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- A former Rockstar developer says there’s a good opportunity to compete with GTA right now.
- Everyone is terrified of the series, making it easier for any daredevil to step up.
- A rival may perform well if it launches in the middle of GTA 6 and Rockstar’s next game.
Challenging GTA has never gone well with studios, causing almost all developers to give up on the subgenre altogether. Once popular contenders, the Watch Dogs and Saints Row franchises have almost entirely fizzled out as Rockstar’s magnum opus continued rising.
However, a former Rockstar North developer believes that this hesitance to rival GTA has opened new doors for any risk-taker to give it a good shot. A well-executed AAA project in a similar niche might perform way better than anyone expects.
Why it matters: If anyone is willing to take the risk, a GTA-like game may compete well with Rockstar’s IP now. While franchises like Cyberpunk and Mafia are already popular, they either focus on different genres or lack scope.
In an interview with GamesHub, former Rockstar North Technical Director Obbe Vermeij claims that a ‘city game’ that launches in the expected eight-year gap between GTA 6 and the rumored Red Dead Redemption 3 can compete well with the franchise.
I would actually say there’s an opportunity because it really is just GTA and everybody else has given up.
-Obbe Vermeij, Ex-Rockstar Developer.
However, it would have to stand out with a unique setting, such as a futuristic one. The location may also impact its reception, since fans have been wanting a GTA-like experience set in Japan or Europe.
I would have thought if you have a city game release in the middle of it [GTA 6 and Next Game] then maybe you could set it in the future or maybe it could be set in Moscow or whatever.
Since GTA is a parody of the US, Rockstar only wants to stick with its popular cities, despite almost choosing a Tokyo setting in the past. This serves as an effective handicap that any future rivals can exploit.
Do you think it is worth it for any gaming studio to challenge GTA’s presence with a similar game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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