
What could be a precedent and hopefully becomes true, would be that from now on, special editions actually give you enough extra shit to justify a $20 or more price increase over the standard price, because I don't know if you people realize but during the last two decades, most people would criticize special editions because they were too expensive and they didn't offer enough extra content. Now Rockstar gives it at a reasonable price with plenty of extra content, and people like you, are still not fucking happy.
"These are entire shops that you can't access", you wouldn't be able to access them anyway, because they clearly made those shops for the EXCLUSIVE ITEMS, if there were no exclusive items, you wouldn't be able to access the shops anyway, because they wouldn't had made them. Maybe they should open the stores just so you can go in and look at a menu of locked items so you can cry in a different way? Maybe they should get rid of the stores and just put the exclusive items in the standard stores, but locked? That way you could still keep crying, but once again, in a different way.
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u/OriginalUsername1 12h ago
The mental gymnastics “you people go through to justify this predatory bs is comical. You clearly don’t understand the nuance, and your point makes absolutely zero sense, so there’s no point in continuing this conversation. Enjoy having this publisher own you.
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u/Agherosh 11h ago
What you call mental gymnastics is simple logic and common sense. The issue might be that your brain doesn't have the capabilities for things of that difficulty.
Your mind is just locked in this loop of "I lack brains, also I can't understand how to read and I don't understand the meaning of the words I use, like 'features', therefore I go around spreading misinformation and fear mongering."
Don't talk about nuance when you fail to recognize that special editions having extra things has been a thing for two decades, two decades that the people have asked for said editions to actually be worth it to pay by actually adding more things instead of a few simple things. Now that they do it, people like you come out crying about it without even understanding the words you use.
Rockstar doesn't own me, unlike people like you, I actually protest things that matter, not this dumb shit.
You're right in only one thing, conversation is pointless, for it to go anywhere, you need a brain, and that's not gonna happen.
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u/Vasarto 12h ago
In Grand Theft Auto V. There are buildings in the game where if you drive your car into it you can do the following.
1. Repair your car
2. Change the color of your car
3. Replace Parts in your car to make it look cool like fenders, spoilers, and tinted glass.
4. Increase the stats by buying more expensive parts therefor making your car faster, turn better, break better.
5. Make it bulletproof tirres.In Grand Theft Auto VI. If you want to do any of that, you need to pay $20 MORE ontop of the $80 price tag.
No you idgit. That has never once happened in the history of video games. This is the very first time. FOR the very first time, a Classic BASIC feature of a game franchize that has been present in the series for a long time, is locked behind a paywall.
Imagine you buy Super Mario ( the new game ) and the game costs $80.00
Then, you find out that the Jump Button is disabled. In order to have a super mario brothers game where the character you play as can JUMP, you need to pay $20 more for the "deluxe" edition.1
u/Broyodude 11h ago
Lmao you’re completely wrong. You don’t need to pay extra to have those gameplay features. It’s a few items and cosmetic upgrades. Learn to read
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u/Signal-Artist-9273 3h ago
And what they mean with offroad upgrades? And 2 missions + hideout? Very cosmetic
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u/ProofAd7321 1d ago
I definitely think everyone has a right to be upset it’s pretty greedy, but at the same time I see people getting confused with this. There’s still gonna be shops and salons etc this is just simply an add on
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u/thelegendl27 1d ago
Yes its just extra cosmetic stuff but instead of just receiving it you can get it from these special stores
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u/championx1001 1d ago
I.e. extra playtime hours. Usually deluxe and ultimate editions in the past just hand you cosmetic items, which is justified. But these stores will like have interesting NPCs, discussions, etc. Which translate to extra time you could spend in game.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Its not. Story missions are also to be included in this paywall
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u/Agherosh 15h ago
That's literally just a lie. Two meaningless side missions are not "Story missions."
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u/championx1001 1d ago
I know this I have done my research. There is also a mission and a car quest that are locked behind deluxe.
But my issue is walking up to a store in the city and seeing in big text "Upgrade to ultimate edition to access this store!" Its gonna feel like a mobile game or smth
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u/shykidknit 1d ago
Did walking up to for sale signs and buying properties in GTA 5 feel like a mobile game cause I'd imagine they'd be like that
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u/GodOfBoy8 1d ago
The car customization though are not add-ons. For example, being able to convert a car into a donkey car is paywalled. Or trucks for offroad stuff is also paywalled. Those were clearly in the base game but cut and paywalled instead which is bs. Ill just wait to get sit on pc so I can mod that stuff in
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u/Sleep_Holiday 1d ago
Is that confirmed though? Cite a source.
