In short, GTA’s world is as much a playground for user expression as it is an arena for entertainingly mindless violence. But for GTA, the main reason aside from violence is its open world format (23%) with factors such as role playing elements (14%) and character creation (10%) over-indexing against its FPS counterpart. The main reasons why players enjoy COD include competition (31%), use of strategy (16%), and ease of play (14%). This is because each game offers something markedly different for players. While one of the top reasons for players to engage with both games is the chance to indulge in online violence, with 24% of players saying it is their main motivation, each set of fans identifies the other franchise as their favored alternative choice of game.
This is best shown in the comparison between the favored franchises of fans of GTA and fans of Call of Duty (COD). In a field of its own?Īn additional important component to GTA’s success is the fact that it is considered a complementary addition to gaming libraries, rather than a confrontational one.
This can be seen in the number of players who engage with the series on different platforms.
More significantly for GTA V’s continued sales, GTA Online has provided a driver for players to buy new copies of the game. Between October 2015 and October 2016, players responded to Rockstar’s consistent roll-out of new content by spending an estimated $700 million in-game on new weapons, cars, and other gear in GTA Online alone. The effect of GTA Online can be seen in two ways. The mode, which allows players to create their own avatar, indulge in heists with friends, and mess around in Los Santos, overcame initial launch hitches to become a consistent service that players loved. This is almost entirely down to the introduction of one new element to the series shortly after GTA V launched: GTA Online. Despite having a boxed product price tag, players do not believe the franchise has aged badly. When we asked GTA players whether the game has improved since launch, more than 80% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement and only 4% disagreed. Yet these numbers make perfect sense when we consider players’ opinion of the franchise. Take Two’s recent financials showed that the game has now shifted more than 75 million copies worldwide and was bought more times in 2016 than in 2015 or 2014, figures that seemingly defy gravity. Nevertheless, the good health of the GTA franchise is anchored around the extraordinary success of GTA V. As with other highly popular franchises, the series’ popularity is bolstered by the ease with which players can engage with it across platforms, something that is increasingly important in a progressively platform-neutral age. This is important because it shows that GTA has appeal outside of its flagship title. GTA V and GTA San Andreas Multiplayer have been permanent features in the ranking since September 2015 and in January, they held spots #10 and #9, respectively.
Its enduring popularity with PC gamers can be seen in our monthly Top 20 Most Played Core PC Games Ranking. Games like San Andreas, Vice City, and GTA III, which are each available as remasters on PC, console, and mobile, are still the current first choice of 20% of players. This is because older titles in the GTA franchise have been successfully ported to every platform. Although the series is principally played on consoles, 20% of GTA gamers play a GTA game on a PC, 8% on a smart device, and 7% on a dedicated handheld device (for example, the PSP). GTA’s appeal is also not limited to players using a single device. Despite strong showings from the likes of Zelda and Pokémon, GTA’s sky-high ratings have made it the most popular series in the industry. GTA: the most popular franchise in gamingĪs we’ve already mentioned, the Grand Theft Auto franchise is the highest rated franchise out of the 100 franchises we monitor. In addition, GTA as an entire franchise is improving an astonishing 81% of players agree that the franchise still continues to improve over time.īut what is the secret behind its success? And how is the game still selling years after its launch? We took a closer look at our data to find out why. Unsurprisingly, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is the crown jewel in the series and is the most played version of GTA by 63% of its fans. The franchise is also the fifth most played for all gamers and the most popular title among male gamers, with 42% having played it in the last six months. It was rated 8/10 or higher by 82% of its players across the UK, US, Germany, and France and 10/10 by 40% of its players, beating off all the competition across the sector. The Grand Theft Auto franchise is the highest rated in the entire games industry, according to Newzoo’s Game Franchise Consumer Insights service.
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