Forget calling in sick because you have a fever. Some people are about to come down with a serious case of Grand Theft Auto-itis. 😂
Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to hit stores on Thursday, November 19th, and one economics professor thinks its release could cost American businesses a whopping $1 BILLION in lost productivity. That’s right. A video game could have people stealing cars in Vice City while their actual jobs sit unattended. 🚗💨
The professor estimates that around 1.5 million Americans could skip work to play the game on launch day. And let’s be honest, some people probably won’t stop at one day off. They’ll need Thursday to play, Friday to keep playing, and Monday to explain why their emails haven’t been answered since Wednesday afternoon. 🎮😭
The biggest impact could hit the tech industry, since many of the people expected to ditch work are between 18 and 30 years old. Which is pretty ironic when you think about it: technology could be taking a billion-dollar hit because people are too busy enjoying technology.
Of course, not everybody will call in sick. Some people will wait until they get home, play over the weekend, and show up to work like responsible adults. But others? Their bosses might be getting a suspicious number of last-minute “stomach bug” texts that Thursday morning. 🤒😂
So, will GTA 6 really cost businesses $1 billion in lost productivity? That’s the estimate, not a guaranteed outcome. But if millions of people suddenly develop mysterious illnesses on November 19th, we’ll have a pretty good idea what’s going on.
Be honest: Would you call out of work to play GTA 6, or are you waiting until you clock out? 👀🎮