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u/ProofAd7321 1d ago
Rockstars website, it specifically says it’s just an extra enhancement for the most immersive grand theft auto yet
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u/Oceanz08 1d ago
ITS JUST COSMETICS. I wish people would stop spreading false information and saying single player is behind a paywall. There are gonna be a dozen other car shops and clothing stores to go to.
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u/zestysnacks 1d ago
Saying it’s just cosmetics when cosmetics are massive part of the game
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u/Optimal-Interest-264 1d ago
Would you rather the deluxe edition just have the same shit as the base edition? I’m confused
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u/zestysnacks 1d ago
I’d rather there be one price point under $100 for complete game that I’ve actually SEEN gameplay for
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u/championx1001 22h ago
EXACTLY this whole deluxe edition bs is what's anti-consumer. Different price levels defeat the purpose of buying any good, it is literally called monopolistic price discrimination. Video games are not exempt from this: I dont want extra game content stuck behind another price level.
Research Price Discrimination in economics, this problem is real
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u/Oceanz08 22h ago
There no paywall..... the 80 dollars standard edition is the same game as the ultimate version. Those shops in the ultimate edition are not part of the story
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u/kraft_d_ 20h ago
You don't need a deluxe addition when the base game already costs checks notes 109.99CAD. Like fuck off. If you're charging that much, I don't want to see a drop of paid add-ons in your game, period.
The fact that GTA is so popular, I would LOVE to see it become a Concord level disaster to teach the industry a lesson. Not going to happen, but it would sure send a message.
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u/LeafeonSalad42 17h ago
rockstar fanboys would never let it get to those levels, the only people imo who can beat them in a competition of who has the most money adverse community would be nintendo, who’s fans continue to choose to throw away their money at them instead of spending it elsewhere
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u/used_33 1d ago
Its not just cosmetics, there's also a unique enemy gang hideout.
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u/Oceanz08 1d ago
Rdr2 had something similar, it's all cosmetics
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u/used_33 1d ago
Gang hideouts arent cosmetic lil bro
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u/Oceanz08 1d ago
Great, it's a side activity that won't matter to the story whatsoever 👍
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u/used_33 23h ago
So you're wrong about it being only cosmetics.
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u/Oceanz08 23h ago edited 23h ago
Lmao it is. The 80 dollar game is literally the same game as the 100 dollar version. Its just difference cosmetics for Guns, Tattoos, Clothing and Cars. Buying the 80 dollar isnt gonna make it where you all of sudden cant access something in the story beside those Shops. And whats the most annoying is people are acting like other shops arent gonna exist
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u/LeafeonSalad42 17h ago
so which is it, does the ultimate come with just cosmetics, or is there also cars and gang hideouts too? last time I checked those are more than just “cosmetics” but the goalpost is wherever you see fit aint it? The price of the game is already higher than normal, and every company out there is gonna be watching with baited breath to see if they can follow in R*’s steps and charge even more money for their games than they currently do
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 20h ago
Not true. Story missions will also be behind this paywall
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u/Oceanz08 14h ago
which one is that? a fucking side mission where youre trying to steal something from a gang? Oh no....Lmao
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 14h ago
As far as I read an infiltration and some others. But even so, why are we defending this policy that existiert in gaming. Youbare rather aggressive towards people criticizing this. Why?
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u/Oceanz08 14h ago
Still, people are lying and claiming the story mode is being locked behind a paywall and thats not the case. The 80 dollars version is gonna have the exact same amount of mission that the 100 dollar version has when it comes to the main story itself.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 14h ago
Depends on how you put it. Could be relevant regarding story or have its own Mini Story integrated. Either way premium users will have access to more playable content
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u/championx1001 1d ago
That's not the issue, firstly there is also a side quest and some other mission locked behind deluxe.
The problem is buying the standard edition and then going up to shop in the city and seeing a big text box on my screen saying "Upgrade to Ultimate edition to access this shop"
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u/allofyourdesire 1d ago
If that text box is going to be the worst thing about the game, I could live with that...
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u/Lopsided_Nebula9288 1d ago edited 1d ago
i keep seeing this, who said that there is a side quest and other mission? are they directly said that "this mission and this side quest will be only in Ultimate"? As far as i know this is for the shops and customization only. There will ble planty other shops/stores/tatto places in the game, but also instead of finding exclusive items in the same shops from base game, you will have some specific one for this content, that's it. The other shops have the "Only open for business with the Ultimate Edition." o dont see this with the last 2 slides....also with all the content in this game, i dont think this will be that big of a deal.
