Grand Theft Auto V: The Greatest Distraction Ever

I’m sitting at my computer, which is conveniently located near my PlayStation 3, looking at the TV at a message that has been haunting me all night:

Failed to host a GTA Online session. Please return to Grand Theft Auto V and try again later.

Many people are frustrated they can’t get on to GTA Online, and many of those who can are having a lot of trouble getting the game to actually work right, but for those that are upset, you need to look back at that message a little closer.

Please return to Grand Theft Auto V and try again later.

Sure, GTA Online isn’t working, and yes it is one of the most anticipated games the world has ever seen, but you know what? We can still play Grand Theft Auto V. I wrote recently about games that have launched in the last year or so and have had troubled beginnings. Games like SimCity, Diablo 3, and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. But I never even considered GTA Online being added to this list.

Perhaps I should have, because not only did Rockstar warn us it might happen, but it’s not like they have a lot of experience launching online games. So maybe we should have all seen this coming, but let’s not forget what those other games that had botched launches were lacking that GTA Online has.

GTA V: It’s Better Than Nothing. Much Better.

That’s right, we don’t have to sit around and be mad that the game we just spent $60 on isn’t working. We don’t have to get on the internet and rage that Rockstar is ruining our experience or that they owe us a refund. In fact, we are getting some bonus content that didn’t ever have to be included, and is a completely free addition to an already massive and amazing game. If you can’t be happy with the fact that you can sit back and play some GTA V while you keep checking to see if you can hop online, then you’re probably playing the wrong game.

Look, I’m just as frustrated by the lack of connectivity as everyone else. I really want to get in this game and start causing mass destruction around Los Santos with my friends. I want to create a new character, forging my own story in this open world, and share my experiences with other people. I want to play the stock market and make so much money I can start my own bank (which in turn could be robbed by my “friends”).

There is going to be so much to do in this game that it is really hard to be sitting and looking at this error message. But we can’t forget that there is one helluva backup plan waiting for us on this very same disc. We don’t have to turn off our consoles, change games, or even walk away in frustration, because a game we already know and love, and likely haven’t explored to completion yet, is sitting there waiting for us. 

Let’s all take a breath and not focus too much on the fact that a game mode that Rockstar never had to include isn’t working. Let’s revel in the fact that while we wait for GTA Online to become available, Rockstar provided us one amazing distraction in Grand Theft Auto V.