Rockstar’s next big game will be Red Dead Redemption 2, launching next year, eight years after the original title launched for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and ended up on the all time favorite games lists of players around the world. The game, however, has to follow in the enormous success of GTA5– which, with 85 million units sold worldwide, is now the highest selling packaged game of all time.
Speaking to investors on a financial call, Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick said the game will end up succeeding and selling on its own merits- irrespective of the success of GTA5.
“With regard to your question on Red Dead, though I have a strong point of view, which is look, entertainment competes with every activity and no activity”, Zelnick said. “And to the extent that we are competitive, we compete with all of our own titles and everyone else’s titles too. So, I don’t think the launch of any new title specifically has a direct effect on an existing title any more than someone else launching a competitive title would affect for example how one of our titles is doing. If we have something great in the market and we continue to support it with great content, people will continue to show up. That’s historically the case and certainly that’s our aim. So, we think Red Dead stands alone. Naturally we’re incredibly excited. I think the whole market is. And, but it will stand alone and succeed on its own merits.”
I think that, while Red Dead will end up being hugely successful – probably the most successful game of next year, actually – I don’t think it will come close to the monster success of GTA5. I think the setting is less universal, and the brand does not have as much cachet as GTA does.
Who knows, though? Maybe I am wrong. Red Dead Redemption 2 launches next year for PS4 and Xbox One.
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