The mode is free, but the implementation of in-game microtransactions has meant Rockstar is making money from its 10 million-or-so monthly active users. There were missions, there were raids, there were crews and customisation options players could drop in for a few minutes of chaos, or join much more organised gangs for whole weekends of team-based action. After some technical problems, Rockstar succeeded in creating a highly interconnected take on classic online shooter and MMORPG play forms. Shortly after the original release of GTA V, Rockstar launched GTA Online, a shared multiplayer mode, in which players competed against each for cash and kudos, while cruising the streets of Los Santos. True, there were plenty of concerns about the game’s depiction of women, race and violence, but for many gamers, the thrill of exploring this gargantuan landscape of decadence and destruction outweighed any problematic undertones. The game drew hugely positive reviews for its vast, beautiful open-world environment, its engaging narrative, anarchic humour and its many sub-quests, side-missions and secrets which added life and longevity to the world. Grand Theft Auto V is the latest title in one of the most successful and acclaimed video game franchises of all time. If you look at the current UK games chart, GTA V is at number two, beaten only by Resident Evil 7, released last month. Not only that, but NPD Group sales data shows it was the sixth best-selling game across all formats in 2016.

According to the company’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, the open-world gangster adventure, originally released in 2013, has now sold more than 75m copies.

I n a recent conference call to discuss its latest quarterly financial results, the games publisher Take Two provided some astonishing statistics about Grand Theft Auto V.

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