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Strauss Zelnick has told investors that the company will continue to back Battleborn despite its sales falling below expectations.
While the game launched to solid reviews, its performance in the market has been below our expectations,” the Take-Two CEO said, as reported by Seeking Alpha.
We think there remains an opportunity to grow the audience for this unique experience over time, and 2K will continue to drive engagement and recurrent consumer spending on the title through add-on content and virtual currency.”
Zelnick added that the company’s solid foundation of established and successful IPs gives it the platform it needs to try new things.
We’ve launched at least one new hit IP every year – nearly every year since 2007 – not every year but nearly every year. And, obviously, that’s why we have titles like Red Dead and titles like Borderlands and BioShock. We are capitalized now to take on that risk.
Tempting as it may be to rest on our laurels, and we do have 11 franchises that have each sold over 5m units in individual release and 60 releases that have sold at least 2m units. It’s tempting to do that.
While one definitely has a reduced risk profile, when you put out a sequel versus new IP, I think, it’s both our obligation and our opportunity to do both. With regard to Battleborn, we’re being very frank about where we are, because we’re a transparent company. We’re still delivering new content to Battleborn. Audiences love Battleborn. We still have virtual currency coming for Battleborn. We’re not counting it out for a minute.
The world has changed. It’s unforgiving in that we invest a lot of money in new IP. It’s much more forgiving in that we can have consumers be part of our release. We can iterate with them. We can come back and play another day. And if your watchword is quality, there are great opportunities. Say what you will, the consumers actually really have said great things about Battleborn, as have the critics.”
