You only need to take a look at how gaming influencers have responded to GTA 6 trailers to get an idea of how big a gaming story is. The other day, I watched a YouTube video that was over 2 hours long, and it was solely about the trailer, the background, and any easter eggs they could find in it.
Although there have been a number of GTA 6-based leaks over the last 18 months, one of the many aspects Rockstar has kept a lid on is the soundtrack and what they plan to do with their radio stations. We saw Tom Petty’s signature 1980’s sound rip through the original trailer when it was first released over two years ago.
Following a number of delays, there’s been a fresh trailer and a number of theories that gamers have concocted in the interim, but as we (hopefully) enter the final stages of the design, with the game set to be released in November this year, could we see the return of Vice City radio stations in this landmark game?
Going Back To Vice City
For nostalgic gamers and those who can cast their mind back to 2002, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was a cultural phenomenon. It bottled up the 1980’s in a way that no other period game had ever managed to do, and that few have managed to do since. We watched GTA V go back to San Andreas and give it a pristine makeover.
All of the elements of the original game were virtually non-existent. There was an uproar when GTA V first came out, as Grove Street, the iconic road from San Andreas, had been glossed over and overrun by Ballas. Yes, Rockstar had moved on to bigger and better things, but in a game where so many of the characters were interchangeable within the same universe, it felt like an oversight.
This design idea bled into multiple areas of the game as well. In GTA V, the prevalence of casino gaming, especially online, showcased how Rockstar was looking ahead to new ideas and themes.
Many of the radio stations were new; the map was essentially brand-new, and, in truth, they were two different games. Although Vice City often ranks among the top GTA cities of all time, a carbon copy of the map and radio stations from 2002 with slightly better graphics isn’t going to fly with people either; it’s about striking a balance.
Blending The Old With The New
There has been such a vast amount of time that has unfolded between GTA V and GTA 6 that the industry has moved into innovative new areas. Playing poker, for instance, was a novelty in San Andreas; in GTA V online, it became a prevalent part of the game.
However, the number of brands that allow people to play poker online have meant that simply providing poker rooms or online variants of the game in GTA 6 probably won’t be that innovative for many gamers.
As you can see in the link below, online poker is now such a seminal part of the market; those memes, reels and social media marketing now focus solely on this approach.
Having poker as a mini game in GTA 6 won’t necessarily grab people, which is where a nostalgic trip and a blast from the past via the soundtrack could be the recipe to get Millennial gamers looking at GTA 6 through rose-tinted glasses.
An Ode To The Past?
It’s always a challenge predicting what Rockstar has up their sleeve. In the same way casino gaming marketing has changed, so has the way many of us listen to music and media. Fewer people sit down to watch TV talk shows anymore; they listen to podcasts, and rather than tuning in to radio stations on a long drive, many people will put together driving playlists or bespoke content hyper-specific to their preferences.
From this angle, this poses an even bigger question. Will GTA solely stop at radio stations? Could it integrate video media, podcasts, and media innovations like Spotify’s AI DJ to deliver unique content for every gamer?
Rather than paying expensive licensing fees, could GTA go down this route, allowing people to plug directly into their own media rather than pay creators for their music and comedy?
Final Thoughts
So long as Rockstar can stick to this final release date, then we’re going to find out a lot more about a potential return of Vice City radio in GTA 6. Fever 105, Flash FM, and Wave 103 could be some of the stations that come back with a bang, but perhaps with a vintage twist, maybe an 80’s classics station?
Rockstar has shown that they aren’t quite as nostalgic for the past as many of their ardent fans, so we could see a Vice City that is essentially a completely different project, much like GTA V was in comparison to San Andreas. How cool would it be if they had an influence on the iconic game and soundtrack that first introduced Vice City to the world? We’ll be finding out imminently.
