Well it is that time of year again. Spring is finally really here, and kids are getting antsy because school is coming to an end. As I have mentioned, I teach the Promoting and Managing ITHACON Class at Ithaca College, and we have developed a bit of a tradition that ties this column to the class.
Each year, I ask the students to submit a column on pop culture as if they were the author of this space. The crack editorial staff at PCS pours over the submissions and selects a winner, and they get published on this website. (The fact that it gives me a couple of weeks break right after Ithacon is of no concern to anyone but me.)
Anyway we have decided that we will publish two columns this year. The first one is the runner-up and the winner will be posted next week.
Just a reminder the first year we did this, there were two columns published Anthony Hernandez and Tyler Jennes. Last year we published three winners: Jordan Green, Maya Lewis, and Caleigh Clarke.
The runner-up of this year’s fill-in columnist contest is Tyler Haraden and his lament for the lack of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Will we ever see Grand Theft Auto VI?
Guest Columnist Tyler Haraden – Ithaca College
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is one of the greatest gaming titles ever released. Developed by the famous game development company, Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto can be traced back to its first game of the series, Grand Theft Auto One, released back in 1997. Since the release of GTA One, we have seen many great games including Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Four, Grand Theft Auto Vice City, and more.
However, in 2013, Grand Theft Auto Five (GTA V) would be released by Rockstar Games and completely change the gaming world forever. For 9 years, GTA V has had a consistent player base with tens of millions of players all around the world. Yes, you read that correctly, NINE years Grand Theft Auto V has been on top of the gaming scene. While this does not come as much of a surprise since the game is very fun, gamers are wondering if they will get the chance to play a new Grand Theft Auto title before they turn 100 years of age.
I can remember coming home from school when I was thirteen years old and flipping on my Xbox 360 to continue my quest to complete the entire GTA V campaign. There truly was nothing more enjoyable than virtually stealing a random civilian’s vehicle before taking the police on a high-speed chase down the busy streets of Los Santos.
Although this was incredibly fun to do for a very long time, you can only steal so many cars before you simply get burnt out of it. Luckily however, Rockstar Games is one of the best, if not the best at releasing new content for their games, and they did not hold back on Grand Theft Auto V. Whether it is releasing small things like new guns, outfits, cars, or side missions, or massive updates like the incorporation of GTA Online Heists, or adding the fully operational Casino into the game, Rockstar makes sure that fans never get bored.
While this is great for a while, after nine years of beating the same dead horse, the game just feels kind of stale and overproduced. It seems as if they are doing everything, they can possibly do except just come out with a new addition to the series, which would be Grand Theft Auto Six!
The newest addition to Grand Theft Auto V Online was GTA+, which is an in-game membership that players pay a monthly fee for. The membership gives players access to in-game benefits like cars, properties, as well as other items. I think that this is a terrible addition to the game and seems like a cash grab. It truly feels like Rockstar is just trying to scrape every penny they can out of GTA V. The worst part about small additions like this is that it will be eaten up by the current player base like usual, and that is exactly why this game has been around for nine years and will probably be around for years to come. GTA V is constantly making money!
I believe that Rockstar Games needs to be thinking about this when it comes to coming out with a new Grand Theft Auto Title. Yes, Grand Theft Auto V is doing very well, which has been the case for almost a decade. But it is time to move on. Rockstar owes it to their fans to come out with Grand Theft Auto Six. The original fans who made Grand Theft Auto what it is today are only getting older. I know that video games have no age limit, but people get busier as they enter the workforce and have less and less time to play games. If Grand Theft Auto Six is pushed back too much farther, Rockstar Games might miss out on a whole generation of players to play this game.
We do not know too much as fans about Grand Theft Auto VI. Rumors have been circling the internet for years about things like when the game might be released, what the new setting of the map will be, how big the map will be and many others. Unless it comes directly from Rockstar Games, it is likely that the rumors are not true. As we approach a decade with Grand Theft Auto V, we can only hope for news to come out about the potential release of GTA VI. Until then, we are stuck with the question of, will I see Grand Theft Auto Six before I reach the age of 100?
