With just one trailer, 'GTA VI' was enough to meet its first staunch enemy. But it is not an association for the defense of children's rights or anything like that.
It was not even necessary to launch the game to meet the controversy face to face: with just a trailer, ‘GTA VI‘ has been enough to meet its first bitter enemy. But it is not an association for the defense of children’s rights or anything like that, but a person who argues that they have copied his style. In the footage we were able to see, a man with tattoos all over his body appeared talking to the camera, who more than a few Twitter users recognized instantly.
Many immediately identified Lawrence Sullivan, an alternative model in his thirties who has a full face covered in tattoos and green hair. In fact, he calls himself the Florida Joker, as he is known on social networks since he went viral almost by chance 2017. In Rockstar have wanted to pay tribute to him but not too much. That is, they have not made the mistake of passing him as is to pixels, but have made up enough to his creation so that it can not be considered a crime.
Sullivan doesn’t feel the same way, and in a rather bad-ass video he uploaded to TikTok tells the developer that “we need to talk.” “You may have seen that character in GTA VI. They have that character with the tattoos on his face. You guys know who they were inspired by. Me. Just look at me.” The boy has “Joker” written on his forehead, an elongated smile tattooed and “Ha ha ha” written on his cheek, while the game character has “Impenitent” tattooed on his head.
So far, of course, Rockstar hasn’t responded (and may never do so): the trailer has become the most watched trailer in the history of video games and they don’t need extra publicity of any kind. It must be said that Sullivan is also not the most reliable person in the world: he has been arrested several times, the last one in 2022, and if he is looking for a collaboration with the game, in ‘GTA VI’ they should think twice. Maybe you don’t want the Florida Joker to be your public image, after all.
This preview would not be the wonder it is without the constant guitar playing that plays throughout its entire length. And I’m sure you’re wondering… What song is it?
The ‘GTA VI’ trailer is here (even if it was a surprise), the internet has shattered into a thousand pieces, and every frame is being dissected, from the new social networks where you can post in the game to the first playable female character, which, of course, has been met with the usual outcry. But this preview wouldn’t be the wonder it is without the constant guitar riff playing throughout. And surely you’re wondering… What song is it?
The subject is ‘Love is a Long Road,’ by Tom Petty, a legendary American singer and guitarist who passed away in 2017, leaving behind memorable songs like ‘Free Falling,’ ‘Learning to Fly,’ or ‘American Girl’ across around twenty albums that altogether sold 80 million units worldwide. Quite a staggering achievement, I’d say.
You might know him better for being part of the group The Heartbreakers, with whom he released his first album in 1976 when Petty was 26 years old. The musician knew what he wanted to do after personally meeting Elvis Presley fifteen years earlier on the set of ‘Follow Your Dreams’ and after seeing The Beatles for the first time on television. His rhythm evokes the ’60s and ’70s, the era when America moved away from the suburban dream and fell into a considerably darker nightmare.
It’s no wonder then that Rockstar chose it to accompany their trailer. The song, by the way, is from 1989 and came out on his first solo album, ‘Full Moon Fever,’ although originally it was only intended as the B-side of ‘Free Falling.’ Now all that’s left is to wait for 2025 while we hum “We were desperate then to have each other to hold, but love is a long, long road.”
The funny thing is that he did not achieve the feat with sophisticated infiltration programs and years of decrypting code, but with an Amazon Fire Stick… From the hotel where he was in custody for another crime. Genius and figure.
There are people who want their life to be told in a movie because it is too incredible to stay within the parameters of the real world. This is the case of Arion Kurtaj, an 18-year-old kid who hacked Rockstar and managed to show the world a beta version of ‘GTA VI‘. The funny thing is that he did not achieve the feat with sophisticated infiltration programs and years decrypting code, but with an Amazon Fire Stick… From the hotel where he was in custody for another crime. Genius and figure.
Stealing is terrible. Let’s start there, so it doesn’t look like we’re giving wings to anyone. But if we’re going to do it, we’d better do it with class. First of all, Kurtaj was arrested for hacking Nvidia, and the London police, while awaiting trial, put him in a Travelodge hotel to keep him under guard and make sure he didn’t escape. And he did not escape. Another thing is that he used the Amazon Fire Stick for activities very different from watching his favorite series.
