Take-Two Interactive Chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick has recently spoken out about the prolonged development period of the Grand Theft Auto 6 and the company’s strong push into mobile gaming, observing the strategic importance of both to the $180 billion worldwide video game market.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick, who famously left his role as President of 20th Century Fox in 1993 to join a gaming startup, addressed the nearly 12-year gap between GTA 5 and the upcoming title.
«We haven’t we set an intention actually to rest our intellectual property,» Zelnick explained, contrasting Take-Two’s approach with competitors who might release titles annually. «We think you need to create enormous anticipation on the one hand. And of course, on the other hand, it takes a long time to develop these big, robust experiences.»
He emphasized the high standards set by developer Rockstar Games, stating, «Rockstar Games seeks perfection in what they do and the perfection… It’s a pretty high bar. It takes a long time.»
Regarding the intense secrecy surrounding the GTA 6 release date, Zelnick cited the unparalleled hype. «The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property,» he said. «We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement… We found that the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement… and balance the excitement with unmet anticipation.»
The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property. And I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve been in every entertainment business there is, and we want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. And we do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance.
While console blockbusters like GTA remain crucial, Zelnick detailed Take-Two’s major strategic focus on mobile gaming, significantly bolstered by the acquisition of Zynga in mid-2022. Despite the mobile market experiencing a temporary downturn shortly after the deal closed, Zelnick framed it as a long-term play.
Today, mobile represents roughly 50% of Take-Two’s net bookings. «Our goal on the mobile side is to have the number one market share in mobile. We’re not there yet. We’re heading in that direction,» Zelnick affirmed. He praised the Zynga team for launching new hits like Match Factory and Color BLOCK Jam, alongside managing «forever franchises» such as Words with Friends and Empires & Puzzles.
Source: Bloomberg
