Source
r/gtaonline•
RandomInvasion

Shark Card special offer for Social Club members (ends Sunday January 24)

PSA

So I just got a mail from R* Propaganda and thought I'd share it on here for those who are unaware.

I know, I know. Shark Cards. There has been some discussion about them on here in the past (Here and here for instance), but I thought that aside from conspiracies and haters this might actually be interesting for some users. I personally don't really care, but some probably will. Also I am absolutely cool with Shark Cards that enable all of us to get FREE DLC.

TL:DR If you buy a card starting today, Thursday, until Sunday you'll receive an extra cash bonus.

Check the image below for everything you need to know. Edit: This offer is available for all platforms. You may need to be opted-in for the R* mailing list. Edit 2: According to the in-game info screen when launching the game it is available to every SC member.

http://i.imgur.com/XfBkpYN.jpg

Posted Jan 21, 2016, 10:18 PM UTC · edited

3460
ADozenDone•

If someone bought a shark from Gamestop last month at 50% off and used the code during this promotion...that would be a pretty nice discount.

Also, OP, don't apologize for promoting news like this. Contrary to all of the noise the elites make who shit all over shark cards and the people who buy them, some of us support the development of the game this way and this is helpful information for us.

19
overseer3•

Love the way rockstar's handled dlc. Do people really like the way other companies do it where you basically buy the game twice to enjoy dlc?!

7
Gofaw•

Significant DLCs with hours of gameplay are worth it. Rockstar adds a couple missions, retextured guns and overpriced vehicles to make it basically impossible for non-hacking people to buy em without shark cards. I'd take paid DLC over this shit any day

-13
ADozenDone•

Hours spent playing VIP missions. Hours spent doing Slasher and Beast missions and events. Hours spent fooling around on yachts.

They've been worth it to me.

9
iamphook•

Yup, people want two things at once that conflict with each other. The new items themselves are usually the DLC. People want hours of play, but they also want to buy the items on day 1. When they can't buy the items on day 1, and realize they have to play to make money in order to purchase them, they get mad and cry at rockstar.

5
Weedell•

Idk about you, but I've spent many dozens of hours playing heists alone, so that box is checked. I've also got two characters w every expensive vehicle worth having and I just play the game and save money. Go piss off and play your pay to win games if you can't handle this level of awesome.

2
[deleted]•

[removed]

-10
iamphook•

See, you are just looking at it differently. The way things are priced, is so that it adds more hours of gameplay. They've added a new way to make money in the most recent DLC. But you are mad that you can't purchase the new items on day 1, because you have to either "hack" or "buy shark cards".

2
Gofaw•

It makes it a grind nigga

1
TheNathanNSLevel 369, $12 mil•

some of us support the development of the game this way

I'll drink to that.

I honestly consider Shark Cards to be a "donation" for supporting R*, in return we get more free DLC.

4
McWaddle•

My dislike of shark cards is the poor value. 100$ for 8m is in no way worth it, and $100 for 12m isn't much better.

$50 for 16m, those I'd buy.

15
RonDonVolante92•

agreed 50 for 16 would be my highest

3
xmx900xmx900•

How did you read my mind?

1
dytoxin•

My only problem with them but if you think about it in terms of in game time vs real world time. It takes at most about 12 hours to make enough money minimum wage to get 8m in game. It takes far more than 12 hours playing the game to make that. But that still doesn't diminish from them looking like ridiculously bad value.

1
supershutze•

I'd buy one if they weren't all hilariously overpriced.

6
gotopless•

Man this sucks for me if I had waited to enter my 2 gamestop megalodon cards I got while they were on sale until now I could have had an extra 8 million. Buy 1 get 2 free would have been fantastic, to think I was happy with gamestops 2 for the price of one. 24 mil for $100 yes please!
Oh well I'll go pout in the corner now haha

Thanks for the info OP

5
Miataguy94•

Sounds like they are prepping us for some new content, but that could just be wishful thinking.

4
SanshaXII•

They do have a habit of doing this before drumping a big new money sink. New Lowriders are indeed coming.

4
treesandgames•

I don't care for Lowriders, but I'm happy they're still developing. I want another two player heist most of all, and selling Pegasus vehicles

1
jasondecrae•

See? ANOTHER way R* is trying to make us buy more Shark Cards! /s

Edit: Thanks for pointing out the special offer :)

2
NewYorkDolBluja•

Has anyone sussed out if this is exclusive? I am a Rock* social club member.... im not entirely familiar with all the Ts and Cs, but I was able to acquire the elergy for free, aswell as joining a crew, i just purhased the great white shark card, and so far i havent noticed anything different whatsoever

2
RandomInvasionOP•

Like with any other cash bonus you won't get any notification or feedbeck if you were successfull or not until you will actually receive the bonus cash and get a notification either when starting up Online or via a text message in-game which will happen by no later than Wednesday January 27.

