To say that Grand Theft Auto Online got off to a bumpy start would be to put it lightly. Things have not been easy for developer Rockstar Games, who hit the ground running with a seriously flawed product.
While some gamers were sufficiently sated by the Grand Theft Auto 5 story mode, many were intrigued to find out what type of multiplayer experience Rockstar had crafted for their highly anticipated game. Unfortunately, few could actually render a verdict regarding GTA Online, as the experience launched with plenty of issues.
Since that time, Rockstar has issued several updates (as well as a few apologies) and were hopeful that the worst was behind them. While many more gamers were able to log in to GTA Online, a fair share of players reported the loss of missing items, cash, and most importantly progress. So, it appeared that once Rockstar cleared one hurdle, yet another was in their path.
This new hurdle, however, puts even more pressure on Rockstar, as the developer has promised a $500,000 "Stimulus Package" as compensation. If they couldn't guarantee progress might go missing, they couldn't, in good faith, provide gamers their free money.
Luckily, it appears the next update for Grand Theft Auto Online is on the horizon, and should hit some time next week according to Rockstar. Shortly thereafter, Rockstar expects to roll out the first $250,000 of the Stimulus Package before the end of the week. It's possible that Rockstar might lump the sum together now that the Stimulus Package has missed its first planned release date, but we have no confirmation from Rockstar at this time.
Currently, we expect the next title update (1.05) addressing player progress loss issues to be available sometime early next week. Following that, we hope to deliver everyone’s GTA$ Stimulus Package before the end of next week. A big thank you to GTA Online players worldwide for your continued patience and understanding and we will continue to keep you all updated.
November is shaping to up to be a big month for Grand Theft Auto Online, as both the Beach Bum Pack and the first part of the Content Creator are slated to hit. The Beach Bum pack, for those that might not know, adds a few new beach-themed vehicles as well as some new weapons to both the GTA 5 story mode and GTA Online. It also adds new jobs for players to complete in multiplayer.
The Content Creator, on the other hand, will give players tools with which they can create their own jobs and missions in the 'Deathmatch' and 'Race' categories. The Content Creator is an especially intriguing addition for GTA Online as it has the potential to increase the multiplayer experience's longevity. Moreover, Rockstar will be highlighting specific jobs with the 'Rockstar Verified' moniker, so that gamers can know which player-created content has the most potential.
However, all of this add-on content won't be of much use without the forthcoming update. Here's hoping that it hits earlier rather than later and fixes GTA Online's problems for good.
One month later, what are your impressions of Grand Theft Auto Online? Do you think that once the update hits and new content starts rolling out gamers will start to return to the multiplayer experience?
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Source: Rockstar