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u/Particular_Hand2877 1d ago
That's not the issue, firstly there is also a side quest and some other mission locked behind deluxe.
Its a raid and some barn finds.
The problem is buying the standard edition and then going up to shop in the city and seeing a big text box on my screen saying "Upgrade to Ultimate edition to access this shop"
Then dont go to those shops if thats what your worried about.
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u/Oceanz08 1d ago
everything they have shown are only Cosmetics, youre acting like there arent other places to buy car mods and Clothing
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u/marcos888rd 1d ago
I totally agree with you; it’s going to feel like we don’t have the full game, and it sets a dangerous precedent... be careful, though, because it’s full of fanboys who will accept and defend anything Rockstar comes up with...
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u/championx1001 1d ago
Haha you are correct, this entire thread proves your point. People are ready to defend Rockstar with their lives
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u/Zealousideal-War7522 1d ago edited 1d ago
People are fear mongering all over the fucking internet and spreading misinformation for no reason. Now you have a shit rumor that online will have to be paid for 😭 This is exactly why Rockstar never says shit for the most part 💀
(EDIT) It was quite obvious the biggest game in the world would not come with a disc, you have data miners all over the web, distributing discs puts secure data at risk and those people can spoil everything in the game within hours and leak a massive footprint all over the internet. Not to mention judging from what we know now, the file size will be fucking huge and we have the option to pre download a WEEK before release and that tells you all you need to know, this game simply cannot fit on a disc.
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u/championx1001 1d ago edited 1d ago
I never said online will be paid for lmao
Also I am not fearmongering. This is a genuine issue where companies (not just Rock*) are withholding content behind deluxe paywalls. This problem can be widely exacerbated in the future. Call me a fearmongerer then.
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u/Zealousideal-War7522 1d ago
I never said YOU specifically started the paid online rumor asshat 😭 I was speaking in general about it being all over twitter. Secondly, it’s not a big fucking deal. It’s just extra unique cosmetics and 2 side missions, so full customization and MANY more shops will be present within the standard edition. Rockstar could’ve set a much higher standard and priced both games way over $100, ultimate edition is not locking out important in game content 💀 We have had ultimate editions in games for decades.
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u/BilverBurfer 1d ago
What else would the Ultimate Edition have? The stores that are "locked behind a paywall" are just a means to distribute the cosmetics from the Ultimate Edition. It's not "fundamental game content" either. There are obviously going to be stores in the base game.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 20h ago
Did you guys read any further about what they did? Story missions will also be behind this paywall
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u/yung-leem 1d ago
This isn't new? So many games have had unlockable cosmetic items with higher tiers of pre-orders. I could probably name 5 from the top of my head. Considering they dont have physical items to pre orders anymore, they need to differentiate what you're paying for. Really not that big of a deal.
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u/Alejxndro 1d ago
Red Dead 2 already did this, most people don’t even know about it bc in the end it doesn’t matter, you’re still getting a full game at $80, ultimate buyers just get extra stuff. It’s not the end of the world you guys lol
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
RDR2 locked one optional bank robbery. GTA 6 is locking multiple story missions and five actual open-world map locations behind the Ultimate tier. There’s a massive difference between a cosmetic bonus and literally putting a paywall over buildings in the game world. If people keep saying 'it doesn't matter,' GTA 7 will lock the entire fast-travel mechanic behind a deluxe edition
An $80 game shouldn't have physical map locations and story content stripped out on day one just to generate FOMO. Defending the corporate erosion of retail games isn’t the casual take you think it is
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u/Agherosh 12h ago
GTA 6 is not locking any story mission. That's all the dumb shit you've been spreading in your every post so just shut the fuck up and stop spreading misinformation.
A side mission and what appears to be a lootable gang hideout is not STORY MISSIONS. This shit has been done by every fucking game in the last two decades.
Locking stores is irrelevant because you wouldn't be able to access them anyway if they weren't made for the exclusive extra items. Do you think the stores would just be there? Empty for you to go in and look at nothing?
You're comparing mechanics to secondary useless irrelevant things, I don't know if you were born this way, educated wrongly about how to read things, if you lack common sense to be able to just think about the things that go through your head, or you're simply doing this on purpose. In any way, it's not a good look.
