There is certainly no doubt that Rockstar is great video game developer (My personal favourite) and their games are all very well received. The addition of GTA Online along GTA V was not an exception. GTA online has been receiving regular updates (at least on the next generation consoles and PCs) and DLCs free of cost. But are these DLCs really free? I believe not.
Everything going on with Grand Theft Auto Online as of late could make one wonder if priorities have shifted in the worst possible way. Have Rockstar’s priorities shifted from making great games to make most out of their loyal fans? Pondering over the addition of the so-called ‘Shark Cards’, it does seem very likely. It appears as if money is becoming their main priority, instead of delivering a full gaming experience that enhances the story and player experience. That being said, note that there have been no major releases by Rockstar since 2013(the year they introduced microtransactions), contrary to the past decade.
Cash Cards, or popularly known as Shark Cards are a form of microtransaction available in Grand Theft Auto Online. Named after various types of sharks, and using the in-game “Shark” branding, each card offers a different level of in-game money (GTA$).
A $100 of real life money gives you $8 million of in-game cash. Even with such high price, you can’t even buy a fully customised yacht, which comes near $10 million. The most expensive car, the X-80, comes at around $2.8 million. Looking at the sky-high prices of vehicles in the game, the cash cards do not appear to provide value for money.
In order to make things even worse, GTA Online recently introduced Smuggler’s Run DLC. You engage in smuggling activities and obtain some vehicles, just the typical sort of DLC. The worst part is the amendment made to the insurance mechanic. Unlike earlier, people who have their vehicles blown up also have to pay some of the replacement fees and wait for a new one.
Earlier, if someone was trying to cause trouble for other players by blowing up their vehicles, insurance would make them have to pay a fee as punishment. You’d have to wait for your item to be restored. Now, you have to pay too. Say you have a helicopter and it is blown up by someone else. You now have to pay GTA$1,000 and wait for the cooldown.
A $1000 of in-game money is a lot for the one who has earned it via missions and heists. While on the other hand, it costs nothing to someone who buys Shark Cards. This is, I believe, promoting the people who buy Shark Cards to commit vices against fellow players.
On the contrary, some people welcome this change and consider Cash Cards ‘necessary’ for the further development of the game. Rockstar has earned more than $2 billion from GTA V and the sales are still high. They might be milking the cash cow for too long.
That being said, I sincerely look forward to Red Dead Redemption 2.
Register with us for the best in gaming, and join us for video game discussions on our forums.