1
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
Victor_Murdochted_the_titanic•

I'm guessing this is PC only?

1
RandomInvasionOP•

No. All platforms. I have my PSN account linked to my SC account and when I clicked on a card in the mail it brought me straight to the PS store.

Also it doesn't matter if you buy the card in-game, online through another store or at a local retailer as long as you use it during that time.

4
Victor_Murdochted_the_titanic•

Alright man, thanks.

Do I need to recieve an email from Rockstar to get the bonus money, or does this apply to anyone that buys a shark card?

3
RandomInvasionOP•

I am not 100% sure on this. There could be more limitations applied to this. I am pretty sure that this offer is only available to SC members, so you need an SC account and need to have your PSN/XBL/Steam account linked to it. HOWEVER from what it says in the mail I can NOT confirm whether this offer is available to anyone with a SC account or only to those who additionally opted-in for the R* mailing list.

In the mail it says:

As an opted-in member of the Rockstar Games Social Club, you're receiving this notification of a special Shark Cash Card offer.

So it could very well be an offer only available to those people.

It's probably best to contact R* support through the website or maybe on twitter if you are unsure.

3
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
420patience•

Damn I just bought one YESTERDAY!

Edit: I emailed Rockstar, they explained that this is only for XB1 and PS4 players. PC not included, oddly.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Statiegeld•

I bought both a Whale and a Great White shark card on Saturday the 23th, but I have yet to receive the extra bonus cash...

looks on his watch and sees it's the 28th already

1
RandomInvasionOP•

That sucks. And even though it might be tedious, but I'd totally get in touch with the R* support if I were you. A bit under 1.9 million is quote a bit of cash.

1
Statiegeld•

1.6 million to be exact. I already opened a ticket, but R* doesn't seem to have the time to respond to it... How nice...

1
ergotayours•

aside from conspiracies

By "conspiracies", I'm guessing you mean "conspiracy theories". What do you think is a conspiracy theory? That Rockstar intentionally cripples GTA Online to make Shark Cards a more attractive offer? It's not a theory; mission payouts have gradually been reduced, prices for new DLC items have increased, and the only measures Rockstar implements to deal with hackers are those that prevent money spawning, because it hurts their bottom line.

I am absolutely cool with Shark Cards that enable all of us to get FREE DLC

Rockstar has made over $2,079,480,000 from GTA V. They have plenty of money to be releasing free DLC. Furthermore, it's not really free: most DLC updates are extremely expensive money sinks (multi-million-dollar vehicles, $10,000+ outfits, and so on) that are next to useless and can only be purchased if you repeat the same heist for hours and days on end -- or just give in and buy a Shark Card. The DLC is released to help sell Shark Cards, not as a reward for their previous sales.

-3†
SanshaXII•

Rockstar has made over $2,079,480,000 from GTA V.

You're living in a fantasy if you think this money went anywhere but making back their development fun of GTA V, staff bonuses for the finished product, shareholder rewards and development of GTA VI.

They didn't make two billion dollars just for the pleasure of punching out free DLC for us. Do you really think they'd just sink all of that money into Online for no return? Would you? If you were a shareholder, would you exchange your shares increasing in value to give people a free Online game? Also no bonuses this year guys; the world needs free gameplay.

only be purchased if you repeat the same heist for hours and days on end -- or just give in and buy a Shark Card.

I'll lay it out here - this argument is outright fucking retarded, and you're outright fucking retarded for parroting it.

Yeah god forbid you play the game, right? That's what Freemode events and VIP shit is specifically for - a new, less monotonous way of making money, and neither feel as grindy as heisting.

As I say to everyone else who complains about 'grinding', fuck you; put in the time. This is what these overpriced luxury items are for - people like me who actually bother to play the game and are thusly rewarded for our time.

Please refer to my Shark Card rant for more information about how your opinion is stupid, and you're stupid for having it. You're whining about this kind of microtransaction as if GTAO is pay-to-win, as if you couldn't get currency any other way, and as if advertising them was shoved in our faces constantly. None of which are true, and I don't get at all what the bitchcry about them is other than "I should neither have to work nor pay for GTA$ because reasons."

6
TessioMT•

GTAO is sort of a long term MMO where you reward yourself with shinies as you go along to commemorate your milestones.

I can't help but feel the people who refuse to buy Shark Cards and yet don't want to put in the work / cheat for it are part of the "instant gratification" crowd.

They want the new shit for the sake of new shit. They feel like they are locked out of "content" behind a "paywall grind". It's really mind boggling that people spend hours begging in an online game rather than actually use that time to play and reap the rewards.

