Historically the PC release of Grand Theft Auto has come sometime after the arrival of the game on console, as developer Rockstar contends with the additional complications of releasing on that platform and seeks to maximise their revenue.
After all the PC opens up a lot more potential complications, with private servers and bespoke experiences created by players that go far beyond anything the console is usually capable of.
It seems that even the bigwigs over at Rockstar are preparing for a world where the PC is the dominant force in gaming, if it isn't already, even if that does make their lives a little bit more tricky moving forward.
Rockstar, Take-Two prioritising PC Releases
As first reported by Eurogamer, via a conversation that took place during CNBCs Squawk Box, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick weighed in on the PC market and the gaming ecosystem more generally.
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"I think [the industry is] moving towards PC, and business is moving towards open rather than closed," Zelnick said.
"But if you define console as the property, not the system, then the notion of a very rich game that you engage in for many hours that you play on a big screen - that's never going away,"
Zelnick also took the opportunity to weigh in on the mobile market, which has often proved divisive amongst players, despite so many of us using them to play games.
"Mobile, of course, is taken with you, it's repeatable, and it's enjoyable," Zelnick said.
"And I do think because it appeals to the broadest possible audience, it will probably continue to grow more rapidly."
Mobile gaming has become a more compelling offering since the advent of viable cloud systems and the ability to plug in controllers and the other hardware accessories.
As with many of these things it seems Rockstar's motivations may be rooted in potential revenue, as during a recent earnings call Zelnick confirmed that he expects mobile market income for the company to increase by 10% in the next quarter.
The good news about the company's thinking on the PC market is that they will likely want to get the next GTA out on the platform relatively soon after the game's launch.
Though they will definitely want to keep them separate in order to generate more income, we might not have to wait quite as long this time around to start creating big projects that require the infrastructure of the PC.
So Whatever you think, the 'Console Wars' are not over, they're merely changing.
Topics: GTA 6, Rockstar Games