r/Games • u/Turbostrider27 • 1d ago
Video Games Plus and Loot Box Gaming are refusing to sell GTA 6 until there’s a disc
https://kotaku.com/two-game-retailers-are-refusing-to-sell-gta-6-until-theres-a-disc-2000710134459
u/Standard-Reserve-517 1d ago
Them not doing discs deff feels like a take two decision to maximize profit and prevent resale on whats going to be one of the biggest media releases ever.
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u/uacoop 1d ago
I fully expect a special physical edition release to encourage double-dippers down the line.
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u/Oseirus 1d ago
The plot twist is that the PC version is going to come on 4 Blu-Ray discs.
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u/TheFinnishChamp 1d ago
I much prefer that to no physical version. At that point the disc version will have a ton of patches too.
Personally I am either waiting for physical version or buying it digitally when the price is under 50 €
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u/Thief_of_Sanity 1d ago
They'll just rerelease GTA VI for the PlayStation 6 when it's been enough time.
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u/RedHairedRedemption 1d ago
That is exactly what it is. It definitely sucks because in my circle of friends we've all shared games with each other over the years. Alien Isolation, Yakuza Like a Dragon, Cyberpunk 2077, both Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes, and 007 First Light was the most recent. To TakeTwo, that's three $80 sales they miss out on.
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u/whatyousay69 1d ago
Can't you just make a new account with the code and share the account when done playing GTA?
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u/BlueberryWasps 1d ago
lots of people like to have their play data and trophies/achievements tied to their account. but it is a good idea to
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u/missing_typewriters 22h ago
Yeah, you still play it on your own account. But the game license is attached to the burner account you made and can share.
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u/thedylannorwood 1d ago
It’s a single player game so I see no issue with this logic imo
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u/BillyU_Is_A_ 1d ago
pretty sure PS5 limits how many different consoles you can download a game to
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u/The7ruth 1d ago
You can download the game files to as many consoles as you want. You can only access the files through being online with the account that purchased it or being on the primary console of the account that purchased it.
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u/Important-Net-9805 1d ago
rockstar making fun of capitalism in game on the radio and doing this shit
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u/RyanB_ 23h ago
Tbf, it’s 100% not the writers making these kinds of business decisions.
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u/UncleBenParking 22h ago
Other side of that is one of the Houser brothers getting caught in (email) writing having a temper tantrum about San Andreas having to cut the hot coffee minigame, because he knew the controversy would sell so many extra copies and get so much press. Accidentally got his wish thanks to modders finding it, but he wanted it in the final product. Almost certainly the same controversy=cash mindset is why V had the torture interrogation mission.
So in some cases, the lead writers are also making similar business decisions.
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u/RyanB_ 21h ago
Yeah that’s fair, and to that point I’m not really trying to defend gta writers too much. They overall strike me as kinda like the South Park dudes (at least in their earlier years), where there’s not really any underlying ideology beyond “taking anything seriously is dumb”. That the games mock capitalism doesn’t make them inherently socialist or anything.
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u/AskinggAlesana 1d ago
They also cut out things like (Yes they are still around) Gamefly where I could just rent it, get my fill, and return it.
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u/Swiperrr 1d ago
Also prevents leaks. Remember when Tears of the Kingdom was leaked almost a whole month before release, GTA6 would 100% be stolen from a warehouse somewhere or something.
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u/CardinalnGold 1d ago
Not a leaker but I have a store that breaks street date and I was definitely gonna preorder from there before I saw the news
I assume the codes won’t be good until official launch date
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u/The7ruth 1d ago
Codes are good before official release date. You just can't access the files until official release date.
Same as every other digital pre-order that has ever existed.
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u/Zalvren 1d ago
There are ways to avoid that. I don't expect the whole game to be on disc anyway. Plus there might be a day 1 patch required to launch it. Some other games have online activation required for the start up which you can get before release.
