As Grand Theft Auto VI approaches its November 19 release date, a fitness company has proposed a series of exercises designed to prepare players' hands and thumbs for extended gameplay sessions.
Personal trainer David Hope, via the fitness company PureGym, has outlined three exercises aimed at warming up players before they pick up their controllers. The first involves tapping the thumb to each finger on the same hand, a movement that can also serve as a mindfulness technique. The second exercise requires spreading the hand into a 'five' shape, then forming a fist with the thumb positioned on the outside. Finally, Hope recommends finger pushups, where the fingertips of both hands are placed on a surface and pressure is applied through the fingers. PureGym suggests performing each exercise 10 times before playing and again after a long gaming session, emphasizing that hands and thumbs do the majority of the work during gameplay while the rest of the body remains largely inactive.
The anticipated release of GTA VI is also projected to have an economic impact, with one economics professor estimating that as many as 1.5 million people in America might call in sick to work on release day.
In related news, fans can already experience elements of the game's world through in-game branded food locations at Miami's Kaseya Center, where the NBA's Miami Heat play. The arena currently features Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell establishments, both of which are featured in the Grand Theft Auto series.