Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two’s CEO, says that GTA Online has created recurrent consumer spending.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest game franchises in the world, but up until now, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has seen it’s regular installments as “one-shot deals.” However, with the introduction of microtransactions in Grand Theft Auto: Online, Take-Two is able to continue making a consistent amount of money from the already-released game. “[It’s] the gift that keeps on giving,” said Zelnick.
“Just a few years ago when we put out a product no matter how big, we put out a hit, we collected our money, we went on to the next [game],” Zelnick on FOX Business’ Risk & Reward program. “Now [what] we’re finding is we’re creating recurrent consumer spending and we have the gift that keeps on giving.”
“I talked about that when we took over Take-Two six years ago…It’s nice to see it coming true,” he added. Zelnick is talking about when dissident shareholders at Rockstar Interactive’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, took over the company and ousted current CEO Paul Eibler.
According to Zelnick, GTA V has shipped 32.5 million copies and around 70 percent of all users have played Grand Theft Auto Online, though he did not disclose exactly how much an average user spends on the game’s microtransactions.
Zelnick said is an example of Take-Two adapting its business practices to create platforms that generate sustained revenue instead of a one-off jolt – something it aims to apply to future titles.
Source: Gamespot
