Quick, name the biggest videogame launch of all time. Minecraft? Black Ops? One of them there Mario Karts? Wrong answers, all. It’s obviously Grand Theft Auto 6. What do you mean it’s not out yet? What’s that got to do with anything?
That’s what Rockstar thinks, anyway. The studio’s been spotted (by The GTA Base on X) counting its chickens before they’ve hatched in a recent job posting for a lead software engineer.
“With the continued growth of Grand Theft Auto Online and the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6,” Rockstar prognosticates that “the successful candidate will lead both the evolution and operation of the data platform supporting what will be the largest game launch in history, ensuring it scales to deliver an exceptional experience for millions of players worldwide.”
Now, look, don’t get me wrong. Predicting that GTA 6 will be the biggest videogame ever feels a little like predicting the Sun will rise in the east and set in the west, but I can’t help but find it amusing that Rockstar is willing to talk about it like it’s already established fact a full seven months out from the game’s release. It’s like hubris out of Greek myth: Sam Houser standing on a mountaintop and daring the gods to smite him.
It’s also more than a little out of tune with what Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two, has been saying in recent interviews. Nary one month ago I told you that Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said he was “running scared,” and that “arrogance is the enemy of continued success.” Does calling your game the biggest launch of all time before it’s even out count as arrogance? I feel like it does, even when, sure, it’s almost certainly gonna be true.
I guess you can’t blame Rockstar for getting a big head about things. GTA 5 is estimated to be one of the most profitable entertainment products of all time, and its online mode makes half a billion dollars a year despite being perpetually on fire. Then again, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
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