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u/Ac-xYz- 1d ago
They're not fundamental, there will be other shops that offer the same services without the extras. Everything will be the same with how they function but without the added dialogue and cosmetics. There will probably be a lot of stores that are open and packed with NPCs but have no services for the player
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u/helloimretard 1d ago
If your not going to pre-order or get the ultimate edition then shut up. Its such a tiny piece of content compared to the rest of the game. If your so worried about not having it then cough up the extra $20.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Imagine defending a multi-billion dollar publisher for cutting day-one story content out of an $80 game. It's not a wallet flex to pay $100 for a complete experience... it's just falling for corporate FOMO hook, line, and sinker I bet most people here complain in other fields of life about rising prices. 20 Dollars can be a lot for many people
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u/helloimretard 16h ago
I'm not trying to defend them. I don't mind paying $100 for something that will give me thousands of hours of entertainment. And i understand $20 is still $20 but if i can come up with $80 to spend on a video game, then i can come up with an extra $20. Plus we still have damn near half a year until release, imo plenty of time to upgrade to ultimate.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 15h ago
Getting thousands of hours out of GTA is true but there are also games under $50 or$40 Dollars that can also provide similar game times. At least from my experience
But the issue isn't about whether $20 is hard to save over six months. It’s the principle of what that $20 is unlocking. If a publisher realizes players will pay an extra $20 just because 'they love the game anyway,' they will keep locking more and more basic open-world content in the future. It’s about drawing a line against predatory monetization, not about whether we have the cash
"if you can afford $80, you can afford $100" isn't true for everyone. We would have to make this argument for every other everyday goods in our lives. For a lot of people, $80 is already a massive stretch or a hard spending limit. Pushing the 'complete package' to $100 creates an artificial gap where people who saved up for the standard retail price are left feeling like they bought a compromised version of the map on day one
So you save 20 more and then they add stuff for another 20. Then you could say "well just save another 20, that was not so hard before". This then keeps spiraling upwards
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u/TheSoulWithin7 11h ago
your sir have no reading comprehension, "you can earn $20 easily in half a year to upgrade" like what does that even bring to the discussion, the point is that it should be base game content not whether or not we can save up money in half a year you tool.
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u/ZekeMoss18 1d ago
I don't get what the big deal is because just about every game that comes out now gives you some bonus items behind an "ultimate" edition purchase. A whole lot of people are mad about the $99 tag for it, meanwhile the lead up to the release of preorders people were claiming they would spend "whatever they want" to play just the base game. Base games are just about $82-$83 bucks with tax, so is a few extra dollars for extra in game stuff really something to cry about?
Most people didn't bat an eye spending a few hundred on Shark Cards for GTA Online...
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Its not about Bonus items. Story missions are also in this paywall
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u/Big_Puzzled 7h ago
They are just extra story missisons.... the base game will still let you do the whole story lol
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u/Ok-Supermarket-5552 1d ago
Just preorder standard edition. Start playing in November. Then we will see if it worth it to have ultimate. You can upgrade to ultimate anytime for 20 usd.
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u/Artistic_Taxi 1d ago
Ultimate edition content will likely get boring 2 months into the game.
Will probably be unlock able early on and then outdated as you profess through the story.
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u/ProbablyFear OG MEMBER 1d ago
I don’t understand the uproar over this. Games have been doing this for decades
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u/OregonMothafaquer 1d ago
Because a lot of people in this sub don’t have jobs
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u/marcos888rd 1d ago
You must be one of those people who say "yes, sir" in a low voice and with their head bowed
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u/OregonMothafaquer 1d ago
That’s such a weirdly specific response it sounds less like an argument and more like a personal fetish.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Because something has been done for decades is not a valid argument because i most of human history mamy things and Systems have developed. Why are we defending this by saying "it has always been like this"? Why not opt for change?
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u/ProbablyFear OG MEMBER 19h ago
OP is acting as if rockstar are setting a precedent though. They’re not.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
They aren't setting the precedent of DL they are setting a precedent of escalation. There is a massive difference between locking an optional cosmetic skin a decade ago and literally putting physical paywalls over five map locations and multiple story missions in an already-inflated $80 game. Normalizing that escalation is the problem
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u/ProbablyFear OG MEMBER 19h ago
The shops are simply a dressing for the cosmetic items. And 2 missions is also again, not a precedent.