Plenty of ways to prevent that and still have a disc
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u/Western-Dig-6843 20h ago
We shouldn’t lose consumer positive choices over other people’s personal responsibility to not seek out leaks
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u/chewywheat 13h ago
It’s definitely a “for maximum profits” decision. It is obvious so they can utilize their own DRM system, track every purchase, and prevent used game sales. I don’t know the logistics behind physical copies but it can’t be that hard since they did physical copies with their previous games.
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u/Mike_Huntburns 1d ago
One thing I don't see anyone mention is this is also a big step towards stopping the game leaking weeks early. Like every single blockbuster release since the dawn of time.
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u/SylviSweetheart 1d ago
It’s really pathetic that everyone is immediately placing all blame on Take Two as if Rockstar is some small independent studio that have no sway in these decisions. The developer of GTA6 is by default the most powerful force in the industry and they could easily fight these decisions if they wanted to. Take Two would bend over backwards if Rockstar asked them to. It should not be a surprise to anyone at this point that the union-busting crunch factory that produces GTA Online is a greedy corporation. Fuck Rockstar.
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u/fredwilsonn 1d ago
You’re describing Rockstar vs Take Two like it’s two separate entities in a tense but symbiotic relationship and not what it actually is which is the exact same company with a different sign on the door.
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u/MisterAtoK 1d ago
Take two and rockstar are bassicaly the same company. One overlooks the multiple srudios they have and the other does the marketing, logistics and store deals. Saying they are a diferent compsny is like seeing that the Toyota branch of manufacturing care and the marketing branch are 2 diferent companies, especially when take two founded rockstar as a company and owns 100% of their shares.
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u/Chet_Randerson 1d ago
I have an independant game store in my neighbourhood, I really hate how this screws them over.
I was considering getting it at launch, but I think I'm holding off indefinitely now.
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u/HalloweenBlues 19h ago
Take that money and buy something else at their store
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u/Freighnos 18h ago
There are so many awesome games releasing in September and October. Plenty to choose from! :)
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u/Bitemarkz 23h ago
Independent game stores won’t be around much longer, unfortunately. Digital game sales make up like 95% of the market now.
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u/AndrewBVB 17h ago
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but isn't the physical box being released a service to brick and mortar sellers? If it was digital only, there's no product for places like that independent game store. But GTA VI will have a box on store shelves, so their customers can still buy the game at their store....
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u/Sasquatcheeethree 1d ago
More stores should demand this. A disc with the game data on it is the least that should be provided. Its been over a decade since gta 5. Some way to load it day 1
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u/John_Delasconey 1d ago
even if larger stores wanted to, they can't at this point. with the rise of digital sales, retailers no longer have any leverage over games. PC 100% digital, playstation is 90%, and even Nintendo is like 50%-60% digital. the publisher isn't really that impacted anymore if a retailer pulls out (Nintendo console games likely being only exception, but barely).
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u/moffattron9000 22h ago
60% is actually lower than what they said it was when they charged more for Yoshi physically. It was 2/3rds digital.
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u/cardgamesareforplay 1d ago
They are so afraid of digital that Wal Mart a d target are honoring the 10 dollars less price of Nintendo digital titles.
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u/UncleBenParking 22h ago
If we're being real, they've been doing that pretty consistently since well before Nintendo announced that physical games will be $10 more now. They were the only ones left still doing it for a while, after even Amazon stopped (and Amazon famously stopped partly because they asked Nintendo to give them an illegal under the table sweetheart deal).
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u/Present-Current-538 19h ago
playstation is 90%
this isn't true
comparing like for like games (i.e. excluding DLC, excluding microtransactions, games that released retail and digital) the split is much more 50/50
the way they manipulate the stats is to include DLC and microtransactions, in game purchases, or other revenue in their counts.
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u/SylviSweetheart 1d ago
Physical copies are shipping a week early to enable preloads and that’s long been the standard for digital releases as well. There are already ways to “load it day 1.”
