How do you convince millions of people to stop playing their favorite video game?
That’s the big business problem faced by next year’s presumed massive entertainment event of Grand Theft Auto VI — and by extension, the rest of the gaming industry.
A couple of console cycles ago, game players would move almost like a herd. A big AAA game would come out, a significant percentage of the hardcore audience would buy millions of units, and then they’d trade it in and move on to the next one. Games for the first three PlayStation generations were shorter, less connected, lower budget experiences, designed around blockbuster opening week sales and carefully timed marketing campaigns.
The market is so much different now. Retail sales matter far less, and digital stores have brought more games to more people at cheaper prices. As the gaming market has grown and diversified, and as open world adventures and connected online services have found previously unexpected levels of popularity, the once-monolithic audience has now split into several smaller groups.
Users are now just as likely to settle into a single favored title, playing it for years and years alongside their friends, funneling their entertainment…