...because a Rank 43 still wearing a cat t-shirt and using an Elegy would be the kind of person that needs a yacht RIGHT NOW or they'll lose every PvP battle. /s

They "experience" the new stuff without any of the work, get bored, and go back to sticky bombing random low ranks in their chrome Zentorno in their Joker outfit.

3
SanshaXII•

the "instant gratification" crowd... locked out of "content" behind a "paywall grind".

That really is the issue. I don't understand how people think making money is a 'grind', when everything you do to make money is the core concept of gameplay. The people begging for mod money in Freemode are a shining example of this. They just want stuff. More absurdly, they buy things to check them out instead of experimenting with them on key missions or in Single-Player, because that's too much effort.

The kind of person who buys a Nightshade, Mamba and Armored Cognoscenti the day they come out, then call bullshit on not being able to afford a Turreted Limo and have the million bucks to be a VIP. The kind of person who has an Osiris and T20 in their collection for no other reason than they had tons of money on the heist specials that lead up to Ill-Gotten Gains.

3
ergotayours•

You're living in a fantasy if you think this money went anywhere but making back their development fun of GTA V, staff bonuses for the finished product, shareholder rewards and development of GTA VI.

What else would it go to? Reinvestment, salaries, and shareholder rewards is the definition of a for-profit company.

They didn't make two billion dollars just for the pleasure of punching out free DLC for us. Do you really think they'd just sink all of that money into Online for no return?

No, of course not. I would just prefer paid DLC rather than intentionally gimped gameplay.

As I say to everyone else who complains about 'grinding', fuck you; put in the time.

I have no issue with putting in the time. I spent a huge portion of my childhood playing RuneScape. I've played hundreds of hours in GTA Online making money. My issues is that the grind is completely intentional, whereas the grind in other games I've played is just the natural byproduct of wanting to excel in the game.

You're whining about this kind of microtransaction as if GTAO is pay-to-win

I actually never said that, and I don't think that's correct, if only because Shark Cards are so expensive.

as if you couldn't get currency any other way

I also never said that. It's just that the ways of getting currency are very slow compared to the price of most items.

as if advertising them was shoved in our faces constantly

I never said that either. If I really need to repeat it again: my issue is with the fact that Rockstar is changing the game in order to sell the cards.

I don't get at all what the bitchcry about them is other than "I should neither have to work nor pay for GTA$ because reasons."

No, you don't. This has nothing to do with not wanting to grind and wanting to get quick cash -- it's easy enough to find a hacker to rain money on you if that's what you like.

-1
SanshaXII•

I would just prefer paid DLC rather than intentionally gimped gameplay.

No, you wouldn't. This is either ridiculous hyperbole or you're crazy. Paid DLC splits up the community, and devastates the playerbase as those who can't or don't want to pay for it will outright abandon the game. You want a paywall? There it is.

whereas the grind in other games I've played is just the natural byproduct of wanting to excel in the game.

That applies to GTA. You're not going excel if you don't 'grind'. And the definition of grinding is doing the same thing over and over and over. There is so fucking much to do in this game, you could play all day and not do the same thing twice. So many Adversary modes, so many Freemode events and VIP jobs, so many different kinds of races. Yes, you can grind heists, but - as you said - that's only if you want to excel - IE, getting rich as hell.

changing the game in order to sell the cards.

In case of Contact Missions, they paid out too much. They still do. Heists, Freemode events and VIP work - all of which are a higher tier of job - need to pay significantly higher than Contact Missions to encourage people to branch out and move up. Reducing the payout of Missions was a good decision to further populate high-tier activities. It's still the most efficient way to hammer out wealth, especially if your system does short loading times.

What you have here isn't evidence. You've simply made the connection to confirm your own bias, like any good conspiracy nut. If you don't like Shark Cards, don't buy the fuckin' things, but don't try to talk shit on a company selling a product with the least intrusive advertising and the most generous alternate options I've seen in an online game.

3
Weedell•

Jobs pay the same as they have for over a year and a half, if you're making less its because you're doing them quicker and/or not playing w as many people as you used to (more players increase pay/time.) So your reason is BS. Also, going by the Google definition of conspiracy "a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful." this fails on its face.

And a business spending money to make money? Oh the fucking horror, whatever shall we do. Please, spare me the socialist drivel. They spent a fortune to earn a fortune and GTAO is a free add-on to an amazing game that many of us were quite excited to buy w/o the online component.

4
ergotayours•

Jobs pay the same as they have for over a year and a half

Yes, jobs used to pay more and were reduced. You're agreeing with me.

if you're making less its because you're doing them quicker and/or not playing w as many people as you used to (more players increase pay/time.) So your reason is BS.

