Does $500,000 In Virtual Cash Make Up for GTA Online’s Troubles?
Is Rockstar's "stimulus package" an effective apology, or too little too late?
October 11, 2013
by Keza MacDonald
You’ve probably seen that Rockstar announced a “stimulus package” for GTA Online today that will see every player who’s played since launch receive $500,000, ostensibly as compensation for all the troubles of the past (almost) two weeks. It’ll be delivered in two lots of $250,000, direct to players’ bank accounts to prevent what would surely be the most intense shooting-and-looting rampage in any world real or virtual, and the plan is to roll out the first delivery by the end of next week. You can still get in on the deal if you play before the end of October, it seems.
It’s a smart move from Rockstar, which will doubtless be very concerned about the reception that GTA Online has met so far. Its issues have ranged from the inevitable and excusable – server load problems, glitches, initial hiccups with the in-game economy and matchmaking problems – to the flatly inexcusable, like the loss of thousands of players’ in-game characters, progress and expensive property. It’s the second thing that this stimulus package is clearly aimed to address. “For those asking about their lost characters or rank, those will not be able to be restored so we sincerely hope that this cash stimulus we’re giving out this month will help you get back on your feet or to make your new life in Los Santos & Blaine extra sweet,” says Rockstar’s official release.
Newswire spokespeople, but her successor will start out in Los Santos’ criminal underworld rich beyond her wildest dreams. Does that make up for it?
It certainly helps. You’ll still have to spend many hours ranking up to take advantage of this welcome cash injection if you want to buy better cars or guns, but thankfully GTA Online is enormous fun to play when it’s working, and after the latest title update the game is more stable than it’s ever been. I still think I’d rather have my old character back than $500,000, but if the former is an impossibility then the cash is definitely adequate compensation.
I do wonder, though, if this money won’t rather unbalance things – not because players will have disproportionately powerful cars or guns, which isn’t possible without the required rank, but because GTA Online is based around the classic GTA rags-to-riches progression: you arrive with nothing, and through hard, dishonest work you eventually accumulate enough money to buy yourself a mansion and a garage of beautiful cars. That’s the material representation of all your hard work, along with the little number next to your character’s name. Without that motivation, will the hours of racing and shooting that Online offers lose their appeal? I was rather enjoying saving up for a flat. It's nice to feel like you're earning things.
I don’t think they will, largely because that driving and shooting is greatly entertaining and genuinely doesn’t feel like a grind, at least not most of the time. GTA Online’s generic deathmatches and races can start to feel formulaic and a little repetitive after a while, but the open world never does, and without the pressure to make money through winning missions there’s going to be an awful lot more chaos happening in that open world. Instead of spamming the Violent Duct mission for cash (at least before the latest title update adjusted the payout), people will hopefully be putting their money to good use out in Los Santos. It’s not called a Stimulus Package for nothing.
apartments are around $100,000, but the most expensive ones cost $400k – so that’s almost all your money gone right away. Cars – especially the really, really nice ones – cost up to a million, although you can get one of the best for $150k. Helicopters and planes are closer to two million. Realistically, for $500k, you can either get one quite nice car and a quite nice apartment or one really expensive vehicle, or a boat, but not a tank. It’s not going to give everyone oligarchic collections of property and cars immediately.
I’m also certain that GTA Online is going to expand beyond San Andreas sooner rather than later, within the next six months, and the next few title updates are certain to deliver a glut of more expensive things for the most advanced players to lust after. $500k is a leg-up, and it’s a generous offer, but it’s not a game-breaking amount of money.
It's certainly enough to incentivise me to play GTA Online again after losing a character, which I'd guess is this stimulus package's chief objective. Thousands of pissed-off players means thousands of people who might otherwise never have looked at Online again. This is enough to lure them back in, especially as the game is now much more stable and enjoyable to play.
GTA Online has had a rocky start, but it's clear that it has the potential to be something extremely special. It's pretty special already, when it's working. It shouldn't have launched in the state it was in, but in the aftermath of a borderline catastrophic week and a half, this is an effective apology from Rockstar for me. I'm willing to give it another chance.
Is Rockstar's "stimulus package" an effective apology, or too little too late?
