Strauss Zelnick: Netflix debut is merely "one of the hors d'oeuvres" for full GTA 6 launch; pre-order numbers are "unprecedented and astonishing"

Strauss Zelnick: Netflix debut is merely "one of the hors d'oeuvres" for full GTA 6 launch; pre-order numbers are "unprecedented and astonishing" Take-Two CEO on the potential for streaming, avoiding post-release layoffs, and staying as a public company Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick tells GamesIndustry.biz that the forthcoming Netflix gameplay premiere of GTA 6, which will air on August 27th, is merely "one of the hors d'oeuvres," for the game's marketing campaign. He will not be drawn on the details of the arrangement and if Netflix had paid for the privilege, saying only that Netflix is "a great marketing partner for us, and distribution partner" - the firm having previously released GTA games through the Netflix platform - and that the deal is "a groundbreaking partnership that Rockstar arranged." He won't share any details of pre-order levels, either, following the announcement of an $80 price point for the basic version and $100 for an Ultimate Edition containing additional digital content, saying only that "we are very encouraged by the results that we've seen so far." He described the level of pre-orders as "unprecedented and astonishing" but that "they are also so unprecedented that we just don't know how it'll translate into sales." "Nobody's ever seen anything like this before, at Take-Two or in the industry," he told analysts. "20 years ago, on a console release that was available on PC at launch, PC would represent 1-2% of overall sales Today that can be 40% or 50% in a similar situation, and I believe that's going to grow." He's bullish on the potential of streaming, too, seeing current technological trends leading to a near future in which "machines that weren't game machines before, will become game machines," meaning that despite console pricing concerns "we see the install base, as a practical matter, growing materially." He expects low-latency streaming to arrive within three years "and potentially 10x the install base". Those are opportunities that a public company can pursue, that a private company would have more difficulty with." Read this next - Rockstar hit with more leaks as GTA 6 gameplay and assets appear to circulate on social media - Sensor Tower: 89% of GTA6 preorders are for the $100 ultimate edition - Take-Two Q1 results include net bookings ahead of guidance, a slight increase in revenue, and cancellation of unannounced "new core IP" game