Take-Two plans to publish a Triple-A game ‘every year’

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When Red Dead Redemption 2 got pushed back to 2018, Take-Two Interactive was left without a major triple-A game to promote in 2017. The publisher’s CEO, however, plans to turn that around in the future, with the goal of releasing at least one major game each year.

Take-Two is responsible for publishing the NBA and WWE games, which do release annually. In this discussion, though, CEO Strauss Zelnick lasered in on big-name games like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2.

“We kind of thought we were there in 2015,” Zelnick told GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview. “We had a really good schedule and we began to feel like we were delivering on the promise when we said: ‘We emphatically don’t believe in annualizing titles except for sports titles. We want to build a big enough stable of IP so that each season we have a great group of releases.'”

2016, however, threw that success off course. Battleborn, which went head-to-head with Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch, proved to be a flop. Then seven games, including Mafia 3 and Civilization 6, all released in the span of two months, with barely a break between them.

This left Take-Two with only Red Dead Redemption 2 for 2017, and when that game was delayed, with nothing at all.

However, 2K Games president David Ismailer has a plan. In what he calls the six-bucket strategy, Take-Two will create games in several key areas: sports games like NBA and WWE, mobile games, games headed to the Asian consumer markets, and finally, the triple-A business.

“I don’t think there’s radical changes in this strategy,” Ismailer said. “Ideally, we will have one triple-A title every single year.”

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Related Forum: Grand Theft Auto Forum

Source: http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/take-two-plans-to-publish-a-triple-a-game-every-year/

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"Take-Two plans to publish a Triple-A game ‘every year’" :: Login/Create an Account :: 18 comments

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THQPosted:

Cmon now, it usually takes 4-5 years to make their big titles, not to mention the almost always get delayed because they aren't yet finished

MajPosted:

Good games need more than 2 years work.
They seam a lil money hungry to me

SimpPosted:

Although it's possible to do, it would not be a smart idea. They are going to be rushing things so they can push out the game and there will be so many bugs within the game.

SilkyPosted:

This is a bad idea imo, just rushing them.

SwiftPosted:

I mean dont they do that already? NBA 2K games come out every year and they are considered AAA games.

ReevyPosted:

That's like trying to rush perfection, its just not gonna work

Vancouver_CanucksPosted:

Bad idea.

Triple A titles require a lot of time and work, more work that can be done to release a chart topping game every year. If they expand their workforce, divide into dedicated departments for specific titles then it could be a bit more acceptable but it's been proven already that companies releasing games with high expectations every year, tend to flop.

EchoPosted:

Bummed RDR was pushed, I'd rather them work more on better games than just popping them out like nothing though. Or maybe put more work into game's instead of going out for OpenIV modder's