December 2019 was extremely successful for GTA 5 Online . Why has the game generated so much money now, as it hasn’t in a long time? We give you an insight.
This is new: The company Superdata has gained deep insights into the revenues of video games through protected sources. They regularly announce in reports which games were particularly successful in the last month.
In December 2019, GTA 5 ranked 4th among console players in terms of the games that generated the most money. This includes sales of the game itself as well as microtransactions.
Superdata writes:
Grand Theft Auto V had its best month since December 2017. The game generated $84.7 million on console and PC, while discounts boosted downloads. Additionally, the release of the content update featuring the Diamond Casino Heist, a follow-up to the very successful “Diamond Casino and Resort” update from July 2019, led to increased spending on premium currencies.
Source: SuperDataresearch.com
What made December 2019 so good for GTA Online?
Here we list the highlights from December 2019 that likely generated a lot of revenue.
Shark Cards are the option for microtransactions in GTA Online. You buy them with real money and then receive digital currency credited in GTA 5 Online. An alternative to grinding to earn digital currency.
The Casino Heist
What is it? After some trailers and leaks GTA Online finally released the Casino Heist on December 12. This is a new heist where you rob the casino that opened in July 2019 after 6 years in the game.
The heist is well-received by many players as it offers many approaches and adapts to different play styles. Players had to wait 2 years for a new heist, and this one hits the mark. It’s clear that the news spread quickly and many players likely returned to GTA Online for this reason.
How did it generate money? In connection with the heist GTA Online gifted its players a free arcade with Twitch Prime. You need this to plan and execute the heist. However, the gifted arcade is located in a remote area – better locations in the downtown area must be purchased for millions of GTA dollars.
So if you wanted to play particularly efficiently and significantly reduce your travel times, you would buy an arcade in the downtown area.
New, cool cars for the casino update
What cars are there? At the start of the casino update, new, expensive cars were introduced to the game. For example, a fire truck costs around 3.3 million GTA dollars. This would correspond to a Shark Card value of €38 if you choose the card with 3.5 million in-game dollars.
How did it generate money? Those who wanted to buy the new content right away and hadn’t grinded enough in-game currency might have reached for their wallets for the new vehicles.
GTA 5 popular on Twitch, attracts attention
Why is the game popular on Twitch? Apart from regular gameplay on Rockstar Games’ servers, some players are on roleplay servers. Well-known streamers like Summit1g regularly stream their adventures on these RP servers, entertaining the players.
GTA 5 Online is often found at the top of the directory on Twitch.TV. Viewers see this and become attentive to the game when searching for streams in the directory. A possible reason for them to buy the game if they enjoy the streams.
Christmas content and offers
What happened at Christmas? During the holidays, GTA Online offered many exciting contents. For instance, players were gifted a remote-controlled mini-tank and rewarded daily with gifts for logging in.
Moreover, a lot of snow fell on the streets of Los Santos. A highlight that players look forward to every year. Because then you can drift particularly well with your high-performance vehicles through the streets. There were quite a few reasons why you should play GTA Online at Christmas 2019.
All this surely brought a lot of attention to GTA 5 and the online mode. Those who became curious and wanted to buy the game also saw it on sale. Grand Theft Auto V regularly appears in sales for a price of around €15.
