Take-Two CEO’s latest comments on the price of GTA 6 offer cause for optimism
Following the delay of GTA 6, the big question remains its price. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, speaks out again and suggests that Rockstar won’t break with tradition.
We aren’t really aware of it, but supposedly, as of today, there would be less than a month left until the release of GTA 6—before its latest delay. This delay means that the release of the most anticipated game of the year—or of the past five years... or of the decade—won’t happen until next November, but the question fans are asking themselves right now is: how much will GTA 6 cost? Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, has spoken again about this key point, and although he doesn’t specify anything, there’s reason to be optimistic.
“Consumers pay for the value that you bring to them, and our job is to charge way way way less of the value delivery,” Zelnick said at a conference for industry executives. “How you feel about something you buy is the intersection of the thing itself and what you pay for. Consumers need to feel like the thing itself is amazing and the price they were charged was fair for what they got”
Ever since the official announcement of GTA 6, there has been speculation that Rockstar’s next hit—we can safely assume it will be a hit, right?—will be priced higher than is typical for AAA titles. With those games costing a minimum of $60 and a maximum of $80, the possibility that GTA 6 could reach $100 hasn’t been ruled out, though such speculation is based more on unfounded assumptions than on facts.
What’s more, if we go by Zelnick’s own words on other occasions, he has never mentioned that $100 figure, speaking more about the concept of “value” than “price.” “We’ve been talking for a long time about offering much more value than we charge. I think we’re known for that,” he said just a couple of months ago. Similarly, in March, referring to the inclusion of advertising in video games, he said, “For free-to-play games, yes. For titles you’ve paid $70 or $80 for? No,” which was interpreted as a definitive price point or margin for GTA 6.
What if we take a look back at the precedents, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2?
Before 2013, when GTA V first hit store shelves during the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation, Rockstar’s message was clear and practically identical to today’s: “It’s a massive GTA; it’s worth what great games cost.” And so, despite having a massive budget, GTA V was indeed released at the usual $59.99. Its subsequent versions for PS4/Xbox One and PS5/Xbox Series, as well as for PC, maintained a standard price.
With another massive production, a multi-million-dollar budget, numerous delays, and rumors about rising video game prices, Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived in 2018. This time around, Rockstar was much more secretive, as statements regarding the game’s price were kept to a minimum—almost nonexistent. Once again, it was released at the standard price of $60, which suggests that Rockstar has never strayed from the standard price point across generations. Still, we’re betting the rumors won’t stop.
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GTA 6 arrives on PS5 and Xbox Series on November 19.
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