Predictably, the Grand Theft Auto VI “extended look” which premiered on Netflix last week was a success for all involved. The 30-minute preview scorched to No 1 on the viewing chart and even brought the site down for a few minutes as millions of gamers tried to watch what was, effectively, a very long teaser trailer. According to data collated by Eurogamer, more than 9,000 Twitch streamers covered the show leading to 5,227,798 hours of viewing there alone.
And this was just the beginning of what will surely be two months of escalating hype – and unprecedented media attention. Call me cynical, but I suspect the coverage of GTA VI in the media over the next few weeks will follow a familiar pattern. Mostly, it will be five-minute slots wedged in near the end of news bulletins in which games journalists, industry analysts and other pundits will be asked why the game is such a big deal, how much it cost to make and how much revenue it will generate.
Perhaps a few will try to reignite the hoary old “violence in video games” debate, there will be presenters laughingly admitting they’ve not touched a game since Pac-Man, rolling their eyes and wallowing in their ignorance, in a way they never would while discussing any other art form. Somebody will venture the subversive view that “games are no longer just for kids”; somebody else will say “games make more money than films and music put together”. And that will be that, job done for another decade … or until there’s a funny story about Pokémon.
I hope, at least, the BBC, which employs plenty of staff who understand video games, will make time in its schedule to take a good look at GTA VI – its themes and influences, its creators, its place in the wider culture of games and entertainment. Sure, arts coverage on BBC television has been in decline for years, with the broadcaster shifting this content to digital platforms, but I saw plenty of in-depth analysis of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, looking at the quality of its translation, its depiction of female characters, its use of practical effects. I didn’t see a single presenter shrugging, looking comedically bewildered and admitting they’d not read Homer since secondary school.
On top of this, whatever mainstream media attention GTA VI does get it will come at the expense of covering other titles. Because, when the next video game story comes up in the wake of Rockstar’s behemoth, TV and radio editors and producers will be thinking, “Oh, we covered games last month.” The thing is, GTA is a phenomenon – it looks gorgeous, it looks vast, and it will sell many millions of copies. The series’ notoriety transcends the medium.
But is it the most interesting video game since GTA V? So much has changed since then. We’ve explored the fascinating, innovative open worlds of Elden Ring, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and No Man’s Sky (an open galaxy!); we’ve seen brutal adult themes explored in The Last of Us: Part 2 and Silent Hill; we’ve experienced dizzying narrative innovations via Disco Elysium, Split Fiction and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
