Take-Two's Zelnick 'skeptical' of Wii U, not of next generation [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/07/zelnick.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/take-twos-zelnick-skeptical-of-wii-u-not-of-next-generation/)
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said he was "skeptical" of the Wii U in a recent interview with Gamasutra (http://gamasutra.com/view/news/172418/Four_keys_to_nextgen_success_according_to_TakeTwos _Zelnick.php). He noted that Take-Two hasn't announced any games for the platform.

Zelnick talked about the strategy he believes a company like Take-Two should follow. In regards to new console launches, he said that "if you get it right, it's a terrific time to launch a new IP." He also spoke against annualizing non-sports games, so as not to risk "burning out the consumer," which echoed statements he made in late 2009 (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/take-twos-zelnick-doesnt-believe-in-annualized-gta/).

"Some of our competitors have had this trajectory where they extract a lot of value and the IP goes away. We're trying really hard to build permanent IP. And if you have to rest the title for a few years, over time you'll extract more value," he said. "We're not trying to create something good and market the hell out of it. We're trying to delight customers with something great - and market hell out of it."http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif (http://www.joystiq.com)Take-Two's Zelnick 'skeptical' of Wii U, not of next generation (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/take-twos-zelnick-skeptical-of-wii-u-not-of-next-generation/) originally appeared on Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com) on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).

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[crazyjackcsa]

Didn't we have these same conversations last generation with the Wii? And the DS? Don't people learn?

[Rob2600]

Didn't we have these same conversations last generation with the Wii? And the DS? Don't people learn?

In the world of video games, people get amnesia every five or six years.

My favorite comment from Joystiq:

"Oh Strauss, lest we forget: Which sold more games and moved more hardware last gen, GTA4 or Mario Kart Wii? Oh yeah, and which cost more to make?"


From the full article on Gamasutra (http://gamasutra.com/view/news/172418/Four_keys_to_nextgen_success_according_to_TakeTwos _Zelnick.php):

"While Take-Two will make sports and family titles for the Wii U, its bigger core franchises have been notably absent from the list of partners. And that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

'We haven't announced anything,' says Zelnick on the possibility of moving the company's mature titles onto the Wii U. 'I'm skeptical.'

Don't mistake that skepticism for a pessimistic attitude about the next generation of consoles, though. If anything, Zelnick is eager to kick off the next line of game systems, because he sees it as a chance for Take-Two to continue to advance its position in the industry.

'For a company like ours, it's a great opportunity,' he says. '[New console launches] separate the winners from the losers -- and we fully expect to be one of the winners.'"