November 19 is marked on the calendars of millions of video game fans: GTA VI, the sixth installment in the franchise, is released on Thursday after a thirteen-year wait. Enthusiasts told franceinfo how they are preparing for the date.
On Thursday, the game will be available. For these players, the first evening will matter as much as the days that follow: after thirteen years, they want to enter Vice City without delay.
Whether they still play or put their controllers away years ago, many have made arrangements. Time off, equipment purchases, agreements with loved ones: the goal is to enjoy the game fully as soon as it goes live.
In Haute-Saône, the building renovation company that Marcel runs with his brothers will have markedly fewer employees at work this Thursday. Of about thirty employees, eight have already requested a day off for November 19.
The announcement of the new installment, after thirteen years, has also brought out the credit cards. The game promises unmatched graphics and a return to the fictional metropolis of Vice City. Like others, one enthusiast did not hesitate to invest.
Many fans say they have most often changed their television and console in order to take advantage of the promised performance. Buying equipment ranks among the most frequently cited preparations, along with days off.
Once the first evening of discovery is over, family life must resume its course. For many, the appeal lies precisely in this “comfort” aspect: the chance to reconnect with adolescence.
Some accounts go further. Among the examples reported are shifting parental leave so that it coincides with the release, or telling each of two employers that one is busy at the other. Others also mention buying GTA: San Andreas under the counter a few days before an official release.