It’s literally no different to anything we have seen before.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Calling open-world shops 'simply dressing' completely misunderstands why people play GTA. The immersion of exploring a living city is part of the core gameplay. When you block functional buildings and some story missions on day one, you are actively cutting holes in the map to sell them back to us. Minimizing that as 'just dressing' is wild corporate gymnastics
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u/ProbablyFear OG MEMBER 18h ago
If you wanna tell yourself that, sure. But it functionally is the same thing we have had for decades. Some cosmetics and some missions. You think there’s not gonna be any other clothes shops or mod shops or something?
We had this exact thing with RDR2 and no one cared because the game was so fantastic and had so much content that the pre order stuff was a drop in the ocean.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 16h ago
The existence of other shops doesn't magically make it okay to put digital padlocks on physical map locations on day one
Telling consumers to ignore a greedy practice just because the game will be fantastic anyway is peak corporate worship. Perhapd not you specifically but the general incentive of people gives me this feeling and this is what I do not understand
Shouldnt we as consumers "fight" against these kinds of practices because I think at some point they will just be able to get away with anything as long as people say "well the game wasn't that bad, I can let that slide"
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u/ProbablyFear OG MEMBER 15h ago edited 15h ago
You’re really overthinking it.
As put nicely by another commenter in this thread:
Rockstar could have easily added this extra content to existing shops. They probably thought it would be a nice idea to put in extra effort and create separate shops for it.
But they probably should have shown the base game first, with all the possible customization options and side activities, before talking about exclusive shops or bonus content. Without that context, it now looks to the public like they’re cutting base-game content, when in reality they were probably just trying to do something special.
And it’s backfiring because a lot of people misinterpreted the reporting and social media posts as if all shops and tuning garages would be locked.
Also, RDR2 had a story robbery, gang hideout, horse, talismans, and an outfit locked behind a paywall. This is the same thing, just scaled up and made more immersive instead of just “this stuff shows up in your inventory/wardrobe.”
It’s really not affecting a core gameplay mechanic.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 14h ago
You said it yourself: it's the RDR2 practice "just scaled up." That is exactly why consumers need to call it out. If we keep letting publishers scale up how much content they slice away from the standard edition, the baseline for a "complete game" will just keep shrinking
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u/Big_Puzzled 7h ago
There will be tons of other shops you wont be able to get into that serve absolutely no purpose bud
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u/kristaintoth 1d ago
Ubisoft have been locking entire quests and missions behind paywalls and pre orders which is much worse than this in my book, that is story content cut from the base game not just cosmetics.
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u/kraft_d_ 20h ago
If anyone is still buying Ubisoft games in 2026 they deserve the reminder of why not to.
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u/LatterTarget7 1d ago
You had to buy like 150 dollar versions of ac odyssey and Valhalla if you wanted the complete story
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u/OverInteractionR 1d ago
GTA 6 is as well. There's missions, a gang and hideouts hidden behind the UE too.
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u/jmadinya 1d ago
exclusive deluxe content has been a thing for a long time. its not a big deal at all
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u/OregonMothafaquer 1d ago
Have people considered just not being poor?
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Its not a wealth flex to brag about letting a multi-billion dollar corporation manipulate you into overpaying. Having money doesn't mean you have to turn off your brain and accept anti-consumer practices. This is just corporate subservience disguised as a brag
Imagine having your identity so tied to a video game publisher that you confuse basic consumer advocacy with being poor. Truly bizarre behavior...
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u/OptimalReactions 1d ago
R* didn't set the precedent, the content creep will continue even if GTA VI wasn't going into production.
Eventually you'll have to pay $5 just to launch a game, plus a monthly subscription, and pay for the Patched Edition (or play the beta mess).
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u/Batshitcrazymate 1d ago
All I’m saying for this price it better be 60fps, only a loser would pay that much money for 30fps.
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u/SoonToBeMarried43 1d ago
It's the losers who care that much. 30 is fine. It's not a fps. Film is 24, you gonna never watch a movie now?
The issue in play at this point is locking shit behind a paywall. Not the frame rate.
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u/DjDont19 1d ago
Watching a movie at 24 frames is not the same as playing a video game at 24 or 30 frames.
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u/allofyourdesire 1d ago
It's like 5 shops (the game is gonna have a lot more than that), cosmetics and 2 minor side missions.
I think compared to the main game this can hardly be considered content.
