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I think the article has missed something about what Rockstar could consider piracy here: the revenue they get from selling GTA:O microtransactions. If people are opting out of the GTA:O experience for a different online one, that is users Rockstar no longer have to potentially sell microtransactions to.

If Rockstar's plan is to focus on GTA:O as a revenue source, then it makes sense to shut down any potential competition, especially if that competition is in their own game.

Of course, one could argue that Rockstar may sell more copies of the game for the sake of playing alternative online modes, but I think that this won't be true. If the potential gains from new 'boxed' copies of the game were greater than the potential gains from microtransactions, I think we'd see Rockstar focusing on bringing out more content similar to the two expansions they released for GTA4, rather than the online content they are focusing on now.