Why the next Grand Theft Auto game won't be budget-friendly

With GTA V reigning as one of the best-selling video games of all time, its successor is expected to be a significant step up, but Zelnick's comments suggest that fans should brace for a potential premium pricing model reflective of the game's ambition and technological advancements.

So, what does this all mean? Will GTA 6 be more expensive or cheaper? Well, that depends on how you look at it. But, a simple the truth is that Zelnick is stressing that the resultant savings wouldn't translate into lower prices for consumers. Instead, he suggested that increased efficiency would simply elevate the industry standard, pushing developers to aim higher and create more ambitious projects. This strategy, according to Zelnick, positions Take-Two as an industry leader in creativity, innovation, and efficiency, but it also sets the stage for a highly competitive environment, particularly for smaller developers lacking the resources of a heavyweight like Take-Two.

Think of it like the internet, and eventually, social media, over the past two decades. Both of these advancements gave a lot of start-ups a fighting chance against the established giants, while the latter used the opportunities presented to them with the advancing technologies to explore other venues.

At the end of the day, AI use, while not necessarily resulting in a "cheaper" game, helps guarantee that developers don't get burned out focusing on menial tasks so that they can spend more time working on other aspects where human ingenuity remains irreplaceable.

Perhaps the better question here is, how much more will GTA 6 cost compared to its predecessors?

Keep in mind that Rockstar Games hasn't released a next-gen title yet. Its most recent project, the ever-controversial remaster of Red Dead Redemption for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch, was sold for $49.99, which drew flack for being too expensive for what was effectively a low-effort release. Nevertheless, Take-Two defended its pricing and the numbers spoke plenty of how gamers will never mind throwing money at their screens for a Rockstar title.

Earlier this year, there were talks that Rockstar could sell GTA 6 for above the industry standard of $70, which isn't a bad idea. A base price of $79.99 for the GTA 6 wouldn't be a total shocker. Rockstar knows its strengths and its market well. It's well aware that the quality of its work is levels above what other studios can offer. It's the reason why GTA 6 is taking so long to make anyway - Rockstar isn't settling for anything less. So, why wouldn't they sell GTA 6 for more than what other current-gen games are selling? It'd be easy for Rockstar to justify an $80 price tag for GTA 6 and millions of fans will defend the developer, especially if GTA 6 delivers.

In an industry where games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 can top the sales charts despite DLC-like content it contains and Blizzard Entertainment is charging a premium for 3-day early access, a $10 bump in the base price for the kind of game that will set a new "creative benchmark" and reportedly cost Rockstar billions to make, is definitely plausible if not probable.