\n<\/p>\n
The GTA franchise is one of the biggest and most profitable entertainment properties in history.<\/p>\n
GTA V has sold nearly 230 million copies, and the launch of its successor is expected to be such a major economic event that Bank of America has weighed in on its price, external<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite this, Rockstar’s announcement has prompted some independent retailers to refuse to stock the code-in-a-box version.<\/p>\n VGP, an online retailer with a physical store in Toronto, said, external<\/span><\/a> while it had “tremendous respect” for Rockstar, it was “committed to preserving the value of physical game ownership”, so would not be offering the product.<\/p>\n Lootbox Gaming, an independent retailer in Delaware, also declined to stock it, telling me the decision “speaks volumes about the future for AAA (big-budget) releases on physical media”. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, PNP Games, an online retailer with three stores in Winnipeg, has launched a petition, external<\/span><\/a>, calling on Take-Two to release a physical disc version. <\/p>\n Piscatella suggested the code “may provide a better opportunity for retailers, particularly those that don’t sell used games”, given the number of PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles without disc drives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n