Before GTA6 (Patreon)

Yeah, I suppose I'm a little late to the game. (There's a triple-meaning in that!)

A couple of years ago, I got a Nintendo Switch. I think it was late 23? Christmas/Birthday gift to myself? Anyway, I wish to hell that I would have had that thing around during certain days of The Plague.

Believe it or not, I was a bit of a video game nerd. As an awkward, shy no-siblinged person with latchkey parents, I found a lot of solace and excitement -- legit and for immense amounts of time, on end -- with Final Fantasy VII, Sonic, Resident-Freaking-Evil, the Various and Sundry Zelda and Mario iterations, my dear, dear Goldeneye...

No longer, now I'm a big girl, and I've thrown away childish things... I swear to God, in this climate? I had some stuff that I wish would have just been consigned to a cardboard box in one of the Family Attics (if you're from the northeast, and have a big extended family, you'll know what I mean). Video games aside, I had some Pokemon and Magic: the Gathering cards that I prefer not to dwell upon; I gave them to my grandad to sell on his budding eBay account, which he did, looooong before professional grading was a thing (enjoy that 1st edition Charizard you dropped only $20 on, ya' filthy scoundrel).

Nothing against nostalgia, and I'm not a luddite. I just... kinda fella away from video games for years there.

I'm not diving back in headfirst. I love my Switch, and don't really have the want to spring for an PS5 or an X-Box Ultimo Supremo. I'm taking my time with Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK, they call it, when I get stuck and end up on Reddit). Goldeneye is a joy. And just fucking Tetris? Yes please. I bought two external controllers (I think I was going to break the joysticks on the built-in ones) -- one for switch, and one arranged for the N64. Spare monitor, and I have my little game station. There's something meditative about it. "What Became of Edith Finch" is one of the most delightful little mindfucks I've had in ages.

I say all of this, because my budding affinity for gaming is neither solely born from sentiment, nor is it merely a method of relaxation. There are times when I like to go ballz2theWALL.

Or at least as much at Grand Theft Auto can afford me. Freaking fun game, guys. I remember playing the very first one, all the way back in 1937.

And lately, there's this buzz going around. For those of you unfamiliar, this franchise is huge. It's been around about 30 years (so maybe more like 1997? I'm old.); the upcoming installment has been in development for nearly a decade; they've already spent $2 billion on the thing? And... they keep delaying it. It's become a whole meme, about how we'll land on Mars or something, before we get GTA6.

People are getting pissy, 'is it going to be worth it,' already casting judgement, all that stuff.

But, I'll tell you what, guys. Video Game Industry bullshittery aside (I have friends who work in the business), there's something to be said about taking your time to really make a fucking game. The immersion is something where I was like, "Ohhhh, OK, this is why video games are so in-the-zeitgeist." Just absolutely fascinating to me how I can just navigate around this sprawling city, engaging in all manner of crime.

Can you imagine? Like, really, for a second. You're working at the company that makes this game. And y'all are getting really close to wrapping it up. And then, things start to shift, and AI becomes one of those things where you say, "in for a penny, in for a pound?" Not accusing (nobody knows, everything's super under-wraps) that they're going to use AI to take away from the work of artists, but the game is chaotic, and I can see a 2027 where GTA6 will be hailed as one of the touchstones of present-day AI capability.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I find there to be some joy in a dish that's been cooked lower-and-slower. It usually ends up much more delicious, if it's worth eating.