Latest news with #ObbeVermeij
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
GTA 5 Online's Mansions update could be Its last
Image via Rockstar Games. Despite being released over a decade ago, GTA 5 is still one of the most popular titles in the world right now. And a fair share of credit goes to its online counterpart, GTA Online. GTA 5 might have never got a DLC update, but Rockstar never left GTA Online behind. That is why GTA 5 Online is slated for yet another major update in the coming winter, which will have accessible Mansions across the game. However, as GTA 6's release is nearing soon, the Mansions update might well be the last for GTA 5 Online. Is the Mansions update going to be the last for GTA 5 Online? It's the unique aspect of each update that makes GTA 5 Online legendary. For example, fans liked the Money Fronts update in the latest summer DLC very much. A Money Front is actually a legally operating business that also plays the role of a decoy against your laundering illicit income. Similarly, the upcoming winter DLC will also feature a unique aspect called Mansions. As the name suggests, players will be able to purchase, interact, and even set up businesses in Mansions. Dataminers came to conclusion when they found uncovered references of interactable Mansions in the Money Fronts update in-game files. Recently, popular GTA leaker Tez2 revealed more details about the update. According to him, the leftover scripts point towards Mansions functionality similar to Casino Penthouse. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How To Reduce Debt Over R100,000 (Without Another Loan) ExpertMoney Learn More Undo That means, players will be able to host parties, install arcade gaming setups, and many more. If all of these rumors come out to be true, then it is going to be the most exciting treat for the GTA 5 Online fans as the Mansions update is slated to be the biggest update of the game. Sadly, this update might well become its last as well. As per the regular GTA Online update schedule, the game generally releases two-three major DLC a year, often spread across spring, summer, and winter. The upcoming Mansions DLC is going to be a winter update, which might release in December 2025. And as the GTA 6 launch is looming over everyone's head on May 26, 2026, the Mansions update is highly likely to be the last one of GTA 5 Online. Also, GTA 6 is rumored to have its own online counterpart , so there are less chances that GTA 5 Online will get further updates after GTA 6 gets released. Rockstar Games is also working on testing multiplayer lobbies with support for up to 64 players, which is much higher than that of GTA 5 Online. So, the upcoming winter update might be the biggest win for the fans, because the Mansion is probably the most requested feature in the game. Also, this update will pose as a fitting send-off to the GTA 5 era. Read More: Ex-Rockstar technical lead Obbe Vermeij predicts AI will lower GTA 7's dev cost, but 'higher-level creati Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ex-Rockstar technical lead Obbe Vermeij predicts AI will lower GTA 7's dev cost, but 'higher-level creative' roles won't be replaced
(Image via Getty Images) Former Rockstar Games technical lead Obbe Vermeij has shared some thoughts on Grand Theft Auto 7's future. On a recent KIWI TALKZ's podcast, he talked about GTA 7 development cost and suggested it will be significantly cheaper than its predecessor, GTA 6. He believes artificial intelligence would significantly alter how the next major entry gets built. His prediction points to reduced production costs that remain driven by AI, taking complete control of substantial workloads. However, the former tech lead firmly believes that core creative roles would remain irreplaceable by machines. AI can play a role in cutting the GTA VII budget Obbe Vermeij, who made his contribution to some landmark titles like GTA: Vice City and GTA IV, believes AI in game development would fundamentally change the production of future games, in just the next five years. He specifically highlighted labor-intensive tasks, including the construction of massive open-world maps and the generation of intricate cutscenes, to be AI automation's prime candidates. Such a shift, as per his argument, is inevitable, but some, 'higher-level creative' roles like Designers, Art Directors and Writers wouldn't be replaced. It will continue shaping the game's vision. #191 - Obbe Vermeij Interview On The GTA Trilogy, GTA VI, Rockstar And His Indie Game Plentiful..... The former technical lead of Rockstar Games has directly predicted that "GTA 7 will be cheaper to make than GTA 6" as many of the tasks would be 'taken over by AI.' He envisions AI rapidly generating initial passes of characters, scenes, and even dialogues as per descriptions. Such automation, as per him, would handle the bulk of the work, quite potentially leading to some significant cost savings, as compared to the rumoured astronomical GTA 6 budget predictions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo But we'll have to wait another 15 years to see what changes truly come in Rockstar Games future projects. Human creativity in GTA titles will reign supreme Despite the anticipated rise of AI in production pipelines, Vermeij didn't forget to draw a clear line at the creative direction. As he asserted, creative work would remain the domain of human writers and artists. To set a unique visual style of the game, crafting a compelling storyline, defining narrative