Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick says he has no regrets about delaying GTA 6, arguing that releasing an unfinished game rarely leads to a positive outcome. He made the comments during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, as reported by PC Gamer, addressing criticism from some players after the game was postponed twice.
What did Strauss Zelnick say about the GTA 6 delay?
When asked about his initial reaction to learning that GTA 6 needed more development time, Zelnick said the timing of the call was unfortunate because the company had held a board retreat just ten days earlier.
According to the CEO, decisions like this require balancing deadlines against resources, rather than considering time alone. He described the decision as difficult, expensive and inconvenient.
Reproduction: Rockstar
Why does Take-Two support delaying games like GTA 6?
Take-Two supports delaying games because, according to Zelnick, the company's mission is to create the world's best entertainment, with being the most creative company forming one of the three pillars of its strategy. The CEO says achieving that goal sometimes requires expensive and inconvenient decisions, including postponing GTA 6.
The executive has previously stated that the company has never regretted delaying a game, according to PC Gamer. The publication also reported that the GTA 6 delay was partly related to the large number of NPCs, which required a dedicated studio team of writers.
Which game did Zelnick criticize during the interview?
Zelnick did not identify the game by name. PC Gamer suggests that he was probably referring to Concord, a title that reportedly cost hundreds of millions of dollars but failed to meet the expectations surrounding GTA 6.
During the interview, the CEO contrasted Take-Two's approach with companies that put release schedules above everything else, launching games despite unresolved problems. Without naming any companies or titles, he said that, in recent years, a high-profile release had to be taken offline after reaching stores because it did not work properly.
Do you agree with Take-Two's decision to delay GTA 6? Share your thoughts in the comments and send this article to someone waiting for the game.
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