Grand Theft Auto 6 Boss Says The Price Of Games Is A
Even At $80, Take-Two CEO Believes GTA 6 Is "An Incredible Bargain"
It's been three months since Take-Two's last financial investors' call. It was here that CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that Grand Theft Auto 6 marketing would begin in earnest this summer and reaffirmed that the game would launch on November 19.
The latest investors' call took place just hours before its usual time, and it was there that Zelnick revealed that, despite its $80 price tag, he thinks Grand Theft Auto 6 is an "incredible bargain".
Grand Theft Auto 6's price was one of the game's most discussed topics prior to its announcement. Some projections had Rockstar pricing it at $100, and consumers made it clear they were happy to pay that. As it transpired, the price was a more palatable $80 (though it turned out to be higher elsewhere due to exchange rates). Strauss Zelnick calls this price an "incredible bargain" for players.
"The truth is that the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago. Pricing has not kept pace with inflation," he told one investor during the Q&A. "Our goal is to continue to over-deliver for our consumers because how you feel about any experience is the intersection of the experience itself and what you pay for it.
To say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement.
"So to say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement because Rockstar Games is known for over-delivering."
He was later asked about the decision behind two different SKUs: the $80 Standard Edition and the $100 Premium Edition. He said, "
I think Rockstar feels that offering phenomenal value at $80 makes sense for some consumers, and then offering incremental value at a modestly increased price makes sense for consumers.
"Given the hype around this title, I think we could have made any number of other pricing choices. But as I said earlier, our focus is on delivering way, way, way more value than what we charge for something. And with regard to pre-orders, our pre-orders are exceptional."
The CEO refuses to get carried away with these impressive pre-order numbers, however, suggesting that the company hasn't sold a single copy yet, due to the fact that they can still be canceled.
"To be clear, we haven't sold one unit yet. You can cancel a pre-order. So around here, we're sort of allergic to victory laps. But one thing we certainly don't do is take a victory lap before we run the event. So the news is great so far. We're incredibly excited. We couldn't be more excited than we are. And yet we are realistic and, at best, cautiously optimistic."