Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the most anticipated video game releases, will receive an aggressive marketing push, according to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick. Zelnick drew a parallel between the upcoming game and the 2023 film "The Barbie Movie," suggesting that even well-established franchises need significant promotional investment.
"All of us saw the Barbie movie, and they marketed the living daylights out of that picture," Zelnick stated in an interview with GamesBeat. He explained that despite the film's recognizable intellectual property and established premise, a "phenomenal marketing campaign" was crucial to its success. For any "broad-based entertainment" property, Zelnick believes companies have "don't have a choice" but to invest heavily in marketing new releases.
Zelnick addressed investor inquiries about the necessity of marketing GTA 6, given its widespread recognition. He emphasized the distinction between awareness and enthusiasm, asserting that developers must actively cultivate excitement and clearly demonstrate to players what the final product will offer. "You always have to go out and create enthusiasm," he said. "So, awareness is one thing; enthusiasm is another thing. And we have to show people what they’re going to get."
Drawing from his past experience as a film executive, Zelnick highlighted the importance of marketing quality. He noted that a poor product cannot be salvaged by marketing alone, and ineffective promotion can alienate audiences. Conversely, strong marketing can amplify anticipation. "And the whole goal that we always have, whether it’s this upcoming launch or any other title, is to take awareness and turn it into excitement, and take the lack of awareness and turn it into awareness," he explained.
Regarding Rockstar's recent extended trailer for GTA 6, Zelnick described it as a "tutorial" designed to showcase gameplay and explain the game's appeal. "What Rockstar did was incredible, but there was an element of tutorial baked in there, right?" he remarked. He contrasted this approach with previous GTA titles that featured more direct tutorials, commending Rockstar for finding an "impressive" way to inform players while entertaining them for 27 minutes.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version is planned for release at a later date. In related news, Rockstar recently announced "GTA 6: The Album."