Previously, using a keyboard, a smartphone and a mouse, the hacker had managed to break into Revolut, Uber and Microsoft, but the Rockstar thing was something spectacular because he did it… arrested for another crime. Of course, no one can say he wasn’t true to his ideas. What’s more, while downloading ‘GTA VI’ data he still had the badassery to go into Rockstar’s Slack to say hello and say he was an attacker and not a normal employee. And in the meantime, the police were just an arm’s length away. You guys will tell if it doesn’t deserve a movie when all this happens.
In fact, it was this leak that led Rockstar to confirm that a sixth part of ‘GTA‘ was indeed in development, although obviously whatever was released would not be of the final quality. By the way, Kurtaj is still in custody, and it’s easy to imagine that they’ve taken away his ability to get on the Internet, for whatever reason. He might as well attack a bank as tell you that the next game in the saga will take place in Vice City.
In total, Kurtaj released 90 small videos showing all the new features of the game. Game that, by the way, is still locked under twenty keys in Rockstar’s offices, and only small steps are being taken towards it. At the moment, no confirmed date, no trailer, nothing like that. We have to keep waiting. Fortunately we have ‘GTA Online‘ to calm our nerves…
GTA 6 is shown in a new leak, this time showing a police chase in which the protagonist tries to escape from the forces of law.
We are all eagerly awaiting the release of GTA 6. Even without a specific date, we are all hoping it will come out around 2024 or 2025. That doesn’t mean that things aren’t gradually coming to light. After all, last year a generous amount of gameplay footage from the game leaked online, which, although in a very early state, allowed us to have a first glimpse of the most anticipated game of all time. Of course, Take-Two Interactive was quick to make it disappear, but almost a year later, it’s reappearing on the internet. And it shows us some very interesting things.
What does it show us? For example, police chases. With the female protagonist making an appearance, we can see in this short clip how she has to escape from two police cars chasing her closely, not letting her get away so easily. And
The user responsible for leaking all these small videos, which are packed with content—such as a party at a strip club or what appears to be the protagonist’s first hideout—is seeing most of them being taken down from X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, due to copyright claims. This gives legitimacy to the leak, making it seem genuine, although we should exercise caution. Take-Two Interactive might be taking action due to this person’s association with them using the username RockstarGTAVI, and they could consider it as spreading false information. This user is banned now, but we have the screenshot
Whether true or not, this is something yet to be confirmed, and we must remember something important: this is a very early version of the game. GTA VI will look significantly different, and likely better, than what we see in these videos. Therefore, we shouldn’t worry if it doesn’t meet our expectations. Or if we haven’t yet seen all the things that the developers have already confirmed will be included.
Waiting for the news about GTA 6
With that said, it’s expected that GTA 6 will be released sometime in the next year or the following year for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. There are rumors suggesting that it will be showcased at some point during this fall, and if that happens, a 2024 release can be anticipated. Historically, there has been a short time between the announcement of GTA games and their release. Either way, only time will tell what will happen with this highly anticipated game.
GTA V has sold over 200 million copies and that makes its successor a potential video game with hundreds of millions of potential players. No one expects GTA 6 to surpass its aging predecessor, but if it does it would be making history in its sector.
The reality is that fans of the Grand Theft Auto saga have been enjoying running around cities, robbing jewelry stores and becoming the gangsters they always wanted (and which in real life are not cool at all) for more than 25 years. Fans want to know.
GTA 6 and the Miami Grand Prix
And since GTA 6 is not out yet and we only know a few things about it, fans are asking questions about it: what will the expected GTA 6 look like.
One user on Reddit has asked a most interesting question… could we see the new Miami Formula 1 track in the upcoming GTA 6 that is already in development?
“We have seen Formula 1 vehicles in GTA Online with the open wheel update,” the redditor comments.
He continues “with Miami being added to the annual Grand Prix calendar in 2022, and with Miami in the present day, could we see this in a GTA 6 Vice City story mission?”.
