Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar Games and the CEO of it Strauss Zelnick was asked by one investor how the company decides when to release a game like GTA 6 (thanks, GR+). “We’re all in this together,” purred Zelnick, emphasising that everyone involved from the game’s developers to the management suits are incentivised to ensure the game stays on schedule.
Zelnick wasn’t done there, and clearly thinks GTA 6 is going to be both the biggest and the best entertainment product around. Get a load of this: “We’re seeking perfection, and when we feel we’ve optimized creatively, that’s the time to release,” said Zelnick. “There is inherent tension, potentially, between getting something to market and creating perfection. But this company errs on the side of perfection.”
Another investor asked: how much is it gonna sell Strauss, dammit? “Our sense is that the anticipation [for GTA 6] is much higher [than for GTA V],” soothed Zelnick. “Much, much higher. On the other hand, you know, 195 million units [of GTA 5 sales] to date is nothing to sneeze at. We stop well short of making predictions about how the title will do, but clearly anticipation is running very, very high.”
Before the call Zelnick also addressed the leak of GTA 6 footage and even the first trailer (Rockstar responded by almost immediately releasing the real thing). “It’s amazing when the trailer announcement is huge news, and then we were very gratified when the trailer broke the internet, so we couldn’t be happier or more excited,”. “In terms of the leak, that’s always disappointing for the team, but ultimately, I don’t think it hurt us.”
There were also some prepared remarks, in which Zelnick described GTA’s momentum as “phenomenal” and boasts that the first trailer “broke YouTube’s records for a non-music video launch and along with partner channels, became the biggest video debut ever.” He also mentions the recent partnership that brought the GTA Trilogy to Netflix has resulted in “the highest rate of installs and engagement on [Netflix’s] game platform.”