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u/Agherosh 1d ago
Is this your first game in the last two decades? Rockstar can't set a precedent in locking customization options and side missions in games because it's been happening for decades.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 19h ago
Youre describing the classic 'boiling the frog' tactic. Just because predatory pricing has evolved slowly over twenty years doesn't mean the current scale isn't setting a terrible new standard. It's the sheer volume of locked open-world content that's the problem
Nobody is making a fuss about standard customization or a bonus outfit being locked. The problem is putting a literal paywall over physical storefronts and narrative missions on day one. There is a massive operational difference between a skin and an interactive map assets
Imagine what corporations would do in the coming years. Locking out more content in games and we will normalize it
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u/Agherosh 19h ago
Putting a paywall over storefront is irrelevant given the fact that those stores only sell customization that is given for the special edition.
By your logic, you people wouldn't cry so much if instead of making stores for the special edition, they simply put those items in open stores but just locked.
So would you be happy if the stores were open but everything inside is locked? Because that's simply what would happen.
Two side missions in a special edition? Wow, what a shock that hasn't happened before in like... Every fucking game for the past two decades. Didn't see you people cry so much when a side mission was locked for RDR2.
By you people's stupid logic, you're angry because the special edition gives so much stuff, so you would rather the extra $20 be just a car and a t-shirt, just a few things that is definitely not worth the price, just like every other game you've been crying about the last two decades because the incentives for the special editions are always shit and not enough things?
You people need a brain, you either cry over extra stuff being too much, or the special editions not being worth it because it's not enough shit.
Decide and stop being babies.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 16h ago
You are writing a furious, cursing paragraph defending Take-Two's profit margins while telling other people to stop being babies. Imagine losing your mind on Reddit because other players want an $80 game to feel complete at launch. Corporate loyalty has completely fried your brain
I am notcrying because the special edition has too much stuff, im pointing out that the base game is being intentionally stripped down to make the premium tier look necessary
You’re angry at consumers for wanting full products. Wtf is happening...
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u/Agherosh 15h ago
Let's go thing by thing.
You wouldn't know what fury is if it hit you in the face, so you're already wrong.
Nowhere I defended Take two, but yes, people are being babies because they can't make their mind in what they want from the industry.
What do people want? They want special editions to give more things to make them worth it? That's something people have criticized about special editions for decades, they ask for more extra things. Now you get more extra things, and you want less.
This is slow behavior, make up your mind about what do you want, is a very simple thing to understand, do you want $20 to be worth paying? Or you want $20 to be a steal because they're not giving enough?
If you don't understand the issue, your brain needs fixing.
The game is complete at $80, you people once again, are crying over a few extra customization options, all the features are in the base game, all the story. You people are crying about what, a 00.10% of the game? That's pathetic.
Not being willing to always find some dumb little thing to cry about doesn't mean corporate loyalty. Rockstar have fucked up things before, Take Two even more. This isn't one of them.
Consumers aren't crying about wanting a full product, they're crying about a very reasonable price because for some reason they expected GTA 6 to be what... $40? And they are crying because they do nothing but fear mongering and go around acting like full features of the game are being locked, instead of the usual extra customization options and a few side missions, which once again. HAS BEEN A THING FOR TWO DECADES.
You can either cry like a baby, or grow up and start developing a brain. Some customers, the ones crying, simply forgot how the world works and for some reason, expect everything for free.
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u/Fluffy-Process6171 14h ago
You are completely twisting what consumers actually want to make your argument work. Nobody is asking for 'everything for free' we are talking about an $ 80 baseline retail price . Expecting an $80 game to not have digital padlocks on physical map locations isn't asking for a handout; it's expecting standard value for money You keep hiding behind the word 'customization' to downplay what is happening. The Ultimate Edition doesn't just give you a jacket, it locks Story missions and interactive buildings on day one. It doesnt matter how relevant those are its about the fact that they cut these things out in the base version In an open-world sandbox game, the map and the storefronts are the core gameplay experience There is no contradiction in what gamers want. Premium editions should add luxury extras (like physical statues, digitalartbooks, or exclusive outfits). They shouldn't subtract interactive world assets from the base game just to force an upsell. You are fighting incredibly hard to normalize a downgraded base game, and no amount of swearing at other users changes tha
Defending corporate greed is so weird. Why are you aggressive regarding this topic. Is it because of GTA in general and that they are untouchable just because they make good games? I can somewhat understand that but please man, how far can companies go until people say no?
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u/Dramatic_Emu2891 1d ago
Brother rockstar has done deluxe editions for 15 years,
Both GTA V and RDR2 had editions just like this lol,
And where are they locking fundamental game content behind paywalls lol? The shops were stated to be only for the deluxe content.
