Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, speaks out on a GTA movie and physical media
, by Enzo
In recent weeks, the news has been dominated by the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, which is set to be released in just a few days. This time, however, we’re not talking about the game from Rockstar but rather its parent company, and more specifically, its CEO.
Strauss Zelnick, the current CEO of Take-Two, has spoken out on various topics recently.
First, regarding the role of physical games in the industry. At Take-Two, digital sales account for 98% of revenue. Zelnick emphasizes, however, that even though physical games will represent only a very small portion of the industry in the future, they remain important to collectors.
"I predicted more than ten years ago that digital distribution would account for well over 90% of the market. I’m not always right, but this time I was spot on. Will there always be a physical market share? Yes, just like vinyl in the recorded music industry. But it will be only a tiny fraction of the market."
The second topic concerns the production of a GTA movie or TV series. Although this has become somewhat of a trend with franchises like The Witcher, Fallout, Far Cry, and God of War, it suggests that Take-Two wants to remain cautious. The studio only wants to produce projects they’re proud of.
"We’re very cautious about expanding our portfolio because we’re a creative company, and our goal is to deliver the best possible entertainment, entertainment we can always be proud of. We would produce a movie or TV series based on our intellectual property if our creative teams were passionate about the project and believed it could captivate and delight our consumers. It’s a huge challenge. Of course, the risk of failure always exists. So we don’t rule it out, but we’re extremely selective."
Ultimately, Zelnick’s answer isn’t a no. It seems all comes down to opportunities and priorities.