If you are Rockstar why not sell GTA 6 directly to pc gamers and bypass Steam?

F

FMX

Member
That way you keep all the profits for yourself. No 30 percent off the top. This game doesn't need Steam. Not every game can do this. They definitely have the resources to do this.
 
They technically already did something like that with RDR2 PC release, since it first launched on the Rockstar Launcher and EGS, then got its Steam release about a month later.
 
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They do that already. And their launcher stinks. They will set it there exclusively for a while and then put it on Steam like they did with RDR2.

Looking for triple dippers.
 
Wouldn't surprise me. They're already leaning into subscriptions. I expect GTA Online's next iteration to be a forever game that could practically be a platform like Fortnite is.

Seems a bit ridiculous to make a PC version and give up that much money to a company that does basically nothing for them.
 
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I would guess because overall it would cost them the 30% or more to create and maintain their own service.

Steam has build in the ability to send a big pop up directly to all users on the days leading up to, on and after launch saying PREORDER NOW/OUT NOW/BUY NOW.

Thats a comically direct form of advertising that they couldn't do unless they convinced everyone to preinstall their own launcher, which again, would require significant investment to develop, maintain and advertise.

Look at EGS, propped up by a pretty large and very profitable company wanting to directly compete with Steam and it still lacks basic features years later.
 
FMX said:
That way you keep all the profits for yourself. No 30 percent off the top. This game doesn't need Steam. Not every game can do this. They definitely have the resources to do this.
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They got special deal with steam, definitely not paying 30% reoyality like most other devs, on top they are smart, they know steam is life so ofc they will sell game on steam too, on top of selling from their own
 
FMX said:
That way you keep all the profits for yourself. No 30 percent off the top. This game doesn't need Steam. Not every game can do this. They definitely have the resources to do this.
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why not tell valve to go s a d and offer them 10% to have your game on their platform?
 
Guilty_AI said:
I might buy it if there's a GOG version
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Rockstar will never release a GOG version. The only way to get it DRM free is to get a PS5 physical release. Rockstar Playstation physical releases usually let you play the full game without day one patch.
 
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I'm down
image.jpg
 
Limiting where people can buy the game doesn't increase sales.
Loosing sales impacts future revenue from ongoing monetization.

And unless this has changed, Steam takes less the better a game sells and has for a while.
www.theverge.com

Valve’s new Steam revenue agreement gives more money to game developers

An unprecedented change to Valve’s financial agreement with game makers
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com
Steam parent company Valve announced a new revenue split for its online video game marketplace late Friday evening, with the change in its distribution agreement giving developers more money as the number of unit sales increases. Normally, Valve takes around 30 percent of all game sales on Steam, with some exceptions for games from smaller developers in its Steam Direct program. That will remain the case for the first $10 million in sales a game maker or publisher earns. For all sales between $10 million and $50 million, the split goes to 25 percent. And for every sale after the initial $50 million, Steam will take just a 20 percent cut.
Click to expand...

This is more then likely a negotiable percentage for a game like Grand Theft Auto 6.
 
Bernkastel said:
You don't get it. Rockstar would make everyone the PS5 version. Then make everyone by the PS6 version after that. Maybe even a Switch 2 version. After drying everyone's wallet, a PC version.
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These people who buy multiple copies just for the story are stupid. The irony is the internet makes it acceptable when in reality far from it.
 
Bernkastel said:
You don't get it. Rockstar would make everyone the PS5 version. Then make everyone by the PS6 version after that. Maybe even a Switch 2 version. After drying everyone's wallet, a PC version.
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No, you don't say?
No seriously i get it, get as much money as possible. Maximizing your profit.
 
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Bernkastel said:
You don't get it. Rockstar would make everyone the PS5 version. Then make everyone by the PS6 version after that. Maybe even a Switch 2 version. After drying everyone's wallet, a PC version.
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But to take the OP's idea to it's logical conclusion - why not release on PC on their own store first then months later launch on steam/ consoles?
The answer is the same - because even GTA needs the hype to sell copies.
 
Steam has a tiered structure. Quick google:

Steam's revenue cut percentage decreases the more a game sells. This tiered system is designed to give a more favorable split to highly successful titles.

The revenue share structure is as follows:
  • 30% cut for sales up to $10 million USD in total revenue.
  • 25% cut for sales between $10 million and $50 million USD. This reduced rate applies only to the sales revenue within this tier.
  • 20% cut for all sales revenue after the initial $50 million USD has been earned
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So to answer the question, GTA brings in billions. Rockstar is not paying 30%, but 20% for the majority of it. And that's assuming they don't get any sweetheart deals from Valve on top of that.
 
Steam has practically been the "standard" for PC gaming for a long time. That being said, there have been plenty of PC games that were sold outside of Steam.
 
FMX said:
That way you keep all the profits for yourself. No 30 percent off the top. This game doesn't need Steam. Not every game can do this. They definitely have the resources to do this.
Click to expand...

Because many PC players are special, you know. If they can't just make the publisher give Gaben the 30% of their game they just don't want anything to do with that game, even if it's the most awaited ever.
 
The Rockstar Social Club is terrible. I would rather not play GTA6, than have to deal with that crap again.
Just put it on Steam and don't force a second launcher.
 
winjer said:
The Rockstar Social Club is terrible. I would rather not play GTA6, than have to deal with that crap again.
Just put it on Steam and don't force a second launcher.
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In all seriousness, I'm not touching GTA6 with a bargepole as it stands. If it was on Steam without R*'s rubbish launcher there would at least be a chance I would pick it up on sale one day.

As it stands R* games are in the "No thank you" category with EA and Ubisoft.
 
They'll probably do what they did with RDR2 and delay the Steam launch by a month. Plus a game like GTA will quickly reach the 20% threshold which isn't terrible. And that 20% includes payment processing, bandwidth and other stuff.
 
Just put it on Steam, but offer competition by selling it without the 30% store fee on your own site. I suspect people will still just buy it on Steam.
 
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