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PS5 Pro Won’t Be “That Meaningful” Take-Two Exec Claims

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 0 Comments
New PS5

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick isn’t convinced upgrades like the PS5 Pro will be meaningful. It’s yet to be confirmed, but it’s looking likely that Sony will launch a mid-gen upgrade like it has in the past with the console targeting 8K and a 2024 release window.

Zelnick spoke with IGN where he expressed — from a publisher perspective — that mid-gen upgrades aren’t that meaningful and doesn’t change whether they’d release games to a particular generation. Granted, this is from a publisher’s standpoint rather than a consumer, who would be more interested in this mid-gen upgrade because it historically offers better graphics, storage, form factor, etc.

With the PS5 already three years into its generation, it’s coming close to “needing” that upgrade, which could double as a way to boost sales, considering the resolved chip shortage and scummy scalpers hindered early adopters from at least dipping their toes into current-gen gaming.

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Take-Two CEO Sides With Sony On AAA Day-One Releases On PS Plus

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 0 Comments
Take-Two

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has sided with Sony and their long-held hesitancy of releasing AAA games day-one on the new PlayStation Plus tier system. While the Xbox Game Pass allows such a feat, Zelnick detailed the very same reason.

While speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, the lead said they’ve supported services like PlayStation Now, which offered Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Edition (read our Definitive Edition trilogy review), the BioShock Remastered trilogy, and Red Dead Redemption on the service. Even so, though, he doesn’t believe people would subscribe to any service if they offered “day and date with subscription.”

It isn’t impossible for something to release day-one on the new PS Plus, though, as the Take-Two CEO mentioned that his opinion isn’t the be-all-end-all and that they operate with a board rather than just him.

Read the full quote.

“We’ve supported various subscription services and we’re happy to do so. Our scepticism has been around making frontline console products available day and date with subscription. And that doesn’t make any sense to us because, economically speaking, we don’t think consumers are prepared to pay for that – why would they? – and we can’t afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn’t make sense economically.”

“So there always has to be an intersection between what the consumer wants and what the publisher is able to do. It doesn’t make sense to do that for frontline properties in our opinion and I think Sony minimally agrees with us, because they’ve said so. It can be potentially great for catalogue properties, those are properties that have been in the market for a while. If their price has been reduced, it can make economic sense to offer those on a subscription basis.”

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Take-Two CEO: THQ Is Done In 6 Months, THQ Fires Back

Ben-Dutka 10 Comments

Update: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said he regrets his statements:

""While discussing our strategy I spoke out of turn about someone else’s. It was inappropriate and I regret it."

Original Story:

THQ has fallen on tough times, although the company swears that things are looking up.

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't agree, though; he flatly told Joystiq that THQ "won't be around in six months," which has ruffled some THQ feathers.

His comments came during a speech at the MIT Business in Gaming conference, and Zelnick added that it was THQ's licensed properties that spelled disaster. Only recently has THQ said they're moving away from licensed stuff and focusing on producing AAA-quality titles. But it might be too little, too late; said Zelnick:

"THQ's strategy was licensed properties, first and foremost. License stuff from other people, whether it's UFC or WWE or a motion picture property, and make a game around that. And our approach, since we took over the company, is 100 percent owned intellectual property.

[THQ's] strategy didn't work and the execution was bad. To put it another way: the food was no good and the portions were small. THQ won't be around in six months."

He says the biggest difference between Take-Two and THQ is, in point of fact, quality. Zelnick mentioned that his company "has the highest quality ratings among third-party publishers" and in the end, "quality really, really, really matters." He acknowledged that THQ "has some good games" but overall, they haven't really "measured up."

And how does THQ respond to this? Here's what a THQ representative told GameSpot :

"Obviously, Mr. Zelnick's perception of THQ is outdated and inaccurate. His comments are irresponsible and false. Perhaps he would be better off commenting on his own business."

Oooooh… 'grabs popcorn'

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