I know the pay mechanics, thanks. I am referring to the payout changes that happened earlier in the game's history, like you mentioned.

Also, going by the Google definition of conspiracy "a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful." this fails on its face.

The expression is "falls flat on its face", not "fails on its face". And, assuming you agree with me that Rockstar has made game changes in order to drive Shark Card sales, then their plan is secret (they certainly haven't publicly stated anything about it) and harmful (by making the core of the game a chore so that users are willing to pay to be free of it).

And a business spending money to make money? Oh the fucking horror, whatever shall we do.

Stop being an unpaid shill for corporations and just playing the game?

Please, spare me the socialist drivel.

I'm a libertarian, actually. Do you think that criticizing a corporation means you are a socialist and want to control the market?

They spent a fortune to earn a fortune

GTA V cost roughly $266 million to produce, according to this article. That means GTA V has made about $1.8 billion profit, or a 781% return. They are not struggling to recoup their cash.

GTAO is a free add-on to an amazing game that many of us were quite excited to buy w/o the online component.

It's not an add-on, actually; it was advertised and released alongside GTA V as the game's multiplayer mode.

-5
The-Irish-PotatoCreator of /r/HeistTeams•

Violent duct used to pay out 7000. It now pays out close to 15000.

Tell me again how they reduced payouts?

1
dytoxin•

Because you can't repeat fucking rooftop rumble or coveted or potshot for 19k every 2 minutes like before. Before, as in, when those were the only missions that paid half a shit and everything else paid you 1500-7000 for more effort and time.

1
ADozenDone•

For-profit company seeks...profits. Gotcha.

In all of these pissy arguments about how awful Rockstar is and how awful GTAO, I never see anyone claiming it's causing a mass exodus of players. Not only is it not (8 million weekly as of a few months ago) but sharks are leading Take-Two's DLC revenue generators. So, regardless of whether or not everything you claim is true, the vast majority of players don't give a shit.

2
ergotayours•

For-profit company seeks...profits. Gotcha.

I'm not saying that Rockstar's behavior is out of the ordinary, I'm just pointing out that it exists. Although I'm sure many of us knew Rockstar as a company that didn't participate in the scummy profit-chasing of other game development companies, at least until GTA V came out.

the vast majority of players don't give a shit

And that's fine. I'm just trying to point out deceptive thinking. If someone made a post with a genuinely theoretical conspiracy theory about Rockstar, I would point that out too. When OP characterizes players dismayed with Rockstar's Shark Card agenda as conspiracy theorists, I feel obliged to point out the facts.

Your only argument is that the game isn't bad enough to make players abandon the game they paid $60+ for and have invested a great number of hours in.

-5
ADozenDone•

You:

Your only argument is that the game isn't bad enough to make players abandon the game they paid $60+ for and have invested a great number of hours in.

Me:

sharks are leading Take-Two's DLC revenue generators.

Source:

The publisher said the game--which saw its initial release two years ago--continued to enjoy "robust demand," while microtransaction sales from GTA Online showed "strong growth" during the period...Another bright spot for Take-Two in the quarter was revenue from "recurrent consumer spending," which includes sales of virtual currency, DLC, and online subscriptions. Sales in this area grew 39 percent and accounted for 51 percent of net revenue from digitally delivered content...GTA Online was the top performer in this category.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5s-online-mode-has-8-million-players-per-week-/1100-6432029/

3
ergotayours•

So your argument is that the fact that more and more players are purchasing Shark Cards proves that Rockstar is not gimping the game in order to drive Shark Card sales?

-5
dytoxin•

mission payouts have gradually been reduced, prices for new DLC items have increased

WHAT?! You mean that making every single mission viable with reasonable pay while only hurting the few that people grinded ad nauseum is gradually reducing mission payouts?! Missions are actually paying the same for me as they were months ago! I must've missed the memo! And you mean to tell me that things may get more expensive as time goes?! What about all those hours where we have days, weeks, and months to get a fortune? We have had tons of time to accrue plenty of money and you mean to tell me that Rockstar will release big ticket items for us to blow it on?!

People have complained and had conspiracy theories about how Rockstar balances the game in a way to force shark cards on everyone since its release under the flawed idea that the game would've been balanced differently without them. Where's the proof there? Where's any form of evidence? That sounds pretty conspiracy theory to me. It's literally under the assumption that it would be remotely different, as if games without shark cards are never balanced in a way to give you a reward structure to earn rewards and prolong gameplay.

1
Stra2caster•

Someone 'gifted' me 47 million the other day. Fuck shark cards.

-7
ohmanyouresosmart•

No one cares

4