Could GTA 6's Launch Actually Affect the UK Economy?

GTA 6 is expected to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, but could millions of players taking time off work to play it actually have a noticeable impact on the economy?

That's the unusual question raised by The Times, which has explored whether the enormous anticipation surrounding GTA 6's November 19 release could temporarily affect economic growth in the UK.

Could GTA 6 cause a productivity hit?

Business journalist Dominic O'Connell says the idea came after hearing that one man's twentysomething son and all of his friends intended to take two or three days off work specifically to play GTA 6. After asking around, he found several more people planning the same thing.

While hardly a scientific survey, it shows GTA 6 clearly isn't an ordinary game launch. Based on GTA V's enormous sales, O'Connell estimates that around one in three UK households could have some interest in Grand Theft Auto. If enough of those players take time off simultaneously, he questions whether the resulting drop in productivity could actually become noticeable in the UK's economic figures.

The ONS was actually asked about GTA 6

O'Connell even contacted the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) to ask whether GTA 6's launch could have an effect. Unsurprisingly, the organisation responsible for measuring Britain's economy declined to speculate on what impact the game might have.

Similar speculation has emerged in the US, where economist José García-Montalvo has estimated GTA 6 could potentially result in around $1 billion in lost economic output as people take time away from work to play. The Times also points to reports of executives in their 50s planning several days off for the launch, showing this certainly isn't limited to younger gamers.

GTA 6 will generate plenty of money too

Of course, GTA 6 will generate enormous economic activity of its own. Rockstar has a significant UK presence, with The Times reporting that around 1,000 people are employed at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, while parent company Take-Two expects annual revenue to rise by around 20% to approximately $8.1 billion around the game's launch.

There's also an interesting comparison between the two games' prices. GTA V launched for £49.99 in 2013, equivalent to a little over £74 today after inflation. With GTA 6's Standard Edition priced at £69.99, the long-awaited sequel technically costs less than GTA V did at launch in real terms, despite arriving 13 years later with much technological advancement.

Could GTA 6 really affect the UK economy?

Nobody is seriously suggesting GTA 6 will bring Britain's economy to a halt, and people booking annual leave would have been entitled to take that time off anyway. But if enough players simultaneously decide to make November 19 an unofficial holiday, it's at least possible the launch could create a small temporary effect.

Perhaps the more remarkable takeaway is simply that GTA 6 has become such a significant cultural event that one of Britain's biggest newspapers is asking economists and the ONS whether the launch of a video game could actually show up in the country's economic figures!

Source: The Times: Could the GTA 6 video game hit UK economic growth?