The exact release date of the next installment of the hugely successful video game Grand Theft Auto franchise has been vague. Rumors and speculations run rampant about the gameplay and content of the much-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6.
Take-Two executive Strauss Zelnick, the publisher of the GTA series, however, said the development team does not have plans for making major changes in the upcoming GTA 6. Zelnick said that the publisher of the video game is not planning on introducing anything drastically different from what the players have been used to expect. The producer of the highly acclaimed sandbox series insist that their formula has been proven to have been successful in the past, and they don't want to create unnecessary risk.
According to MCV, Zelnick said, "Our strategy, ever since we took over the company, has been a limited number of the highest-quality releases. Even if that means we need to postpone putting something out, even though we don't like to, in order to achieve high quality. Every time we do that, we're gratified by the results."
Zelnick also mentioned that there will be no changes in the game's future development, especially in the game's multiplayer mode, as well as sticking with the game developer's strategy in developing GTA. After all, the Grand Theft Auto game franchise accounts for 39 percent of Take Two's total revenue in the second quarter of this year, with eight million players still enjoying the game's multiplayer mode.
"We need to be there for the consumer, we need to meet the consumer's interest," Zelnick said. "World of Warcraft shows that there are certain titles with a persistent world that can generate engagement and, therefore, revenue for long periods of time. But that's a very different model to our model."
Zelnick said in a separate report by Gamespot that Take Two does not want to rush the development of its games, particularly its big guns like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto.
Zelnick admits that Take Two is under intense stress to start releasing games every year, which seems to be the norm now for other gaming studios. He states that his company maintains its commitment to providing their fans with the same level of quality for every game and not short-changing gamers with a yearly release but lacks in quality.
"The market asks us, 'Why don't you annualize your titles?' We think with the non-sports titles, we are better served to create anticipation and demand. On the one hand to rest the title and, on the other hand, to have the highest quality in the market, which takes time. You can't do that annually."