And seeing the poster made by the Formula 1 organization itself, it is normal that many people wonder if the new Miami circuit would not have a place in the next GTA 6, which, according to all, will take place in an improved Vice City.
We can’t stop thinking, patiently, how Rockstar will have improved its open world ten years later
It is the most anticipated game of the decade. After the success of ‘GTA V’, the second best-selling video game in history (only behind ‘Minecraft’), we can’t stop thinking, while we are filled with patience, about how Rockstar will have improved its open world ten years later. Especially after the giant leap they took with ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’, which can serve as an indicator of the future of ‘Grand Theft Auto’.
There are as many ‘GTA’ players as there are copies sold. There are those who just want to complete the missions and the story, those who go straight to the online mode to get into mischief, those who use it as a way to vent their anger and, of course, those who even relax by driving back and forth with the occasional shootout. The more possibilities there are to enjoy a video game, the better.
Don’t you remember Franklin’s house in ‘GTA V’? Always so lonely, so empty, so un-homey, so, deep down, unreal, at least compared to the Var Den Linde clan camps in ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ that could grow and be customized. Sure, there will always be those who make the joke that ‘GTA’ can become ‘The Sims’ of crime, but if one day you don’t feel like shooting and committing robberies, you will surely appreciate the possibility of turning your adult game into ‘Animal crossing’ for a moment.
After all, in ‘GTA Online’ there are already some scenarios that feel alive and change over time. It is another option: if we cannot personalize our house, at least see how the passage of the missions has made it change together with us. Being able to start in a seedy slum and end up in a mansion, but always have it be our home, without having to move. At this stage of generation, it is the least we can ask.
One of the most beautiful things about Rockstar’s Western game was to see how, little by little, the houses that were initially just scaffolding ended up being built, we will be able to go through and see setbacks in the meantime, including some constructions that will remain unfinished. Why not take it to ‘GTA VI’? Businesses that open and close, places that are demolished and rebuilt, blood that does not come out of the asphalt… The passage of time reflected not only in safe houses, but in life itself.
After all, there are few things better than turning on your console and feeling like you’re part of the game. There’s no need for everything to revolve around you: the fact that each non-playable character has his or her own separate story makes it more interesting, more beautiful, more engaging, more unique. It would be strange if, after the attention to detail of ‘Red dead redemption 2’, its big sister didn’t follow in its footsteps. Fortunately, there’s less and less time left to check it out…
Puede que una década después de la última entrega los jugones quieran probar otras cosas.
Podemos estar esperando ‘Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’, ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ o ‘Spider-man 2’ como agua de mayo, pero todos sabemos cuál es el juego que va a copar más titulares desde el momento en que se anuncie de forma oficial: ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’. Después de que su quinta parte vendiera 175 millones de copias dando un beneficio de 6.000 millones de dólares a Rockstar, parece que la productora está mimando cada detalle para que nadie se quede con las ganas. Y sin embargo… puede que una década después de la última entrega los jugones quieran probar otras cosas.
Dos años después de que ‘San Andreas’ revolucionara la industria, ‘Saints Row’ se lanzó a la venta como un simple clon. Una copia a mano alzada y no con papel cebolla, pero copia al fin y al cabo. Sin embargo, introducía un tema que ‘GTA’ abandonaría en sus siguientes entregas: la pertenencia a una banda. Mientras que la saga de Rockstar trataba la historia de un lobo solitario metido en un mundo criminal (por gusto o por salvar el pellejo), la de THQ tenía otro enfoque.
A partir de ‘Saints Row 3’ las cosas cambiaron sobremanera. Y es que, de repente, explotó la locura, la comedia, las situaciones inverosímiles, el ambiente más festivo. Mientras que en ‘GTA V’ veíamos una historia de crimen y venganza oscura y sin redención (que no le importó a nadie), en ‘Saints Row IV’ tu personaje, el mismo que en los juegos anteriores, conseguía superpoderes, se convertía en el presidente de los Estados Unidos y tenía que parar un ataque alien. Lo mismito, vamos.
