Naming your organization in GTA Online is way cooler than it sounds

techradar.com:

Last night, I decided to take my first tentative steps into the unknown yet extremely popular world of GTA Online. And while it wasn’t exactly the most seamless experience I’ve ever had – having to create a Rockstar Social Club account just to make a crew is really obnoxious – I can already see why so many players are hooked.

I took part in a ridiculous stunt race that you’d expect to find in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, not a Grand Theft Auto game, cruised around in my armored hot hatchback while attacking other players, and even sold some questionably sourced jewelry to the highest bidder.

But as fun as that was, it’s perhaps GTA Online’s simplest feature that really drew me in: the ability to name your organization.

To my surprise, when I was asked to name my new evil empire in GTA Online, it was actually reflected in-game. Not just on menu screens, but as an actual in-game asset for the world to see. Whenever I enter my swanky high-rise office, sitting above my dutiful receptionist is my organization’s name: Shiba Inc. Why Shiba Inc.? Well, my real life is run by a Japanese Shiba Inu, so it made sense. 

Now, I don’t really know why, but this excruciatingly simple bit of game design evoked a strange sense of pride in me. There’s just something undeniably cool about seeing something you’ve personally named appear in a video game, like when you create your own custom license plate in Forza Horizon 5. It also helped make my new business feel like it was inherently mine, despite being one of the millions created during GTA Online’s lifespan.

And that, fundamentally, draws you into what GTA Online perhaps does differently to other titles: it gives you a power fantasy of sorts and a real feeling of agency. With multiple career paths on