Take-Two: Next-gen no show is no problem

Disappointed by the possibility of no new hardware from Sony or Microsoft at E3 next week?Don’t be, says Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

The GTA publisher has told MCV that an extended console cycle is good for publishers of expensive, triple-A games. The biggest blockbusters are still selling in huge numbers, and the longer the console lifecycle, the larger the audience.

But Zelnick admitted that the allure of new hardware is proving irresistible to the firm’s renowned studio talent.

There is still ample opportunity in the market with the current generation, provided that you deliver the highest quality entertainment experiences – which we always aim to do,” Zelnick told MCV in an exclusive interview ahead of E3.

We’re seeing some evidence of an ageing console cycle, which generally is a good thing for a company with very high quality titles, like Take-Two.

Hardware transitions historically have created both challenges and opportunities for third-party publishers. In order to succeed, it seems to me that any company needs: talent, tech, IP, and a strong balance sheet. Take-Two has all four. As always, we’ll need to make triple-A titles that delight consumers. Frankly, our creative folks will be thrilled to have an opportunity to do just that.”

Take-Two has a number of major core games on its schedule including Spec Ops, Borderlands 2, XCOM, BioShock Infinite and GTA V.

This year’s schedule is probably the best in our history,” added Zelnick.

You can read the full Take-Two interview on page 24 on this week’s MCV magazine, now available to read online.