The release of GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition has tainted many fans’ perceptions of modern Rockstar games as an unpolished and hastily made product that falls short of the expectations many have for the GTA franchise. High-quality expectations, even though GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition has been improved, many people still believe that the product itself is flawed, regardless of whether it has been updated and fixed. However, the CEO of Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive has a different view.
In a conversation with CNBC, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick briefly touched on the criticism surrounding the release of GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition. Focusing on the financial impact of the trilogy’s launch and repercussions, CNBC asked: How can Take-Two keep the company’s long-term prospects running smoothly. Strauss Zelnick’s response was surprisingly slow. First, he mentioned that GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition is “not a new game,” in order to show CNBC that the remastered GTA shouldn’t be considered a new AAA game.
Second, Strauss Zelnick believes that the flaws in GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition are simply problems with the launch. He went on to say that the failure has now been resolved. In addition, Strauss Zelnick also stated that GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition “has brought great benefits to the company and as it is perfected, Take-Two is very excited to look forward to the company’s future prospects.
In particular, Strauss Zelnick is speaking to a financially motivated audience who may not be familiar with GTA and have no interest in changing that. Strauss Zelnick wasn’t on CNBC to discuss what makes “GTA” so exciting to give people confidence in the company’s stock. When he said that there was a “glitch” when GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition was released, he was acknowledging the negative attitude of the media at the time of its release. When Strauss Zelnick says things are getting better now, he’s still probably referring to the media and focused on instilling confidence in the company.
Obviously, from a critical standpoint, GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition still has many problems. However, these are inherent problems that will not change. They’re about GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition’s visuals, how the gameplay feels compared to the original game, and the issues inherent in converting an old game to a new engine. Strauss Zelnick sure knows this, but he won’t discuss it with CNBC.
However, it’s clear from Zelnick’s conversation with CNBC that despite some issues with GTA: Trilogy – Definitive Edition, in Take-Two’s opinion, it’s a success. Despite serious criticism and quality issues, GTA was a huge success.