Take-Two Interactive boss Strauss Zelnick shared a number of details regarding Rockstar's highly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2 during an earnings call on Tuesday. First thing on the agenda: Rockstar is still slated to release Red Dead Redemption 2 during fiscal 2018. However, a more specific release date window was not mentioned.
Secondly, Zelnick was also clear about the high expectations for the video game. 2010's Red Dead Redemption sold 8.5 million copies in its first year and went on to eventually ship 15 million. Given what Rockstar has learned from Grand Theft Auto 5's GTA Online support, Zelnick looks forward to seeing how well RDR2 could benefit from continued DLC support.
"Obviously, we're incredibly excited about the title," said Zelnick. "Not just Red Dead Redemption [2], but also the online offering to come. So Rockstar will talk more about the title, but obviously, there is great anticipation both on the part of ourselves and consumers."
Next, investers also asked Zelnick whether Rockstar is potentially competing for gamers between GTA Online and Red Dead Redemption 2. As far as Zelnick is concerned, the competition does not exist.
"I'm fond of saying entertainment is an unusual animal, in that entertainment properties don't really compete with other entertainment properties," Zelnick said. "You never need entertainment. Entertainment is something that you want to have, but it's not a need to have. If nothing in the market appeals to you at some time, there is no reason to go and get it, and if multiple things appeal to you, avid consumers will consume all of those things.
"So, I don't think there is any competitive dynamic with any of our upcoming releases, apart from the fact that our success is driven by quality. So I think the success of [Red Dead Redemption 2], which is highly anticipated, will be driven by its quality, and I think that the ongoing success of Grand Theft Auto Online is driven by its extraordinary quality."
Red Dead Redemption 2 is slated to arrive on Xbox One and PS4. Stay tuned as we expect to hear more from Take-Two and Rockstar in the months ahead. Check out the complete Take-Two Interactive Earnings Call transcript here.
