The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of GTA V have been hot topics lately, particularly in the area of support for future DLC releases. Since it has become a growing trend in the AAA industry for publishers to pull content support for the last-gen versions of their multi-platform games,we were wondering when/if Rockstar might start doing the same.
It seems we didn't need to wait long for an answer. Yesterday, Rockstar had finally announced the highly anticipated DLC content coming with the 1.29 update, Freemode Events. The nature of the in-game content has been the subject of much speculation in the past weeks.
Freemode Events won't be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 though.
... the Freemode Events Update is only for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. As we’d mentioned previously in our Asked & Answered series here at the Newswire (https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/52429/asked-answered-the-rockstar-editor-gta-online-updates), future content updates like this one would only be possible on the newer and more powerful systems.
This development almost certainly means that no future DLC will be launching on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 platforms. While on the one had this is understandable, as certain hardware limitations may be holding the content back, and developing for so many platforms must be a strain on resources, we must also keep in mind that the overpowering majority of GTA V players are on the last-gen platforms. Technical support will obviously still be provided, however the next question is a rather pressing one: for how long does Rockstar plan to keep the GTA Online servers for the last-gen consoles running?
Now, if Rockstar decides to shut the servers down sometime soon, on the one hand they would consolidate the game a bit, having to focus on only three platforms as opposed to five, which would presumably free up a ton of resources. A server shutdown would also trigger a mass exodus of players making the jump to current gen, however there would be undeniable losses. Another thing to consider would be the inevitable PR fallout following such a decision, which would tarnish Rockstar's reputation.
How do your Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 players feel about this, and the future of GTA V? Will you be jumping to current-gen?
