The China Mail - No price shock for 'GTA VI' as gamers gear up for preorders

Predicted to be the biggest-selling cultural product of the year -- and of all time -- speculation had been rife that "GTA VI" would cost players far more than a typical high-end title.

In the end, Rockstar and parent company Take Two Interactive announced a price tag around $10 higher than the average for the base version, at $79.99 in the US, and $99.99 for an "Ultimate" edition with additional content like weapons and vehicles.

Six years of development for "GTAVI" are estimated to have cost up to $2 billion, which had prompted fears it could cost as much as $100.

"If there is one game that can price at $80 without garnering significant player pushback, 'Grand Theft Auto VI' is that game given its massive scale and anticipation," said Andrew Marok of specialist consultancy Raymond James.

Rockstar has not said how much the game will cost outside the US.

Players who preorder from midnight local time on Thursday will be able to download "GTA VI" a week before its official publication -- but will not be able to run the game on their console until the release date.

- Disk disappointment -

Fans of the "GTA" series, with roots in 1997, have been waiting 13 years for a new instalment since 2013's "GTA V", whose 230 million copies moved made it the second-best-selling game in history after "Minecraft".

Finally getting his hands on the game "doesn't exactly feel like a real thing that would ever happen", said Red Young, a 26-year-old Scotsman who helps run fan site GTABase.

"Knowing that we've got here... and I'm actually going to be able to play it, is borderline a miracle," he added.

Anticipation was only stoked by successive delays: first from autumn 2025 to May this year, and next to November.

Some players were nevertheless shocked to learn that physical copies sold at retailers would contain a redeemable download code -- likely meaning there will be no disc containing the game data.

There were grumbles on social media that the lack of a physical disk would eliminate any second-hand market for the title.

But these days around 80 percent of game sales on PlayStation and 90 percent on Xbox are digital versions delivered over the internet, according to specialist firm Niko Partners.

"The full launch including pre-orders will be the biggest entertainment launch ever... bigger than any movie, TV series, music concert or album," said Piers Harding-Rolls of the UK-based data firm Ampere Analysis.

Analysts at the investment bank Piper Sandler expect around 45 million copies to move before the game is even released.

- Courting controversy -

That should put "GTA VI" on track to top the record for the fastest cultural product to make a billion dollars in sales, set by its predecessor, "GTA V", in barely three days.

Although millions of fans have been kept busy with the multiplayer version "GTA Online", the anticipation for a true successor has been fierce.

The "GTA" saga's action-adventure titles set in a sprawling open world have immersed players in high-definition imaginary cities heavily inspired by American metropolises.

This instalment's Bonnie and Clyde-style protagonists will roam Vice City, a fictional version of Miami.

Each game offers players a huge degree of freedom to either carry out missions that advance the plot, or simply to explore the world on foot or at the controls of a fleet of vehicles -- with the option to explode into guns-blazing criminal mayhem at any time.

Story missions often involve illegal activity ranging from burglary to murder and drug trafficking.

The focus on crime has created long-running controversy around the series, with some critics warning about its impact on young gamers.

All of its titles are rated for players aged 18 and over under Europe's PEGI classification system.

U.Feng--ThChM