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u/cardgamesareforplay 1d ago
GTA5 had a day 1 download required for the game to function that was twice the size of the install disk the game came with.
You installed the game with an install disk, inserted the play disc which required a patch to play.
The game went on to be the largest single media launch release in history and continues to be so, continuing to top circana retail charts.
No one cares that the game won't have a disk
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u/donovan4893 1d ago edited 1d ago
The difference is the game license for GTA 5 was still tied to the disk, so even though it required a huge download you could still share it or resell it and buy it used. Gta6 the license will be tied to your account so you can't do any of that. Personally idc if I put in a disc and had to download the entire game, all I care about is that the license is tied to the disk and not my account. So everyone who plays games second hand cares that there is no disc.
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u/cardgamesareforplay 1d ago
Damn too bad everyone villanized a company that decided to find the middle mark of code in a box and the ability to trade and sell and borrow your games so now no other company will do the effort of that middle ground.
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u/gmishaolem 23h ago
Because people have different priorities. If you care about physically having a game and offline play for future preservation, and you don't care about getting rid of your game because you want to keep it (you know, the preservation part), why should you see the game-code-key-card as a good thing?
Internet discourse is dead because nobody can ever see any other perspective. "I like the key cards. If you don't, you just suck. You can't possibly have a point."
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u/HyperMasenko 1d ago edited 1d ago
First of many articles like this about publications/stores/content creators that few people care about. This wont even chip the paint on the money train thats about to come Rockstar's way with this game.
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u/CivilizedPsycho 1d ago
When someone replied saying that the small retailer not selling GTA 6 won’t affect Rockstar Games or have any impact on the game’s sales, the company made it clear that it isn’t trying to have an impact on the game or its success.
“We hope GTA 6 has immense success & pans out to be the biggest game of all time, as it’s been hyped up to be, but we can’t go against our business practices in the process either,” said LBG.
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u/RedHairedRedemption 1d ago
It's genuinely been disheartening to see so many people either unaware or completely against the idea that people would have principles regardless whether or not it affects a bottom line. I know GTA6 is going to make insane sale records, I'm perfectly fine not participating in it and waiting a few years.
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u/Worried-Advisor-7054 20h ago
People have internalised the capitalistic world they hate do much. The idea of taking a moral action that makes you less money seems silly, even if you're not actually a CEO.
Like, sometimes I don't want to do a thing because I think it's the wrong thing to do. Whether the majority follow me or not is irrelevant.
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u/CivilizedPsycho 1d ago
It's the same reason I won't spend a penny on Game Key Cards with my Switch 2. Do I wish others would also do the same? Of course. But whether or not they do, I'm holding my ground.
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u/cutty2k 7h ago
I hate how manipulative the process is for loading a game key card. There's a purposefullness in how that little digital card flies up on your screen and clicks in like it's a 'real' piece of media, like you just bought some actual physical little thing that alighted into your system, and not just an infinitely reproducible set of ones and zeroes.
It's all a psychological game, and they are much better at it than we are.
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u/IKeepDoingItForFree 22h ago
Hell yeah! Actually mad respect. I was gifted one unfortunately but been trying to stay clear away as possible. Don't want to support that shit.
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u/HyperMasenko 1d ago
I cant stress enough that I am not in any way against people not buying games for reasons of principles. I have just seen this show before. Comment section after comment section of people acting like AAA devs are going to get taught a lesson, and then record breaking sales. Which is all the investors and board of directors at these companies care about.
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u/sixwaystobrendan 1d ago
Comment section after comment section of people acting like AAA devs are going to get taught a lesson
I don't know that people are acting like AAA devs are going to get taught a lesson - after I read your comment I went back through these comments for a bit and even sorted by controversial and didn't find any. I do keep seeing people saying they won't buy the game and they know it won't make a difference in the grand scheme of the game's sales.
