Take-Two CEO Hints at More Grand Theft Auto VI Marketing Ahead of Launch

Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has teased that the marketing campaign for Grand Theft Auto VI is just getting started, following a mixed reaction to a limited-time trailer released on Netflix.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.Biz, Zelnick described the recent gameplay show as merely "one of the hors d'oeuvres," indicating that fans can expect a full-course meal of promotional content leading up to the game's launch. He elaborated, stating, "there's appetizers and main course," suggesting that there are more exciting reveals on the horizon.

However, the trailer's Netflix exclusivity for six hours drew mixed feedback. While many welcomed the sneak peek at gameplay, some fans were displeased by the requirement to pay for a subscription to view it early. Although the trailer was also set to appear on Rockstar's YouTube channel later that same day, the initial exclusivity felt off-putting to parts of the community. Despite this, many expect the content to quickly circulate on social media.

Zelnick was also approached for details regarding the financial terms of the partnership with Netflix, how much the streaming service paid for the exclusive rights to the gameplay premiere.

However, he refrained from disclosing any specifics, praising Netflix as "a great marketing partner for us, and distribution partner," and referring to the arrangement as "a groundbreaking partnership that Rockstar arranged." In addition to discussions about the trailer, Zelnick commented on the game's pre-order figures, which he described as "unprecedented and astonishing." Despite the encouraging numbers, he emphasized caution, noting that the team at Take-Two is not celebrating prematurely. "Nobody's ever seen anything like this before, at Take-Two or in the industry. One of the reasons we’re not changing our guidance is, to be clear, we haven’t sold one unit yet. You can cancel a pre-order. We’re kind of allergic to victory laps round here, and we don’t do the victory lap before the event," he said during a recent financial briefing.

As anticipation builds, GTA 6 is set to be released in November, with expectations for at least one larger reveal this month. Zelnick also weighed in on the rising costs of consoles, asserting that these increases are not beneficial for anyone, but he remains confident that they won’t negatively impact Take-Two as the release of GTA 6 approaches.