With Grand Theft Auto 6 already being billed as an industry-defining title, it is no wonder that people are curious as to what features it will possess. While it is exciting to think of what new features will be present within the game, the mechanics that are maintained from past franchise entries are just as important.
Given its massive and longstanding success, there is a wide range of features that Grand Theft Auto 6 should maintain from its 2013 predecessor. Many of these features are quite obvious due to their prominence, yet one unsung feature of past games should once again take center stage. With the satire of the GTA franchise being so iconic, Grand Theft Auto 6 should see much more in-game TV.
How TV in Grand Theft Auto 5 Aids Its Storytelling
The Grand Theft Auto franchise has long aided its world-building in the way of things like radio and television. The in-game media of GTA is often wildly satirical and comical, often playing off of real-world societal issues and aspects. Grand Theft Auto 4 even had an original comedy show by Ricky Gervais that the player could visit, giving insight into the depth of its fictional media.
This ethos was of course carried forward by Grand Theft Auto 5, with the title making huge strides in its fictional television programs. There are eight unique in-game TV shows in GTA 5, which is a marked upgrade over the variety of Grand Theft Auto 4. These shows are scattered across a variety of channels that mimic real-world TV entities, bringing a relatable feel to GTA's bizarre and wacky universe.
As well as these shows, the TV content of GTA 5 includes a huge range of adverts. These adverts focus on the most recognizable fictional products and services within the franchise, many of which can actually be purchased in-game. With the TV of GTA 5 being so successful, the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 should include its own more expansive take on the feature if it wishes to supplement world-building and storytelling similarly.
Television in Grand Theft Auto 6 Can Offer the Same World-Building
With a decade having passed since the release of GTA 5, it is clear that Grand Theft Auto 6 has a lot of expectations surrounding it. Rockstar itself has stated it wants nothing short of perfection with Grand Theft Auto 6, and this will likely translate to a huge breadth of gameplay experiences. In this way, if GTA 6 is to maintain the in-game television of past franchise entries, it will have to offer a much greater level of variety while also keeping a nostalgic connection to previous installments.
At a base level, Grand Theft Auto 6 should offer a much larger amount of in-game TV shows for players to enjoy. To take this a step further, Rockstar could even produce a few films that can be watched. To be more reflective of modern viewing habits, in-game TVs could even have built-in streaming options where players can watch shows and movies on demand.
While full-scale movies in-game may seem like a tall order, Rockstar is known for its attention to detail and the scale of its offered experiences. With players often watching TV together in Grand Theft Auto Online, this greater level of variety would give actual meaning and a reason for friends to sit down and enjoy TV with one another. There are of course many mechanics that GTA 6 will have to expand compared to previous games if it chooses to reprise them, but in-game television should absolutely not be overlooked.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently in development.