I wish I knew an intelligent hardcore fan of the series so they could articulate what they see in it. I doubt Noah Gervais is going to cover it anytime soon.

3 was ground breaking with the level of violence and huge 3D map. Vice City and San Andreas immersed me in unique settings (80s and black criminal cultures).

I didn't really see any element that intrigued me for 4 and 5. I had the same kind of assumption as you: just more of the same. I didn't have a PC psycho enough to run the games nor a console, so that played a big factor on my decision to skip those titles.

Listened to Schreier's podcast and indeed, they explicitly avoided giving sales numbers, which to me is a bit strange. However in their earnings call they reported smth like 1 billion in revenue, and, while I wasn't clear on whether it's everything or just GTA6, that would still mean people placed anywhere between 5-14 million preorders. I mean to me it's staggering that so many would preorder a game without seeing a single non-cgi frame, no preorder bonus and no physical release, but to each their own.

It's because games are cheap compared to many alternatives that people would use to entertain themselves. They are one of the cheapest forms of entertainment when you consider how much time people spend interacting with them. An Uber and a night at a bar, or a dinner for two at a steakhouse could cost more.

I'm not very consumerist, but grew up poor by US standards (and am honestly on my way back). A lot of people seem to want at least some nice things. Sneakers, nice clothes, nails, hair; whatever they're into. I think it helps distract them, or gives them something to look forward to. Part of it may also be that society seems to conflate a persons worth with their income and possessions, and that has been internalized.

Guessing one of two factors, or a combination.

• People seek escapism in hard times. 1930's America was going through the Great Depression, but it was also the start of the Golden Age of Hollywood. People still turned out to go to the movies despite the bread lines and poverty. And people will still buy games if they can squeeze it in the budget, even if there are maybe more "responsible" purchases they could make.

• GTA players probably don't buy as many games. There are gamers who will engage with the medium across dozens of titles catering to various interests. And then there are "gamers" whose entire scope of gaming is some combination of FIFA, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. When you only buy 1 or 2 games a year, sinking $100 on each doesn't seem as unreasonable as buying 10 games per year at $40.

I’d pay a $100 for a game I thought was worth that much. I’m not paying a greedy corp $100 just bc they’re bold enough to set that price.

I am steadfastly resolved to never preorder anything ever again.

Common clay of the earth

You assume that GTA Online will be part of the 100 Dollar purchase. Isn't it going to be a separate game now?

With how much money they're trying to get up front, I wouldn't be surprised if the game sucks

I also want to see what DRM they sneak in, how much micro transactions and subscriptions they add, and whatever other evils they think of.

If you know you are going to buy it regardless why not just do it now

People can cancel if they see gameplay they don’t like