Take-Two: Annualization Not Consistent With "High Quality"
Grand Theft Auto VCertain franchises get new entries every year. It has been a popular topic here at PSXE.
But Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has said that annual entries may not be the best idea and that eventually, even the most die-hard fans will tire of the series.
He also spoke about Take-Two's hesitancy to embrace subscription-based services like Call of Duty Elite. In speaking at the UBS Media and Communications Conference, Zelnick responded to questions concerning Activision's new CoD endeavor:
"I can't tell whether it's relevant yet. I'm kind of skeptical, frankly. I suspect that we want a different experience on our big screen than we do on our middle-sized screen than we do on our mobile screen, because I think we use them at different times and they mean different things. I do think an intellectual property can thread through, but only if it is really high quality."
And then, in regards to the whole annualization trend, Zelnick got on the gamer's good side once again:
"If you start trying to stamp these products out annually, we don't think that's consistent with a high-quality result. If you give consumers something every year like clockwork, even if it's fantastic, there's a high chance they're going to get tired of it."
Zelnick finished by saying that despite digital growth, packaged goods still account for 90% of Take-Two's business. Oh, and by the way, Grand Theft Auto - which has never been an annual series, and never will be - has shipped 117 million copies as a franchise, and GTAIV has now shipped 23 million. Any guesses for GTAV?
Tags: take two interactive, gtav, grand theft auto v, call of duty, call of duty elite
12/6/2011 8:32:20 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (15 posts)
LegendaryWolfeh
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 12:08:39 AM
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1 up, 1 down
faraga
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 1:28:53 AM
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Valve is one, for instance, although HL3 is taking "ages" a little too literally.
3 up, 0 down
ulsterscot
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 2:19:32 AM
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Military FPS fans love this - everybody else forms a line up to bash it.
0 up, 0 down
Rogueagent01
Thursday, December 08, 2011 @ 3:12:37 AM
0 up, 0 down
ulsterscot
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 2:28:16 AM
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0 up, 0 down
wackazoa
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 10:01:55 AM
Last edited by wackazoa on 12/7/2011 10:02:42 AM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 3:10:28 AM
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now only if they could speed up development time, and please stop announcing 10 games 5+ years before there ready to release!
speaking of games being announced far too early, when are we going to hear about agent?
some time this century?
thats what i hate about 2K, they announce 5 games at once, then say nothing about them for 3 years, then announce another few games and show nothing of them for years, then release 1 of the first set of games, rinse and repeat.
wish they could go to announce a game, show it off, release it.
that way it does not feel like were waiting a eternity for them!
0 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 3:13:27 AM
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I'm glad that Take Two thinks this way. I mean, it gives room for other publishers to encroach on their hallowed territory by filling the void that is left by only having one Bioshock every two years, one GTA every three, one Darkness every four, etc., but most publishers are too wound up in trying to put forth the next game in their ridiculously overpopular franchise to even try to copy the brilliance of each of these games. I like the mentality of these guys. It's all about the quality, and that is what really matters.
3 up, 0 down
wackazoa
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 10:18:36 AM
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Whereas Rockstar and Quantic Dream give you experiences you play and it stays with you. Uncharted as well is an experience. I will definently show my support by buying thier games new.
And renting or going used with EA and Activison......
0 up, 0 down
CheddarClyde
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 3:16:06 PM
Many of the Sony studios like Quantic Dreams, Sucker Punch and Naughty Dog are smaller houses that haven't been corrupted by the factory-line business model and it shows in their products. The only film studio that I could compare them to would be Pixar (Cars 2 doesn't exist to me) because they take their time to ensure that every aspect of a story works before they complete a movie. Hell, those guys actually threw away a near-completed version of Toy Story 2 and started over months before the film was to release just because they felt it was not up to their standards. Now THAT's dedication.
Rockstar was in the unique position of having a massively successful game (GTA3) before they become huge. The fact that the franchise has sold insanely well combined with the fact that every entry has been a quality product has made it to where they can take their time on their games without getting messed with (that much) by the top brass and the shareholders. Imagine what would have happened if EA did get a hold of them back in 2008.
0 up, 0 down
wackazoa
Thursday, December 08, 2011 @ 10:48:53 AM
That sir, is a truely cring inducing thought...
0 up, 0 down
CheddarClyde
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 3:01:46 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Rogueagent01
Thursday, December 08, 2011 @ 3:15:31 AM
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0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
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Tuesday, December 06, 2011 @ 11:38:33 PM