Will GTA V Online Contain Microtransactions? XML File Suggests So

56
Lee Bradley

GTA V Online may feature microsotransactions, according to details found in an XML file within the game.

Discovered by Reddit user 1880, the file lists a number of cash packs that can be bought with real money, along with a short description.

"Cash is king in this town,” it says. “Solve your money problems and help get what you want across Los Santos and Blaine County with the purchase of cash packs for Grand Theft Auto Online. All purchased cash is automatically deposited into your character's bank account. Spend wisely, cash therapy is fleeting."

Listed within the file are $100,000, $200,000, $500,000 and $1,250,000 cash cards. 

Now, it should be noted that the discovery of the file does not necessarily mean that GTA V Online will contain microtransactions. It could be a leftover from an abandoned idea. However, it does seem likely that purchasable items will feature in the game.

Rockstar has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Comments
56
  • Typical.
  • I'll bet my $1,250,000 cash card on it
  • NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  • Oh god I hope not
  • Who cares? You don't have to use them if they do have them. Ive never used a micro transaction. Changes nothing for me
  • so lets see how many fools defend this just because its GTA yet bitch about all others games having Micro transactions......i for one will be extremely surprised and disappointed in R* if they follow this route, they made £1billion in 3 days, this is just not necessary and i will not support it
  • So essentially you will be able to buy the achievement for owning a house etc.
  • I won't buy them if they are there. Not being forced to buy them. So don't buy them if you don't like them. I'll likely end up only playing the single player.
  • As long as it doesn't give people an advantage, that is fine. If there is insanely expensive items that give people a massive edge then this is stupid. Otherwise it will be yet more micro transaction for me to ignore
  • @5: Everyone should care. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqNuS03k6gI I never asked for this shit. I don't want it in games I already paid $60 for. Keep that shit in free to play games where it belongs. @6: Agreed completely. They already made more money than any other developer and publisher would dare to dream of, this is completely unnecessary.
  • It's not that they force you into buying microtransactions but they make it very tempting. For example in Windows Phone games there's always microtransactions and a lot of grinding involved in the games. And mostly the games get frustrating after 1-2 hours of playing the same so if you just wanna complete the game fast, it's very tempting to buy in-game money with real cash. Yes I've bought a lot of microtransactions but I'm not proud of it. But then again that's basically what allows us to have free games (on the phone). That's what keeps the developer alive.
  • Quick, defend Rockstar and GTA while you stick it to Activision and COD. /facepalm
  • @11 That's not really applicable here though, is it?
  • I don't actually mind this, as long as they don't put micro transactions in the single player it sounds fine to me, might make Online even more fun somehow.
  • Oh Rockstar please *sigh, Micro-transactions should only apply to Free to Play games... They made $1b in the first 3-4 days, why the fuck would they need to have micro-transactions makes no sense. As much as I like the GTA franchise this is just wrong
  • Yeah... I was a little wary at first when I heard about transactions in ME3's MP. Turned out it wasn't so bad. But then in that case, it was player versus player. It can be in this game, however. Which may cause a problem. But as has been said, as long as it doesn't offer an advantage, it'll be okay. I have a feeling however, if I remember rightly, that it may be a bit of a downer off the bat. If these are indeed paying real cash for in-game cash - don't you use in-game cash earned from missions etc. to buy better weapons? So, whilst there are those of us who do not wish to spend more money on things like this, those who are more than willing, will have AR's and RPG's from the start? TDM shall be avoided if so.
  • Sorry, no edit, I meant ME3's MP WASN'T player versus player, whereas this (GTA Online) can be. My bad. :P
  • Bad idea. With the amount of cash the game made it's completely unnecessary. Microtransactions have no place outside of F2P games, where they fund the title, the studio and the servers. Most of those games won't make anywhere near $800m dollars (and counting). To everyone saying 'you don't have to buy them' - that's technically true, but it really depends how the online portion of the game is designed doesn't it? In many games featuring MT's, if you want to make any real progress you really do have to buy them. I hope this is an abandoned idea. This kind of thing is usually ridiculed in a GTA game with a heavy dose of satire - I don't want it to make an appearance as a 'feature'. If it turns out to be real, I hope nobody caves in and buys them - otherwise it's a big sign that says 'you can make millions from your initial sale then keep making millions by ripping off your customers'. The big 3 will eat that shit up, and we'll be looking at a very dark gaming future indeed.
