Around 18% of U.S. Workers May Take Day Off for GTA VI Release
Data from BambooHR suggests roughly 18% of American employees plan to miss work on November 19 for the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, potentially costing the U.S. economy about $1 billion in lost productivity.
Roughly 18% of U.S. workers intend to take Thursday, Nov. 19, off to play the newly released Grand Theft Auto VI, according to BambooHR, which analyzed data from 3.4 million employees. Half of those planning to miss work are expected to call in sick rather than request vacation time. The organization estimates the absenteeism could reduce U.S. productivity by about $1 billion.
The game, the most pre-ordered title on Xbox and PlayStation, has generated over $1 billion in presales and is projected by a University of Southern California professor to earn $3 billion or more in its first weeks. He compared the anticipated revenue to the lifetime earnings of the film "Avengers: Endgame."
"Of course, folks are going to play hooky on November 19th. Speaking of which, my throat feels a little scratchy," said Matthew Payne, professor of Film, Television, and Theater at Notre Dame.
"Compare that to the most successful launch in movies, ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ which has made about $3 billion lifetime, and you get a sense of the scale involved," added the professor.
Industry analysts note that while the temporary loss of labor may affect some sectors, the game's publisher Rockstar and parent company Take-Two are not expected to suffer financially. The launch is also prompting increased internet traffic in the United Kingdom and Canada, with providers reporting record broadband usage on the pre-download day.
U.S. internet providers Spectrum and Xfinity are offering temporary speed upgrades to help gamers download the 212-gigabyte title more quickly, though full installation may still take several hours or days depending on connection speed.