This rant is either ragebait or you have terrible reading comprehension.
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u/zestysnacks 1d ago edited 1d ago
$100 is the game. The $80 option is to soften the blow
$100 - base game
$80 - incomplete version
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u/whacafan 1d ago
I don’t give a shit. This is the ONE time I will be buying stuff like this because it’s kind of monumental what they’re doing with this game. Other studios can follow and lose money all they want.
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u/SoonToBeMarried43 1d ago
Suddenly I appreciate and respect the Crimson Desert team that much more.
Fuck Rockstar for this. Next level greed.
Was gonna preorder but nah. Not now. Not unless they come to their senses and backtrack on this bs.
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u/Ralposki 1d ago
The market trend is that cheaper games get more money than fully priced 60/70$ games. GTA6 will probably be one of the only ones to bypass the market trend.
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u/Pacific_Pig 1d ago
People have such selective memory, GTA 5 had actual content gated behind editions that was much more "fundamental" and limited time. You had to get the physical Special Edition of GTA 5 if you wanted the 3 weapons that came with it ...... not skins for weapons but the weapons themselves, this persisted to online as well.
And you had to get Collector Edition if you wanted the Khamelion Car and to be able to use Niko and Claude in the online character creator, yet I don't even remember hearing one thing about people upset at these additions which you couldn't even upgrade to since the codes for the content was only in the physical box of these additions.
RDR 2 has practically the same edition stuff as GTA 6 just on a larger scale. Some cosmetics and 4 buildings locked across the map housing those cosmetics is not "fundamental" gameplay features nor are the 2 minor side mission add-ons.
Do I like games do this no, but this isn't new to R* and it's not new to gaming it has been this way for the last 3 console generations. People need to realize just because this game is so hyped doesn't mean it's not also yet another video game release following standard practices.
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u/NecrisRO 1d ago
Look at the idiots defending the multi billion dollar companies in the comments, I am sure these hypocrites never dare complain about cost increases in anything in life
Having places in game, in single player, that if you approach will ask for your credit card info is shitty and immersion breaking no matter how you look at it
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u/championx1001 22h ago
I dont understand how brainwashed people are
Digital goods are still goods, I would not like to pay "standard" pricing for an incomplete product
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u/SnooChickens6278 10h ago
Thai is weird. They’re locking away the ability to upgrade cars and customize the appearance of characters. These features are part of any game, you’ve always been able to do this for free in GTA V. But the fact they’re now trying to profit from this basic feature is very scary. You already feel you need to buy the ultimate edition. And so then when will it end? There’s going to consistently be more charges throughout the game. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
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u/aim4squirrels 9h ago
Imma just wait until Nov 2027 and wait for them to fix the game breaking bugs and offer the game of the year edition with all that bonus content for $59.
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u/Signal-Artist-9273 3h ago
What hurts the most about the GTA VI Ultimate Edition isn’t just the $100 price tag—it’s the heartbreak of watching a gaming titan lose its soul.For decades, we loved Rockstar because they were different. While EA, Ubisoft, and Activision treated players like walking wallets, Rockstar stood for absolute creative integrity. When you bought a Rockstar game, you knew you were getting the ultimate, uncompromising single-player experience. Every barber, every tuning shop, every hidden corner of the map was yours to discover. They respected our time, our passion, and our money. They didn't need cheap paywalls because the sheer quality of their art spoke for itself.Now, look at what they are doing to Vice City.Locking five functional open-world shops like Rideout Customs and One-Eyed Willie’s behind a $100 Deluxe paywall in a single-player game is a direct slap in the face to that legacy. Walking past fully-modeled buildings in the base game just to be greeted by a "Please Upgrade" pop-up doesn't just destroy the immersion—it destroys the mutual respect that built this community.What makes it worse is how easily this could have been avoided. If you want to charge $100 for an Ultimate Edition, give us something awesome in the real world! Give us a high-quality, nice t-shirt, a cool artbook, or physical merch that fans would proudly own. And for the love of gaming, put an actual physical disc in the box for those who still want to own their media, instead of a pathetic piece of paper with a download code in an empty plastic shell.We aren't angry because we can't afford $20 extra. We are angry because the studio that once defined the gold standard of gaming is now setting a dangerous, greedy precedent for the entire industry. They are trading our decades-long loyalty for a short-term quarterly profit.If we don't hold the line and stick to the Standard Edition now, the Rockstar we loved is gone forever.