  • How is this a surprise? There's a tab on the pause menu that takes you to the XBLive store. As long as it's just a short cut for cash rich/ time poor people i don't mind it to much. It's when they change game mechanics to try and push people into purchases that i have a problem.
  • Smh...at the people who have given thumbs down to certain comments they're pretty much speaking the truth......they're not forcing you to use the microtransactions.
  • I'm with #6 100% The sad thing is that people must be buying MT's in other games for companies to continue doing it. I've never purchased a single MT and I don't plan to change that anytime soon. If the original game is free, then I understand that the publisher has to make money, but when you've already shelled out your hard earned on the retail release, there should be MT's.
  • It's funny to see so many people who clearly know nothing about business saying "Rockstar made enough money so this is unnecessary". Rockstar are owned by Take Two, and Take Two is a company so close to going under that EA nearly bought them out recently. Take Two will and should do anything to gain itself some cash. GTAV making $1billion is irrelevant because the total value of Take Two's stocks amount to just $1.6billion, where must mean there is more to the company than meets the eye -- if they were highly solvent and liquid then their stock price and/or market capitalisation would be higher.
  • Oh dear god...please no....
  • I call BS on them needing money, borderlands, GTA and many other franchises.... IF they somehow were on the brink, someone needs to take a very close look at the books and see which thieving little bitches have been taking all of the money, because I know for a fact that there is no way they could be short on money without shareholders & CEO's ripping the company off and EA nearly buying someone out does not mean they are broke, just that someone in charge wanted more money instantly - the 5 year dev cycle for GTA5 won't help in that regard, but they definitely made enough money from the other titles they released also, if games are these days with their, according to some "near photo-realistic graphics" maybe it's reached the time that they stop paying for Hollywood actors, stop spending millions on marketing ploys, release a finished game, with no intended expansions [to forgo the people who, like me, wait for a GOTY - ahh, I remember when that meant something different, like what it says, not just "it's got it's DLC with it"] I reckon it will have MT's just because....it's what all the cool publishers are doing People are willing to buy the little money packs or whatever from EA games that offer nothing aside from a way to not play the game, people have become lazy and are willing to pay money to miss out on gameplay
  • I never cared for micro transactions like this, as long as it's very obtainable just by playing the game. It's the crap in games like Saints Row 3 & 4 that I hate. Locking out content that is already in the game, but you have to pay with real money to get. I actually enjoy games that do microtransactions in such a way. I've spent a few bucks on Mass Effect 3 packs before. Like I said, as long as it's not a grind to get something that would cost $1 in the shop, I could care less. I might even use it once or twice.
  • How about we wait and see what's actually happening before we all go off on one?
  • .) First of all this not even official. You guys get worked up over a text line in the source code of the disc (that may or may not be legit, who is this "1880" anyway?). This is like the Dead Island incident all over again. .) Then, can someone explain what the anger is all about with microtransactions??? As long as it doesn't give other players advantages in Multiplayer, why should I care if some triple father who has almost no more time for his hobby but also wants to feel like a millionare in GTA 5 spends real money to do so?!? Oh right, "he could get some achievemens faster, it's cheating...". Ok, but you will never find out anyway (or how many fathers of three do you know on XBOX Live?). And thinking about this, if he hasn't much time on his hands anyway and has do spend real money for in-game cash (something no legit gamer would do), he won't have a lot of the other achievements... Will there be other players (except people with no time on their hand) who use this for specially for achievments? Maybe, but it really could be called "boosting", something we ALL do...
  • Because a billion fucking dollars isn't enough profit.
  • Meh. Depending on how expensive they are, I'd get some cash. If they decide to go along with it.
  • What would be even better is those where real cash amount for in game. so you pay quite literally 1,250,000 in real life for in game cash of the same amount. to be honest, this doesn't bother me, basically every game has Micro transactions - but i am in no way defending GTA V as i don't particularly like it and have simply bought it in advance of said online. but, people have to be used to this business model by now, surely?
  • @28 This is the exact kind of ignorance I was referring to in my earlier comment. Revenue does not equal profit!
  • I'd be worrying more about gangs hanging outside the bank you have to deposit your hard earned money at!
