- In an earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick claims that even the most popular titles ‘decay’ due to entropy.
- Strauss also mentions that their sequels are always more successful than the last, but this concept also applies to them.
- He highlighted the importance of new franchises, clarifying that they are necessary for Take-Two to achieve success.
Take-Two CEO is one of the biggest giants in the gaming scene, standing tall with its roster of massive series like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead. The company boss, Strauss Zelnick, however, says that relying on sequels is not the key to its success. Even for someone as successful as Take-Two—whose sequels of existing franchises always perform better than the last—new IPs are still crucial to them.
The boss behind the massive publisher clarifies that even the most popular titles in the industry eventually ‘decay’ because of entropy. So, it is extremely vital to whip up new franchises—despite the huge risk factor—until it is too late.
Why it matters: It’s great that the Take-Two boss acknowledges the importance of gaming franchises, but some fans think he is being hypocritical, considering they haven’t produced a new huge gaming IP in a long time.
During Take-Two’s latest earnings briefing, Strauss Zelnick acknowledged that launching sequels always has low risks and high rewards for every developer. He accepts that Take-Two is the outlier in this dilemma, but not forever. So, the publisher is working on several new IPs despite the high stakes involved.
“If we’re not trying new things and making new intellectual property, We’re really running the risk of burning the furniture to heat the house, and that doesn’t end well.”
Regardless, some gamers think that these remarks from Rockstar Games’ parent company sound pretty hypocritical. Take-Two only recently sold its indie firm, Private Division, a subsidiary that published many indie franchises.
What do you think about the Take-Two CEO’s remarks despite the parent company not creating any major new IP in the last decade? Let us know your opinions in the comments, or join the discussion on the official Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.