tone, etc., are seen as inherent human tasks. "I don't think AI will be doing the creative part," Vermeij stated, adding further, "You're still gonna have artists setting the style and the look, and you're still gonna have writers writing the story. I don't think AI can do that." While AI might generate the assets or some initial scene drafts as per prompts, vision, originality, and the emotional core would be dependent on human talent. Even programmers, too, would continue focusing on the higher-level systems, with AI handling some routine coding tasks. As per Vermeij, there's a potential upside to it all—cheaper development will allow for much more niche. It will lead to experimental game settings beyond those usual blockbuster formulas. Impact of AI on gaming and its future If Obbe Vermeij AI predictions hold true, AI can democratize game development. It will allow smaller studios to create some ambitious titles at a very low cost. Some experimental projects and niche games might flourish with production becoming much more efficient. However, the industry will have to balance efficiency and creativity. While AI can definitely handle all repetitive tasks, the soul of GTA games is in human ingenuity—something which advanced algorithms cannot replicate. As of now, GTA 6 is the focus of Rockstar Games. But the insights from Vermeij give a glimpse into how tech might reshape the future of gaming. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ex-Rockstar developer predicts GTA 7 will be cheaper due to AI; here's 4 game-changing ways GTA 6 might use AI
GTA 6 fans have been eagerly waiting for the game to release for over a year now, amid ever-growing speculations and rumours online. While we have not yet seen the final version of GTA 6, rumours have already started circulating about its potential successor (could be named GTA 7) being cheaper to develop than the current version, says an ex-Rockstar Games developer. Obbe Vermeij, the former technical director of Rockstar North, has predicted that Rockstar Games might have to spend less on Grand Theft Auto VII as compared to GTA 6 due to the advancement in technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, it seems the predictions made by Vermej don't make an impact on the fans, as there is no such confirmation by Rockstar Games on the same yet, and more information is required to come to a conclusion. Former Rockstar Games developer predicts GTA 7 may have a lower budget than GTA 6 On July 3, the ex-Rockstar Games developer participated in an interview at a YouTube channel called KIWI TALKZ, where he shared that GTA 7 might be cheaper to develop than the upcoming instalment. He said, 'My prediction is that GTA 7 will be cheaper to make than GTA 6…we'll have to wait 15 years to see if I'm right or not.' 'I would imagine that let's say you do a cutscene, you could just, uh, you know, all the characters in the cutscene could just be rendered by an AI, including the conversation, if you just describe the scene. That could be your first pass of a cutscene,' he added. "gta7 will be cheaper to make than gta6"I had a fun chat with @kiwitalkz that just dropped: However, there is no such confirmation or statement released by Rockstar Games yet. But let's look into the 4 ways how GTA 6 could AI-in the game content. 4 ways GTA 6 could use AI for in-game content 1. Realistic radio hosts: GTA's iconic radio stations and news bulletins could be powered by AI to reflect what's happening in the game version. 2. Smarter NCP behaviour: AI can make non-playable characters (NCPs) far more realistic; instead of using pre-written dialogue, GTA 6 could employ AI-driven natural language to generate dynamic. 3. Generate buildings: AI can dynamically generate buildings and interiors in GTA 6, allowing each neighbourhood to feel unique and responsive to the player's actions or in-game events. 4. AI-generated missions and side quests: Rather than relying solely on scripted missions, AI could generate procedural missions based on the player's decisions, reputation, or location. This could lead to an endless stream of personalised quests that feel meaningful, unpredictable, and unique to each player.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ex-Rockstar Games developer reveals he worked on early online mode for GTA 3: 'We pushed for multiplayer again in Vice City
Rockstar Games has finally released its second trailer of Grand Theft Auto VI, a.k.a. GTA 6, in May 2025. Since the launch of the video, there has been a spike in speculations and rumours about the game. Amid this, the former Rockstar Games developer Obbe Vermeij on Wednesday, June 18, revealed that Rockstar Games had been planning for GTA to feature a true online mode since the development of GTA 3, which was released in 2001. Vermeij dedicated his 14 years to Rockstar Games as a technical director, working on Grand Theft Auto games including Vice City, San Andreas, and IV before leaving the company in 2009. Revealing about the same on X (formerly called Twitter), 'For GTA 3, I developed an initial prototype of a deathmatch mode where players could kill one another, pull each other out of vehicles, and respawn at different spots around the city. It looked very promising...' Credit: X | @ObbeVermeij "…but we ran out of time. We needed lobbies, scripts working over the network etc. We decided to cut the effort. #ifdef GTA_NETWORK in the source code is a leftover," he added. Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar developer, says he worked on the online mode for GTA 3 Following the launch of the trailer, it became the biggest video launch in history, garnering over 475 million views in its first 24 hours across all platforms. According to Vermeij, the developers pushed for multiplayer again in Vice City, and he even hired a couple of network coders. But with tight deadlines, it was stopped once more. GTA1 and 2 had LAN multiplayer. To save bandwidth, they only sent keypresses between machines — assuming the game state was 100% deterministic. That meant every game had to run in perfect sync, at the framerate of the slowest PC. In practice, this wasn't always reliable. I… — Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) June 18, 2025 For San Andreas, they didn't make an attempt. Since it was the last game of the PS2 era, it didn't seem worth the effort. Instead, they focused on adding local co-op. But, of course, it wasn't quite the same, he added. Fans share mixed reactions to GTA multiplayer evolution As soon as the post surfaced on the internet, it grabbed the attention of fans online, and one asked, "When doing local multiplayer on San Andreas with my cousin, the cops will always target player 1, CJ, and leave the second player alone. Was this intentional or an oversight?" GTA1 and 2 had LAN multiplayer. To save bandwidth, they only sent keypresses between machines — assuming the game state was 100% deterministic. That meant every game had to run in perfect sync, at the framerate of the slowest PC. In practice, this wasn't always reliable. I… — Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) June 18, 2025 In response to this, Vermeij said, "That sounds like an oversight. The code was initially only written for one player and the coop mode bolted on halfway down the project." it's pretty crazy to think GTA Online was an idea since basically the beginning of GTA but wasn't truly implemented until GTA 5 — Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) June 18, 2025 "Do you have any knowledge on why GTA 5 didn't have local co-op? Seems like a no brainer for a game with 3 playable protagonists who can all be used for a good number of missions and free play," another said. I do remember playing GTA2 multiplayer on a coaxial LAN 10mbps setup and see it always go out-of-sync about 10-20 mins in... *shrugs* — Alex Fuller (@boberfly) June 18, 2025 "It's pretty crazy to think GTA Online was an idea since basically the beginning of GTA but wasn't truly implemented until GTA 5." To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. First Published: Jun 18, 2025, 20:58 IST Sneha is a dedicated writer with a passion for storytelling that enthrals and inspires the readers. With a background in Health and Wellness, she brings a unique perspective to every narrative. As a journalist, she aims to find solutions with authenticity and credibility. Read More 18/6/2025 21:9:58
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Former Rockstar Technical Director Thinks GTA 4 Should Be Remastered
Image via Rockstar Games. Is GTA 4 getting a remaster? At least, the rumors say so. But a former Rockstar Games veteran thinks the game should be remastered, irrespective of all the rumors. Right now the whole gaming world is hyped up about GTA 6. Initially the game was slated to be released in the fall of 2025. However, recently the game was hit with a surprise delay to May 26, 2026. But that didn't stop the hype train because Rockstar recently launched the highly awaited Trailer 2 of the game. Amidst all the fire-works regarding the upcoming title, some rumors are surfacing on the internet that GTA 4 might get a remastered version. Is it true? Former Rockstar dev wants GTA 4 to be remastered GTA 4 needs a remastered version. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo The internet world is now filled with the rumors of GTA 4 getting a potential remastered version. However, former technical director at Rockstar Games, Obbe Vermeij, isn't aware of that. But when he heard about those rumors in the Twitter comment section, he also voiced his support for a remastered version of GTA 4, keeping in mind the recent numbers of successful remasters. Vermeij served Rockstar from 1995 to 2009. So, he was in the company from the very beginning of the Grand Theft Auto franchise and was one of the main architects behind GTA 4. So, who knows better about this highly underrated title than him? Highly underrated because GTA 4 never got the recognition it always deserved. It was a huge leap, both graphical and gameplay wise, from GTA 3. Some even consider GTA 4 to be the best game in the franchise. Yes, GTA 4 might never match the expansiveness or the visual quality of GTA 5, but the way it took people to the immense narrative depth was absolutely stunning. Not only that, unlike GTA 5, GTA 4 was run by only a single protagonist, Niko Bellic . And Vermeij himself thinks Niko is the best protagonist ever in the whole franchise. Even Rockstar itself never cared about this particular installment that much. Despite its narrative and gameplay brilliance, GTA 4 stands as probably the poorly optimized title of the franchise. This is the reason GTA 5 was released on PCs almost two years after its console release, and GTA 6 might take longer . GTA 4 is not even available on current gen consoles as well. Hence, a remastered version of this underrated title is needed. Read More: Is GTA 6 secretly bringing back a lost feature from GTA 4? This clip suggests yes Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
