Aussie gamer industry counting down to GTA 6 release

Detailed summary

The widely anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6, which draws inspiration from 1930s bank robbers, will be a major boost for the local video game industry.

Australia's video game industry is looking forward to the upcoming release of one of the most highly anticipated games of all time.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released on Thursday, 13 years after the last instalment of the franchise was published by Rockstar Games.

The open-world action-adventure game draws inspiration from the US 1930s bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde, and centres on a romantic and criminal partnership between Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval as they navigate the criminal underworld of a fictionalised Miami.

"I've already downloaded it, and I won't be the only one in Australia counting down to next Thursday," said Benn Skender, chief executive of Melbourne-based, ASX-listed independent game developer PlaySide Studios.

For many, GTA 6 will be the first game they've bought in years, or the first time they've switched on their console all year, Mr Skender said.

"That's good news for the entire industry. Once those players are back on the couch, they'll be looking for what to play next, and there's been no shortage of great games this year."

Alice Shen, a Sydney-based VanEck portfolio manager whose focus areas include video games, agrees that Thursday's launch could be a short-term catalyst for the industry.

GTA 6's three-week-old trailer has already been viewed 77 million times on YouTube, and 7 million copies of the game have already been pre-sold, Ms Shen said.

"That's really remarkable, and I think if history is any guide, its predecessor has sold around 235 million copies since launching in 2013," she told AAP.

Opening of the article, excerpted from PerthNow. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.