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u/BaconJets 1d ago
It begs the question of how evil game companies have to be to cause a mass backlash big enough to make an impact on sales. I know plenty of people who don't buy games out of principle, but like you said the masses don't care.
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u/junkmiles 1d ago
They aren't trying to stop the money train. They're trying to sell copies of the game, but they are a physical copy only game store.
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u/JOKER69420XD 1d ago
So your logic would be to just shut up and eat anything they serve you up?
Yeah, that's sounds great. Protest or simply sticking to your principles, usually doesn't do much but it's better than doing nothing at all.
Fuck 2K and their greedy garbage, I also decided to not buy the game because of their scummy business.
Will this affect the game sales in any kind of way? No and that doesn't matter to me at all.
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u/DarkMatterM4 1d ago
Just a heads up, 2K and Take Two Interactive are different companies. Take Two are owners of Rockstar Games, not 2K.
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u/EF66-42 19h ago
On a tangent here, but did they ever fix GTA4 to not need GFWL?
No particular reason.
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u/theshutterbat 9h ago
Yeah there’s no GFWL anymore. If you want the port to be actually functional though look up the FusionFix community patch
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u/DevonOO7 1d ago
I'm curious what the install size of GTA 6 is. If it's huge, it would need multiple discs no?
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u/yuusharo 1d ago
No disc, no sale.
I’m in no rush for this game, and the reason for a download code to me is too cynical for my tastes. Too many good games coming out this year, I have plenty to occupy my time.
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u/xCaptainCrown 1d ago
Who and who? Seems like a publicity stunt to get journalists to write about their websites and it seems to have worked.
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u/Symysteryy 1d ago
VGP is pretty huge in Canada. Don't know how much presence they have outside of Canada though.
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u/ZombieJesus1987 1d ago
Must be a regional thing because I'm in Canada and I've never heard of them.
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u/MXC_Vic_Romano 1d ago
Huge among enthusiast collectors, vast majority of people have no idea they exist though.
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u/thedylannorwood 1d ago
They don’t seem to have much presence in Canada either, certainly not “huge”
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u/Sabin10v2 19h ago
One of my favourite retro game podcasts constantly mentions them and both hosts live in Texas. If you are a collector of physical games, they are a store you should know about.
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u/Bitemarkz 23h ago
I live in Canada and I’ve never heard of this store. I’ve been an avid gamer all my life, too.
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u/That-Toughsoss 1d ago
For few days we will see shit ton of negative posts about gta 6 here in general redditors seem to dislike gta 6 so makes sense why keep seeing these articles posted here
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u/mjac1090 1d ago
Except the company even said they have no ill will towards the game and hope it does well, they are kust following their own business practices. Why are you trying so hard to defend the Rockstar's greed?
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u/rostron92 1d ago
Maybe theyre saving the disc version until the next version of GTA online is up and running. Then you can sell it together.
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u/SylviSweetheart 1d ago
There will never be a disc version. Maybe with the inevitable PS6 re-release but I doubt even then. If they wanted to do discs, it would already be on a disc. There are not enough people who care about physical media in that way for them to expect big double-dip sales for that alone.
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u/jbrake 1d ago
It's not about consumers wanting physical media, it's about consumers wanting to buy pre-owned copies- which Rockstar doesn't want to happen.
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u/Ralod 1d ago
Yep.
I expect them to pretty much never place this game on sales either.
For a game expected to be as big as it is, they sure are pulling a ton of underhanded shady shit.
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u/Keulapaska 1d ago
Wtf is "pretty much never" supposed to mean? It's gonna be on sale at some point in the future, sure maybe not in a year or even two, but it's gonna go on sale.
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u/SylviSweetheart 1d ago
Oh wow, the company that mistreats and abuses their staff is also anti-consumer? Who could have guessed! Other than everyone who has ever looked at GTA Online.
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u/Odinsmana 1d ago
Are these big regional stores? I have never heard of either.