Y por si te quedabas corto, ‘Saint Row: Gat out of hell’, su DLC, te permitía jugar con dos miembros de la banda mientras trataban de rescatar a su jefe del Infierno después de que Satán le secuestrara. Y ojo, nadie está diciendo que ‘GTA’ tenga que convertirse en un absurdo repleto de locuras dejando de lado su ADN, pero, para ser sinceros, a lo largo de ‘GTA Online’ también ha cambiado lo suficiente como para preguntarnos… Realmente, ¿qué es ‘GTA’?
¿Tiene personalidad propia ‘GTA’?
Aún poco sabemos de ‘GTA VI’, pero ante la recepción del modo historia de la quinta parte (espectacular en lo jugable, increíble en lo gráfico, decepcionante en lo narrativo), que, de hecho, ni siquiera ha lanzado un DLC, es posible que el equipo esté mirando más lo que hace la comunidad en el modo online para ajustar uno de los juegos más esperados de la década hasta el límite.
Dicho de otra manera: ni tan serio y apocado como viene siendo habitual, ni tan cómico y loco como en ‘Saints Row’. La idea de volver a jugar como un lobo solitario, teniendo la posibilidad de unirse a una banda, se hace ya repetitiva: al fin y al cabo, en el juego de Deep Silver la pertenencia a un grupo sirve para ver una evolución real y unos personajes que evolucionan juego a juego, creando conexión con el espectador. Si en un ‘GTA’ no funcionan, no hay nada que te haga volver a ellos.
Quizá no hay que abandonar la historia del criminal solitario que se enfrenta a los peces gordos, pero sí darle más profundidad, permitir que el jugador haga locuras si es lo que quiere… O darle la oportunidad de tener más contacto con otros personajes secundarios. ‘GTA’ pavimentó el camino para el triunfo de ‘Saints Row’, pero ahora puede que cambien las tornas: Rockstar ha creado dos juegos totalmente diferentes en uno mismo, y volver a la sobriedad de su historia cuando han acostumbrado al público a la sinvergonzonería del modo online puede ser una pastilla difícil de tragar.
Eh, montemos una banda
El camino que se abre delante de Rockstar no es fácil de seguir y está repleto de bifurcaciones para entender qué es realmente su saga estrella una década después de su última aparición. Incluso franquicias míticas como ‘Zelda’ se han ido adaptando poco a poco a los gustos de la gente para encontrar un nuevo ADN (de mazmorreo a mundo abierto) y la repetición constante, por muy espectacular que sea, solo va a dar lugar a, tarde o temprano, el abandono de los gamers.
Todo lo que sube no tiene por qué bajar, pero Rockstar necesita, quizá, echar un vistazo a esos mal llamados “clones” y ver si lo que proponen tiene sentido más allá de los coches, las pistolas, los tiroteos y todo lo que hace a ‘GTA’ la franquicia millonaria que es. Es un ejercicio de abandono del ego, pero puede dar lugar a aquello con lo que todos los desarrolladores de videojuegos sueñan: una nueva entrega que sepa a lo mismo de siempre pero tenga las suficientes novedades como para querer volver a pasar por caja otra vez. Y otra. Y otra más.
A decade after the last installment, gamers may want to try other things.
We may be waiting for ‘Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’, ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ or ‘Spider-man 2’ as if we were waiting for May, but we all know which game is going to make headlines from the moment it is officially announced: ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’. After its fifth part sold 175 million copies giving a profit of 6 billion dollars to Rockstar, it seems that the producer is pampering every detail so that no one is left wanting. And yet… a decade after the last installment, gamers may want to try something else.
Two years after ‘San Andreas’ revolutionized the industry, ‘Saints Row’ was released as a simple clone. A freehand copy and not with onion paper, but a copy nonetheless. However, it introduced a theme that ‘GTA’ would abandon in its following installments: gang membership. While Rockstar’s saga dealt with the story of a lone wolf in a criminal world (for fun or to save his skin), THQ’s had another approach.
From ‘Saints Row 3’ onwards, things changed a lot. Suddenly, madness, comedy, implausible situations, and a more festive atmosphere exploded. While in ‘GTA V’ we saw a story of dark crime and revenge without redemption (which nobody cared about), in ‘Saints Row IV’ your character, the same as in the previous games, got superpowers, became the president of the United States and had to stop an alien attack. The same thing, come on.
