Zelnick on Others Trying to Replicate GTA Success
today at 14:14
20
0Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, recently reflected on what it takes to create a hit video game and, in doing so, appeared to allude to Leslie Benzies and his title, MindsEye.
While executive never mentioned any names, he noted that many developers have tried to replicate the success of Rockstar Games — including “former Rockstar employees” — and that none have managed to do so. He did, however, add that this does not mean someone will never succeed in the future. According to the head of the corporation, such a breakthrough will not come from technology, including AI, but from talented individuals capable of creating something astonishing. T2 role, he said, is to bring those people under its umbrella.
Zelnick’s point is reflected in the current state of the market. The once-popular niche of GTA-clones, which thrived two decades ago, has largely disappeared. The subgenre that Grand Theft Auto itself helped establish is no longer in its prime, as the series has effectively become a monopoly unto itself, making direct competition largely pointless. The few exceptions that still reach the market only reinforce that reality.
The only franchise still holding its ground is Mafia, though even it has had to shift from blockbuster-scale budgets to a more modest format. It is also helped by the fact that it belongs to Take-Two own portfolio.
While executive never mentioned any names, he noted that many developers have tried to replicate the success of Rockstar Games — including “former Rockstar employees” — and that none have managed to do so. He did, however, add that this does not mean someone will never succeed in the future. According to the head of the corporation, such a breakthrough will not come from technology, including AI, but from talented individuals capable of creating something astonishing. T2 role, he said, is to bring those people under its umbrella.
Zelnick’s point is reflected in the current state of the market. The once-popular niche of GTA-clones, which thrived two decades ago, has largely disappeared. The subgenre that Grand Theft Auto itself helped establish is no longer in its prime, as the series has effectively become a monopoly unto itself, making direct competition largely pointless. The few exceptions that still reach the market only reinforce that reality.
The only franchise still holding its ground is Mafia, though even it has had to shift from blockbuster-scale budgets to a more modest format. It is also helped by the fact that it belongs to Take-Two own portfolio.
