Rockstar Games has confirmed that micro-transactions will be present in GTA Online as well as provided a heap of new information on the multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto V, scheduled to open in just a few days on October 1.
Rockstar has said that purchasing in-game money using real-word cash is strictly optional and that there will still be plenty of opportunities to gain fame and fortune through in-game mechanics only. They have also stressed "the balance" of the GTA Online economy and so it seems that (hopefully) things won't spiral out of control with real-world money purchasers gaining a ridiculously unfair advantage over their non-paying counterparts.
The economy have been designed and balanced for the vast majority of players who will not buy extra cash... There is no in-game paywall and nothing that should disrupt the balance of the game.
All content in GTA Online will also still be available for both "paying" and "free" players with Rockstar confirming you don't have to spend real money to purchase equipment and the like — it just means you might get some items quicker.
You don't have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker. The economy is balanced differently from the single player economy, and cash earned in one cannot be taken over to the other.
And if you've been struggling to earn cash in the single player story mode then we've good news for you too. Rockstar has said it should be easier to make money online as opposed to offline...
Most players will earn cash much faster Online than in Story Mode.
Finally, Rockstar said that server downtime and other issues are possible. Apparently even they are surprised with the success of GTA V and have been purchasing new servers to handle the additional, unforecast load now expected with GTA Online.
One thing we are already aware of, and are trying to alleviate as fast as we can, is the unanticipated additional pressure on the servers due to a significantly higher number of players than we were anticipating at this point – we are working around the clock to buy and add more servers, but this increased scale is only going to make the first few days even more temperamental than such things usually are.
With all the easter eggs and other cool stuff you can do in the single player mode of GTA 5 (not to mention those outstanding cheats...) as well as GTA Online, which looks like it's going to be epic, you can't say that Grand Theft Auto V doesn't deliver in terms of longevity!
