Why Does it Take So Long for Game Sequels to be Released?
Video games are incredibly complex, and it’s a miracle that any get made at all. However, it’s still surprising that one of the biggest triple-A studios in the world would take 12 years to release a sequel.
The highly popular game, Grand Theft Auto 5, was released on Sept. 17, 2013. Since then, there have been two console generations, two more GTA 5 launches, and six Skyrim ports. Now, on Dec. 5, 2023, we finally have the first official trailer for GTA 6, which is set to launch in two years. By that time, the console generation will be four to five years old, likely nearing the end of its lifecycle.
To put it into perspective, a girl born on the day GTA 5 launched will be celebrating her Batmitzvah when the sequel comes out in 2025. After watching the leaked and then officially released trailer, it’s evident that a lot of time and effort has been invested in creating one of the most realistic-looking games ever made. However, it begs the question: is the pursuit of visual fidelity worth it when Rockstar has only developed two new games since 2013?
This issue is not exclusive to Rockstar. As games become more complex, their development time increases. Many of my favorite childhood studios, such as Naughty Dog, Criterion, and Bethesda, have significantly slowed down their releases. The exception is Insomniac, who continues to release hits in quick succession. I hope their staff isn’t being overworked.
Stacey Henley at TheGamer wrote about the unsustainability of modern game development, and she’s right. However, things don’t have to be this way. Indie dev Xalavier Nelson founded Strange Scaffold and is focused on creating structures that allow for better, faster, cheaper, and healthier game development than what the industry assumes is possible. Since 2021, they have developed six successful games, including the recent hit, El Paso, Elsewhere. This shows that there are alternative approaches to game development that can work.
Most developers wouldn’t want to spend 12 years on a single project. It’s exciting to move on to new projects and explore new ideas. Ridley Scott has made eight films in the time it took Rockstar to develop two games, and Greta Gerwig has made three movies in just six years.
The only advantage I can see in the pursuit of visual fidelity is that one day it will be perfected, and the industry will move on. Eventually, game graphics will be indistinguishable from real life or cinema. However, the question remains: will it then take 20 years to make a game?