The launch of the action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) this autumn represents a landmark moment in gaming and entertainment. It could also be a big deal for marketers.
In 2013 Grand Theft Auto V became the second-best-selling video game in history — and one of the most financially successful entertainment products of all time — bringing in over $8.5bn in revenue for Rockstar Games. And after waiting 12 years for a sequel, GTA fans are in a frenzy about the new game, creating a big opportunity for marketers that know how to capitalise on the occasion.
The enduring appeal of Rockstar
Rockstar has earned a reputation among gamers as one of the best studios in the industry. It is known for creating immersive worlds that feel lived in, with well-rounded characters and complex and compelling narratives. It is, after all, the studio that created Red Dead Redemption (2010) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), two of the best Western video games of all time.
Testament to the games’ appeal, both Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V continue to top download charts to this day. According to esports.net, over 140m people have played GTA V since its launch, and Steam charts show around 130,000 still play on a monthly basis.
A year ago Rockstar released the first trailer for GTA VI, which has now amassed 234m views and generated close to a million comments. According to a report from the Financial Times, by way of gaming research company DFC Intelligence, pre-orders for GTA VI are predicted to exceed $1bn — with revenues expected to reach $3.2bn within 12 months (double that of the last game).
And just like how rival studios avoid releasing movies at the same time as Marvel films, gaming studios are avoiding Rockstar’s autumn release date. (There’s no exact date yet, but an announcement may come this month.) Indeed, GTA VI will likely be so big that publishers are concerned people won’t play anything else.
Brand opportunities in GTA VI
Entertainment and research company Midia Research has stated that GTA players are a goldmine for marketers and consumer brands. They use social media more hours per week than average users, and more than other gamers. They spend more time per week on other types of media entertainment (TV, podcasts, video and music) as well. And they’re receptive to influencers, as long as they’re the right ones.
Rockstar doesn’t put real ads into its flagship games (just satirical ones), so in-game advertising will likely be off-limits but, as Midia suggests, that still leaves room for unofficial brand activations.
Christian Perrins, head of strategy at fan-first creative agency Waste Creative, whose clients include Sega, Ubisoft and Nintendo, thinks that the best opportunities will be around the launch, rather than the game itself, and he suggests activations that link to the setting of the game — which includes a fictionalised version of Miami called Vice City — are more likely to resonate with audiences.
‘Think about how you can enhance the GTA VI player experience, or take part in the conversation’, he says. ‘Fashion brand? Time for an exclusive Miami-style tropical beachwear range. Pizza company? Time to perfect the Miami Feast deal, with seafood toppings and Key lime pie dessert. Maybe skip the fried alligator.’
In terms of media reach, live streams are a good starting point. GTA V earned 1.4bn hours of Twitch viewing in the past year, according to Twitch analytics service, SullyGnome, and the GTA V Twitch page currently has over 68m followers. ‘Just imagine how big the explosion in streaming will be when VI drops’, says Perrins. ‘Think beyond Twitch and YouTube ads, too — consider partnering with creators in playful, unexpected ways, so that you’re part of the content, not window dressing’, he advises.
Community spaces will also likely see a surge of players coming together to discuss and play the new game. Perrins suggests considering platforms like Reddit, which has a good offering for targeting users and a broad suite of ad formats. The GTA VI Reddit thread already has 1.2m followers, with the general GTA thread at 3.1m people.
Game launch time will also be an opportunity for challenger brands. ‘If 50 to 100 million people have suddenly disappeared to Vice City, you might want to promote your new car by showing how much space there is on the open roads in the real world’, says Perrins. ‘You could also harness the uncertainty about when the game will drop’, he adds. ‘Run a sweepstake to guess the exact day and minute. Neat way to grow your mailing list.’
In general, Perrins’ advice to marketers that wish to capitalise on the launch of GTA VI is to ‘think around the game, its player culture and behaviours, and find unexpected ways to be part of the phenomenon.’