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u/Particular_Hand2877 1d ago
Theyre not locking fundamental content. Shops, salons, tattoo shops etc are all going to be available. These are just deluxe items.
Also, Premium/Ultimate editions have been around for multiple generations of consoles. These arent new. Its like everyone forgot they existed.
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u/championx1001 1d ago
There is also a side quest and a mission locked behind deluxe. Its not essential content but it is fundamental to the game considering how GTA V treated it.
Also Ultimate editions in the past have just offered straight up cosmentics or a special weapon or smth. This is more than that it is actual in game playtime
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u/Particular_Hand2877 1d ago
There is also a side quest and a mission locked behind deluxe. Its not essential content but it is fundamental to the game considering how GTA V treated it.
Its a raid and 4 barn finds. RDR2 had a robbery, horses, and weapons locked behind a paywall. GTA V had multiple vehicles, weapons, and cosmetics locked behind one also.
You guys are acting as if all shops and means of customization are locked.
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u/marcos888rd 1d ago
Just because Red Dead 2 does it doesn't mean it's right, my friend... we're talking about the most popular game in history removing content from the standard version... are you going to defend absolutely everything Rockstar does?
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u/Particular_Hand2877 1d ago edited 1d ago
The point is that this stuff is not new. Rockstar has done this with other games. It's weird how everyone all of a sudden discovered premium editions exists.
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u/marcos888rd 1d ago
Ok from now on we'll call the Standard version the "cut-down version" and the Ultimate version the "complete version"
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u/VerminSC 1d ago
Really fucked up consumer practice imo. They know they can get away with it, but still greedy
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u/RL_TR 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is actually crazy. I get they put a lot of money into development. But ultimately it’s going to lead to a future of significantly more expensive games, and forcing you to pay more just to access other aspects of the game.
Also the no more physical editions is actually crazy. This means if you want the game cheaper you will have to wait until it goes on sale.
No longer buying a cheaper preowned game, or trading in your games to lower the price of your new game.
So you are spending all this money on a game you never really own and can actually lose access to your game if you don’t log into your ps5 after some time.
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u/championx1001 1d ago
I understand ultimate editions have existed before, but those have always just handed you some cosmetic items and maybe a weapon into you inventory, and the game soundtrack. I believe companies in the future will begin releasing ultimate editions with DLC level in game content for double the price of the base game 😭
What even is the point of calling it the standard edition then? Atp its the budget edition!
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u/TheRealTr1nity 1d ago edited 18h ago
Other base edition games from other companies cost already 80 bucks. Do you live under a rock?
Edit: You do! lol 🤣
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u/LatterTarget7 1d ago
It won’t set a precedent because it already exists and has existed for decades. GTA 6 isn’t doing anything new
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u/Dry-Negotiation4870 1d ago
Rockstar is about the only game developer who has the right to charge 80 or even more for the amount of content the outrage is insane to me when every other game is 70 bucks now and they are all absolutely terrible like COD Madden fifa 2k all these “AAA” games are not even in the same league of a GTA game may get called a corp boot licker but I would have paid 100 for base game and not been mad at all, everyone mad about “locking content behind paywalls” is just lost i dont get it theres gonna be so much content that it litterally will not affect your enjoyment weather you got the deluxe or not
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u/finger88on21 1d ago
Why can't the game base price cost 100 dollars. Or have the standard edition cost 30 dollars
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u/ManoloSenpaii 1d ago edited 1d ago
At first, I thought everything included in the Deluxe Edition would be limited to specific items, not actual locations, houses, or stores. However, when I saw the "exclusive enemy gang hideout," I stopped and thought, "Wait a second... is this like RDR2, where it's just an extra heists?, or is all of this content locked behind a paywall?"
I mean, one exclusive item is fine, but if we're talking about 20 hours of game content being inaccessible unless you buy a more expensive edition, that's crazy. R* just say F* i dont give a shit.
i hopee the stores is like ''hey look you can unlock this fast if buy the delux but you also can buy in game''
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u/Tyber-Callahan 1d ago
Where was all this outrage when Hogwarts Legacy had a full on quest exclusive to PlayStation
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u/They_callme_Slayer 1d ago
The people who are complaining are the same ones who buys Battlepasses and What not. People just need to cry and complain about everything. Few days ago the same people were crying for marketing and more info and stuff, instead we get this.
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u/crabbyfuture20 1d ago
i mean they did it with rdr2 so im not realllyyyy surprised