Grand Theft Auto Online Will Feature Micro-Transactions

Rockstar confirmed today that Grand Theft Auto Online will include at least some form of micro-transactions when it launches on Tuesday.

After an article on GamesRadar.com was posted, citing a report from Eurogamer that GTA Online may include micro-transactions, Rockstar released a statement verifying this to be the case, at least on some level.

After talking about all of the things players can do in GTA Online to earn in-game cash and Reputation (which is the stat that will help solidify your ranking in the community), such as going on crime sprees together, competing in street races, and playing in sporting events, they went on to say that players can even purchase in-game dollars through real-world currency via the game’s store, and though this might raise red flags for some, Rockstar addressed the issue by saying:

“The game and its economy have been designed and balanced for the vast majority of players who will not buy extra cash. There is no in-game paywall and nothing that should disrupt the balance of the game. You don’t have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker.”

Rockstar even provided a list of things they are working on for the first few weeks of content updates in GTA Online, all of which, will be free.

• The Content Creator: The Content Creator will launch with tools to tailor and publish your own Deathmatches & Races.
• The Beach Bum Pack: Featuring 4 new amazing beach fun vehicles, over 300 new items of incredible down tempo leisure wear and 2 new but not remotely relaxing weapons.
• Capture the Flag: GTA Online’s take on the classic CTF mode including the ability to make your own using The Content Creator.
• Heists: This update will introduce full-on cooperative Heist missions that will require careful planning, teamwork and sharp execution – along with the Heist Planning Board for your apartment.

Don’t Put Away Your Wallets Just Yet

But if the report from Eurogamer is true, players will be asked to pony up some pretty hefty real-world dollars if they want to improve their quality of life in-game rather than work for it. The report said players will be able to buy items ranging in price from £1.99 to £13.49 (about $2.69 to $18.24). The report said “in-game cash packs are available in four sizes: a $100,000 Red Shark Cash Card costing £1.99, a $200,000 Tiger Shark Cash Card priced at £3.49, a $500,000 Bull Shark Cash Card costing £6.99, and a $1,250,000 Great White Shark Cash Card priced at £13.49.”

On the bright side, Rockstar is saying a lot of the right things when it comes to offering players what they want.

“The ultimate shape of GTA Online will be determined as much by you, the player, as by the work we put in. What you like and don’t like, what you play and what you want will determine how the game develops and what it turns into.”

“We are planning for a constant stream of new content, tweaks and updates in the weeks and months ahead.”

“The first couple of weeks we expect to be heavily focused on tuning the experience as it goes from internal testing to the reality of being played by tons of people in the real world so that all the usual teething problems for an online game are overcome. We hope it will all run incredibly smoothly, but please bear with us if it doesn’t, and help us fix any and all problems!”

“One thing we are already aware of, and are trying to alleviate as fast as we can, is the unanticipated additional pressure on the servers due to a significantly higher number of players than we were anticipating at this point – we are working around the clock to buy and add more servers, but this increased scale is only going to make the first few days even more temperamental than such things usually are. This is part of the problem some of you have been experiencing with the iFruit App and some Social Club services – we apologize in advance for this and thank you for your patience in this area.”

But Is This All Going to Be Enough?

Rockstar already has one of the most successful and popular games of all time on its hands, and adding in a multiplayer component is just another feature that is sure to entice players to jump in. What about you? Is Grand Theft Auto Online shaping up to be what you had hoped? Let us know in the comments below.