Rockstar Games just celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Grand Theft Auto V. The series has cemented itself as one of the most prolific series of modern gaming. In 2006 Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North developed Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, a prequel to 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game follows Victor “Vic” Vance, a side character from Vice City. Vice City Stories sold extremely well, making it the second best-selling PSP game of all time, after Liberty City Stories. The game has a mechanic known as Empire Buildings. The Empire Buildings are gang-owned properties that the player must attack before they can take over. But these businesses aren’t created equal. Here are the businesses in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories ranked worst to best.
6. Protection Racket
Protection Racket is the least profitable of the legal businesses and rounds out the bottom of the list. The amount of money you receive depends on your reputation in the business. In order to increase your reputation you have to complete side missions, up to fifteen. Once you buy a high-roller building for a business you’ll unlock a new outfit. This outfit will be available at every safehouse. The cost of the buildings is as follows:
- Small-time buildings cost: $1500
- Medium Venture buildings cost: $2900
- High-roller buildings cost: $4400
You receive your income from your business every day at 16:00 unless you are currently on a mission. If you are busy with a mission you will be paid as soon as it ends.
| Reputation Level | Income Per Building |
| Small Time: Nobody | $200 |
| Small Time: Hoodlum | $400 |
| Small Time: Ultimate Badass | $600 |
| Medium Venture: Nobody | $300 |
| Medium Venture: Hoodlum | $600 |
| Medium Venture: Ultimate Badass | $900 |
| High Roller: Nobody | $300 |
| High Roller: Hoodlum | $600 |
| High Roller: Ultimate Badass | $900 |
5. Loan Shark
In the middle of the legal business is Loan Sharking. The cost of the buildings is as follows:
- Small-time buildings cost: $2000
- Medium Venture buildings cost: $3900
- High-roller buildings cost: $6800
Income scales as so:
| Reputation Level | Income Per Building |
| Small Time: Nobody | $300 |
| Small Time: Lifter | $600 |
| Small Time: Crim-Reaper | $900 |
| Medium Venture: Nobody | $600 |
| Medium Venture: Lifter | $1200 |
| Medium Venture: Crim-Reaper | $1800 |
| High Roller: Nobody | $600 |
| High Roller: Lifter | $1200 |
| High Roller: Crim-Reaper | $1800 |
4. Prostitution
The most profitable legal business in Vice City Stories is Prostitution. The cost of the buildings is as follows:
- Small-time buildings cost: $3000
- Medium Venture buildings cost: $5900
- High-roller buildings cost: $8800
Income scales as so:
| Reputation Level | Income Per Building |
| Small Time: Nobody | $400 |
| Small Time: Panderer | $800 |
| Small Time: Mack Daddy | $1200 |
| Medium Venture: Nobody | $800 |
| Medium Venture: Panderer | $1600 |
| Medium Venture: Mack Daddy | $2400 |
| High Roller: Nobody | $800 |
| High Roller: Panderer | $1600 |
| High Roller: Mack Daddy | $2400 |
3. Drugs
The least profitable of the illegal businesses is selling drugs. The cost of the buildings is as follows:
- Small-time buildings cost: $4500
- Medium Venture buildings cost: $8900
- High-roller buildings cost: $13300
Income scales as so:
| Reputation Level | Income Per Building |
| Small Time: Nobody | $500 |
| Small Time: Dealer | $1000 |
| Small Time: Smack Daddy | $1500 |
| Medium Venture: Nobody | $1000 |
| Medium Venture: Dealer | $2000 |
| Medium Venture: Smack Daddy | $3000 |
| High Roller: Nobody | $1000 |
| High Roller: Dealer | $2000 |
| High Roller: Smack Daddy | $3000 |
2. Smuggling
The second most profitable business is smuggling. The cost of the buildings is as follows:
- Small-time buildings cost: $5000
- Medium Venture buildings cost: $9900
- High-roller buildings cost: $14800
Income scales as so:
| Reputation Level | Income Per Building |
| Small Time: Nobody | $600 |
| Small Time: Mule | $1200 |
| Small Time: Pirate Captain | $1800 |
| Medium Venture: Nobody | $1200 |
| Medium Venture: Mule | $2400 |
| Medium Venture: Pirate Captain | $3600 |
| High Roller: Nobody | $1200 |
| High Roller: Mule | $2400 |
| High Roller: Pirate Captain | $3600 |
1. Robbery
The most profitable business in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is robbery. The cost of the buildings is as follows:
- Small-time buildings cost: $6000
- Medium Venture buildings cost: $11900
- High-roller buildings cost: $17800
Income scales like so:
| Reputation Level | Income Per Building |
| Small Time: Nobody | $700 |
| Small Time: Larcinist | $1400 |
| Small Time: Heist Master | $2100 |
| Medium Venture: Nobody | $1400 |
| Medium Venture: Larcinist | $2800 |
| Medium Venture: Heist Master | $4200 |
| High Roller: Nobody | $1400 |
| High Roller: Larcinist | $2800 |
| High Roller: Heist Master | $4200 |
Conclusion
There is plenty of freedom for you to decide how to run your businesses in Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories. For those who want the most money possible, I recommend you invest in robbery, smuggling, and drugs. You may have noticed the high-roller buildings’ income is the same as the medium-venture buildings’. The point of the high-rollers is to have more gang members spawn. Victor’s gang will never spawn without businesses nearby.