The release of "Grand Theft Auto 6" on Thursday, Nov. 19, could prompt an estimated 1.5 million Americans to skip work and result in a $1 billion loss in U.S. productivity, according to online reports and surveys.
Arriving after more than 13 years of anticipation, the video game has already drawn millions of preorders ahead of next week's launch.
Economist questions real-world productivity impact
Despite survey projections pointing to widespread absenteeism, at least one local economist doubts the economic disruption will match online estimates. Nick Huntington-Klein, an associate professor of economics at Seattle University, said the key factor is scale.
"The real question is are people going to take more time off work in large enough numbers for us to notice it," Huntington-Klein told FOX 13 Seattle.
Huntington-Klein added that self-reported survey intentions often differ from actual workplace behavior. "My suspicion is the numbers you expect to see in productivity harm based on the survey results will not be as big in real life," he said.
Related
Logitech G gives employees a paid day off
Rather than bracing for unscheduled absences, at least one major gaming brand is turning the launch into an official break for its workforce.
Robin Piispanen, global general manager and vice president of Logitech G, the dedicated gaming division of Logitech, described the release as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Piispanen said Logitech reviewed productivity research and decided to create a company holiday for Nov. 19.
"Instead of making it a thing where they have to take out of their PTO or their vacation time. We can just give that day off for them where they can embrace this, where they can rest assured they don’t have to call in a hooky," said Piispanen.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
WA traffic: Closures to cause delays in King, Snohomish counties
Microsoft apologizes for nationwide outage, but what took so long?
Ocean Shores on boil water advisory. What residents should know
New hope emerges to save Seattle’s beloved Hawaii General Store
Seattle City Council rejects law imposing more restrictions on RVs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
