Take-Two Interactive‘s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has commented on the importance of positive review scores as the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, arguably the most anticipated game of its generation, nears.
Games from Rockstar and 2K, both of which fall under the Take-Two umbrella, generally receive positive reviews. Specifically, major hits like Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 all score within the high 90s. Now, Zelnick insists these scores are just as important as ever, even though the media landscape and the number of voices in the conversation have changed drastically since 2013 and the release of GTA 5.
Take-Two CEO Reflects on GTA 6 and the Modern Review Landscape
Speaking with Christopher Dring of The Game Business, Zelnick admitted that these numbers are just as important as they were in the past. Specifically, he spoke about how these positive reviews reflect Rockstar’s commitment to quality releases. However, he also acknowledged changes in the media and noted that over a decade ago it was easier to handpick the specific journalists you trusted with reviews.
“At that point in time, let’s say 2014, it was easier – not easy, but easier – to handpick the journalists you wanted to review that game ahead of time. I was one of those journalists.
“Social media is so noisy. And someone has to be first to say the thing you like is rubbish. Someone will do that. All narratives are available at once now about everything. Rockstar are going to get, from the gates, some dissenting voices. Does it mean the game is any more or less brilliant? I don’t know. But there is going to be dissenting voices.”
While Zelnick remains steadfast that the number of any given review score is important, one number he’s not talking about is the official price of the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto title. Still, he wants everyone to know the game will release on November 19, alleviating any concerns about the release date. Learn more about that here.
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