  • @ 10 - The guy makes every point that has irked me since the microtransactions hit games consoles. I didn't mind it so much in Mass Effect 3, because frankly people having better equipment didn't hurt me. If anything, it helps because everything is quicker or a little easier and the experience system equalises all the EXP to the total anyway. I dislike the idea of it in competitive play. Where do we draw the line? In the next CoD game am I paying £60 then if I pay another £5 I get a Predator Missile every time I spawn, and another £5 gives me armour allowing me twice as much health, and another £5 eliminates sway on my sniper rifle? I have paid for stuff in ME3, but very very quickly realised it was entirely pointless (if I was going to play a lot then I'd be making credits so should use in game cash, if I wasn't then why bother paying for it at all). I will never endorse microtransactions again.
  • It's heartwarming to see Rockstar taking a tip from EA on how to ruin a franchise.
  • I couldn't care less! Those who need the money and don't want to play online (wouldn't know a reason?) should buy it. But only stupid people will buy the insta-chash stuff! GAMER will play the online missions and earn the money like that. Don't mind microtransactions, if you have a way (mostly longer, of course) to do it by yourself too. Don't like microtransactions, if you just have to buy them to proceed with the game.
  • @31 but we already know how much it cost to make GTA V; $170m. $1bn - $170m = a lot of profit.
  • @11 Why are you not proud? It's your money to spend as you see fit. I don't necessarily agree with microtransactions because *I* don't like the idea of them, but they are there for people who do and who want to. I just wont be using them if they are in GTAV online but don't have any problem with those who do use them. Having said that if it gives users an unfair advantage it will likely mean I don't dabble too much in the online mode.
  • @36 Once again, an ignorant person who knows nothing about business. What do you even mean by "a lot of profit"? Do you know the difference between gross profit, operating profit, earning before interest and taxes, pre-tax profit, net profit, and retained earnings? I would have to assume not, for you to say something so ridiculous.
  • Seeing as how the story had too few options for making any real money past the point of obvious spoilers, if there's one thing the game needed, it was a way to actually make money without the tedious stock market manipulation or the underwater briefcase exploit (which I pray they don't patch). This makes sense from a "they'll pay for it, let's put it up for sale" business standpoint. Am I cool with it? No. Do I want the achievements for owning properties offline and online? Yes. Will complaining about it solve anything? I don't know, maybe we should try it some more.
  • This is fine by me since you can just mug the stupid cunts who pay for all that money ;)
  • Stupid!!! I can have 100s of hours of fun without paying any extra, but theres always a sucker!
  • @38 the only ridiculous thing being said here mate is your defense of micro transactions in this amazing(ly profitable) game.
  • Well, I hate microtransactions, but if it will help me towards MP cheevos - I will do it, after all - it´s GTA V, that game is awesome, and I would pay double it cost if I had to, so giving away 5-10 more bucks won´t hurt me.
  • Rockstar would become legends if each pack cost its face value amount. So 100000$ ingame would cost 100000$ real life. That would be the ultimate parody.
  • I love how people keep saying " as long as it doesn't give players an advantage" um what do you think free money is? The online is all about your money so if people are starting with millions, that's a huge advantage.
  • I don't really use microtransactions in every game, but a just few (Team Fortress 2, Shoot Many Robots, Defiance, etc.). I'll probably spend too much time playing GTA Online to not be bothered to pay for in-game money, it would make the experience less fun for me imo.
  • Come on people. It's just for those who don't want to do a ton of missions to earn the money. If you don't want to buy the cash packs, don't.
  • I like spending money even though i dont have any...wait this is a forum. I have more money then anyone on this site. (I actually dont)
  • The only issue I have with MT is that the game MUST be free to begin with, or at the very least sold at a very low price. Introducing free to play elements into fully paid retail games is a tragic thing to see happening.
  • @49. All devs and pubs are going to do this. There is a push to get every penny they can. Look at all the tablet exclusive, micro transaction, after Elder Scrolls a lot will do subscriptions. Gaming isn't for the poor
  • @10: Who're you to say where it belongs?
  • Im fine with this games worth more than £40 to me
  • Doesn't matter to me, its there if people want it. Nobody is being forced to pay anything extra if they don't want too.
  • ill probably end up buying cash packs, because im lazy
  • itt: people complain about a business being a business. Don't like it, don't buy it, etc. Never bought a micro-transaction, doubt this'll be any different.
  • like Randy answered I'm shocked that a mother able to earn $5932 in 1 month on the internet. visit the website http://www.jobs64.com
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