And if that wasn’t enough, ‘Saint Row: Gat out of hell’, its DLC, allowed you to play with two members of the gang as they tried to rescue their boss from Hell after Satan kidnapped him. And mind you, no one is saying that ‘GTA’ has to become an absurdity full of craziness leaving aside its DNA, but, to be honest, over the course of ‘GTA Online‘ it has also changed enough to ask ourselves… Really, what is ‘GTA’?
Does ‘GTA’ have its own personality?
We still know little about ‘GTA VI’, but given the reception of the story mode of the fifth part (spectacular in gameplay, incredible in graphics, disappointing in narrative), which, in fact, has not even released a DLC, it is possible that the team is looking more at what the community does in the online mode to adjust one of the most anticipated games of the decade to the limit.
In other words: neither as serious and demure as usual, nor as comical and crazy as in ‘Saints Row’. The idea of returning to play as a lone wolf, having the possibility of joining a gang, is already repetitive: after all, in Deep Silver’s game, belonging to a group serves to see a real evolution and characters that evolve game by game, creating a connection with the viewer. If they don’t work in a ‘GTA‘, there’s nothing to bring you back to them.
Maybe we shouldn’t abandon the story of the lone criminal taking on the big shots, but we should give it more depth, allow the player to do crazy things if that’s what he wants… Or give him the opportunity to have more contact with other secondary characters. GTA’ paved the way for the triumph of ‘Saints Row’, but now the tables may turn: Rockstar has created two totally different games in one, and returning to the sobriety of its story when they have accustomed the public to the shamelessness of the online mode can be a hard pill to swallow.
Hey, let’s start a band
The road ahead for Rockstar is not easy to follow and is full of bifurcations to understand what its flagship saga really is a decade after its last appearance. Even mythical franchises like ‘Zelda‘ have gradually adapted to people’s tastes to find a new DNA (from dungeon crawling to open world) and constant repetition, no matter how spectacular, is only going to result in, sooner or later, abandonment by gamers.
Everything that goes up doesn’t have to come down, but Rockstar needs, perhaps, to take a look at those misnamed “clones” and see if what they propose makes sense beyond the cars, guns, shootouts and everything that makes ‘GTA’ the million-dollar franchise that it is. It’s an exercise in ego abandonment, but it may lead to what all game developers dream of: a new installment that tastes like the same old thing but has enough new features to make you want to go back to checkout again. And another one. And another one.
There are those who do not stop theorizing about how the end of Grand Theft Auto should be in its online version.
For an MMO to last for a couple of years is normal, but for it to be still going strong a decade later is almost a miracle considering the new features that come out almost every day. But of course, when that MMO is called GTA Online, things change. The problem is that players are already glimpsing GTA VI on the horizon, and, with it, they smell the expiration date. Maybe that’s why there are those who do not stop theorizing about how the end of Grand Theft Auto should be in its online version.
Fanfiction, but well done
A user on Reddit has imagined what the perfect ending would look like, and what might seem like a second-rate fanfic would actually be a nice ending to GTA. Bloody and full of gunfire, but a nice ending nonetheless. In it, your character would have become one of those big shots who own yachts and drink luxury brand coffee… And, of course, he’d be a target.
But who would want a piece of the pie? “The noise is coming from Vice City, and San Andreas, boss. They’re all coming for you.” Luckily, the player would have all the allies on his side. Franklin, Imani, Lester, Paige, Agent 14, Pavel, Tony and Chops. Even Lester and Trevor from the GTA V story would show up to help you save your ass one last time. “I heard you needed some unpredictable madness in the traditional style. Let’s go fuck some people up.”
The user’s idea ends there, but there’s still the finishing touch that someone adds in the comments: what if the person responsible isn’t Merryweather or anyone from Liberty City, but a new character from GTA VI? It would unite all the concepts… Although we’ll have to see what Rockstar, which for the moment has said nothing officially about the release date of GTA VI nor its (sure) online companion, has up its sleeve. It’s possible that we still have a few GTAO updates left!
