In the U.S., people are taking leave en masse due to the spread of the so-called GTA flu
In the United States, there has been a surge in requests from employees for vacation and time off ahead of the release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI, scheduled for November 19 on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
A survey by GameSquare and Pollfish of 1,000 employed American gamers showed that 39% of respondents intend to request paid vacation time in advance, 36% plan to take sick leave, and 32% plan to request to work from home. On average, respondents plan to take about 3.9 days off to explore the game.
The implications of the game’s release are already causing concern in the labor market, as there are over 190 million regular gamers in the U.S., and it has been 13 years since the previous installment in the series was released. According to estimates by a Spanish economist cited by The Wall Street Journal, the loss of productivity due to employee absenteeism could cost the U.S. economy about $1 billion. Some private companies, including the California-based auto parts manufacturer Burger Motorsports, have already announced a temporary shutdown of their entire operations due to numerous scheduling conflicts among employees on the game’s release date.
The phenomenon of mass absences due to major entertainment or sporting events is common in the U.S. and the U.K., where similar trends are observed, particularly following the Super Bowl, the national championship game in American football. At the same time, for many players, the upcoming release holds exceptional cultural and personal significance due to the franchise’s 10-year hiatus.
Source: Fast Company.
Rockstar Games has released a new 90-second launch trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. The trailer showcases the atmosphere of Vice City with a Miami-inspired aesthetic and features a new track by the electronic duo Justice, who are composing the game’s soundtrack.
Xbox has secured exclusive rights to cloud-stream Grand Theft Auto VI upon the game’s release.