October 11, 2013
by Keza MacDonald
You’ve probably seen that Rockstar announced a “stimulus package” for GTA Online today that will see every player who’s played since launch receive $500,000, ostensibly as compensation for all the troubles of the past (almost) two weeks. It’ll be delivered in two lots of $250,000, direct to players’ bank accounts to prevent what would surely be the most intense shooting-and-looting rampage in any world real or virtual, and the plan is to roll out the first delivery by the end of next week. You can still get in on the deal if you play before the end of October, it seems.
It’s a smart move from Rockstar, which will doubtless be very concerned about the reception that GTA Online has met so far. Its issues have ranged from the inevitable and excusable – server load problems, glitches, initial hiccups with the in-game economy and matchmaking problems – to the flatly inexcusable, like the loss of thousands of players’ in-game characters, progress and expensive property. It’s the second thing that this stimulus package is clearly aimed to address. “For those asking about their lost characters or rank, those will not be able to be restored so we sincerely hope that this cash stimulus we’re giving out this month will help you get back on your feet or to make your new life in Los Santos & Blaine extra sweet,” says Rockstar’s official release.
Newswire spokespeople, but her successor will start out in Los Santos’ criminal underworld rich beyond her wildest dreams. Does that make up for it?
It certainly helps. You’ll still have to spend many hours ranking up to take advantage of this welcome cash injection if you want to buy better cars or guns, but thankfully GTA Online is enormous fun to play when it’s working, and after the latest title update the game is more stable than it’s ever been. I still think I’d rather have my old character back than $500,000, but if the former is an impossibility then the cash is definitely adequate compensation.
I do wonder, though, if this money won’t rather unbalance things – not because players will have disproportionately powerful cars or guns, which isn’t possible without the required rank, but because GTA Online is based around the classic GTA rags-to-riches progression: you arrive with nothing, and through hard, dishonest work you eventually accumulate enough money to buy yourself a mansion and a garage of beautiful cars. That’s the material representation of all your hard work, along with the little number next to your character’s name. Without that motivation, will the hours of racing and shooting that Online offers lose their appeal? I was rather enjoying saving up for a flat. It's nice to feel like you're earning things.
I don’t think they will, largely because that driving and shooting is greatly entertaining and genuinely doesn’t feel like a grind, at least not most of the time. GTA Online’s generic deathmatches and races can start to feel formulaic and a little repetitive after a while, but the open world never does, and without the pressure to make money through winning missions there’s going to be an awful lot more chaos happening in that open world. Instead of spamming the Violent Duct mission for cash (at least before the latest title update adjusted the payout), people will hopefully be putting their money to good use out in Los Santos. It’s not called a Stimulus Package for nothing.
apartments are around $100,000, but the most expensive ones cost $400k – so that’s almost all your money gone right away. Cars – especially the really, really nice ones – cost up to a million, although you can get one of the best for $150k. Helicopters and planes are closer to two million. Realistically, for $500k, you can either get one quite nice car and a quite nice apartment or one really expensive vehicle, or a boat, but not a tank. It’s not going to give everyone oligarchic collections of property and cars immediately.
I’m also certain that GTA Online is going to expand beyond San Andreas sooner rather than later, within the next six months, and the next few title updates are certain to deliver a glut of more expensive things for the most advanced players to lust after. $500k is a leg-up, and it’s a generous offer, but it’s not a game-breaking amount of money.
It's certainly enough to incentivise me to play GTA Online again after losing a character, which I'd guess is this stimulus package's chief objective. Thousands of pissed-off players means thousands of people who might otherwise never have looked at Online again. This is enough to lure them back in, especially as the game is now much more stable and enjoyable to play.
GTA Online has had a rocky start, but it's clear that it has the potential to be something extremely special. It's pretty special already, when it's working. It shouldn't have launched in the state it was in, but in the aftermath of a borderline catastrophic week and a half, this is an effective apology from Rockstar for me. I'm willing to give it another chance.
don't even got my broke ass xbox anymore
i only got like 3hunnak in the bank right now so anything is plenty mane. i figure i'll cop a nice whip, new clothes and one of them fancy bicycles since my condo straight for now.
