The PC platform is becoming increasingly vital for Take-Two Interactive, according to CEO Strauss Zelnick. In comments made during a virtual shareholder meeting, Zelnick indicated that the company's strategy is to release games on any platform with a substantial audience, and that the PC's importance has grown considerably over time.
While Zelnick's remarks were framed as a general observation about Take-Two's approach, they have amplified discussions surrounding the potential PC release of Grand Theft Auto 6. The highly anticipated title is scheduled to launch in November for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC version announced for launch. However, Take-Two's historical pattern with its major releases suggests a PC version is likely to follow.
Rockstar Games has a precedent of launching its flagship titles on consoles first, followed by a PC release months or even over a year later. Grand Theft Auto 5 arrived on PC approximately 18 months after its console debut, while Red Dead Redemption 2 saw its PC version launch about a year after the console release. This history suggests that PC players eager for Grand Theft Auto 6 may need to wait at least a year post-console launch.
Zelnick explained that the staggered release strategy for major titles like Grand Theft Auto is intended to serve the core console audience first. He recalled that when he joined Take-Two in 2007, PC sales constituted only about 5% of the total sales volume for the NBA 2K series. Today, however, PC versions of major titles can account for as much as 45-50% of sales, underscoring the platform's evolving significance. This approach also allows for a potential second wave of sales when the PC version eventually becomes available, with Zelnick noting the possibility of some players purchasing the game twice.
A former Rockstar developer, Mike York, previously theorized that the studio prioritizes what sells best, historically favoring PlayStation due to its strong market performance. This focus on maximizing initial sales on dominant platforms may explain the continued console-first strategy for major Rockstar releases.