CNBC ponders a Grand Theft Auto slowdown

[wraggster]

CNBC is wondering if slow sales for The Lost and the Damned and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars are pointing to an overall slowdown for the series. The site points to analysts' estimates that only 1 million of those 13 million who bought GTA IV picked up the first DLC for the game, and to the crummy 89,000 units the DS title moved in March.

We're not sure we're on board with CNBC's theory just yet, though. The market for GTA IV's DLC was already split because of its 360 exclusivity and Chinatown Wars is a hardcore game on what's largely thought of as a casual system. What do you think?

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/cnbc-ponders-a-grand-theft-auto-slowdown/

[havoc_012]

Neither release is a main GTA game. I wouldn't read into it too much.

[irishwhip]

I'd be happy to buy lost and damned if it was available on physical media.

[darthhaze420]

CTW was on the ds most ds owners are not GTA players & as lost & the dammed it took way took long to come out it so if you take that in account that many ppl me included had traded in gta4 way b4 they released lost and the dammed

[ojdon]

Looks like I need to buy the DLC then too boost sales. :P

[royvedas]

I'd be happy to buy lost and damned if it was available on physical media.

Totally agree. I feels "empty" buying DLC. And you know that you can never sell it again.

[booradley1212]

Yeah I agree, buying DLC is throwing money away. Will never do it.

All that aside, I think Rockstar got away from what made the GTA games great with GTA 4. San Andreas to me was a marvel. And I looked so forward to the next one because I figured by then they'd have an entire planet to explore. Instead they went the opposite direction and seriously cut back on the replayability of the game. To this day i haven't seen everything there is to see in San Andreas. I have no reason to play GTA 4 again...and if they don't change their ways I won't be playing the series again.

Honestly, after playing games like Fallout 3, Orange Box and Crackdown...GTA just doesn't get me excited anymore!@

[bagmouse7]

I have been a big GTA fan and have enjoyed it on the PC, the Xbox 360, the PSP, and now the DS.
CTW on the DS is a great game and a really great use of the DS's capabilities. However, I don't see that many adults playing with the DS, and CTW is certainly not a child’s game. I believe that is why the sales are so bad.

I have to say that my favorite GTA platform is the PSP. I loved both Liberty City and Vice City and these are some of the very few games that I put the time in to complete. Even now, many years later I will pop in one of the GTAs in the PSP and play for an hour or two.
I hope Rockstar puts out another PSP games as they seemed to be some of the biggest sellers on the PSP and as I said they are my some of my favorite games.

I still wonder how the PSP can do so well in Japan and so poorly in the USA, but that is another question...