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[Lunatic_Gamer]

When asked by Wall Street Week’s David Westin why GTA 6 has taken so long to make compared to GTA V, Strauss revealed there are two main reasons. Firstly, Zelnick says “We think you need to create enormous anticipation on the one hand.”

The second reason is a more obvious one. The CEO says “it takes a long time to develop these big, robust experiences. Rockstar Games seeks perfection in what they do and perfection is a pretty high bar.” GTA V’s success and the standard it still keeps for the industry 12 years on means the bar for GTA VI, for both Take-Two and consumers, is very high.

“The anticipation for that title maybe the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property. And I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve been in every entertainment business there is. We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. And we do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. And we found that the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement on the one hand and balance the excitement with unmet anticipation. We don’t always get it exactly right, but that’s what we trying to do.” – Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Interactive CEO

The Reason Why GTA 6 Trailer 2 Hasn't Released Yet - RockstarINTEL

The thought process behind the GTA 6 marketing strategy has been revealed by the CEO of Rockstar Games' parent company. Learn more all about it in this article.

rockstarintel.com

 

[SJRB]

 

[San Dan Glokta]

“The anticipation for that title maybe the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property."

I will borrow the disc from a friend in 2028 to try the story mode if he told me it was good. Yes I'm very excited.

 

[Dorfdad]

Isn’t it obvious it was developed on a switch 2 and they’re not allowed to show anymore until next week!

 

[Hookshot]

They've zero need to put it out. A release date in a tweet will cause a million articles.

 

[Little Mac]

I hope there isn’t a second one. First one did an amazing job introducing characters, setting and vibe of the game. We don’t need more and I don’t want to be spoiled.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

IOW they haven't decided on the release date yet and won't have another trailer until they do.

 

[Xtib81]

They released the first trailer way too soon. I Hope next trailer is a 5-minute-long gameplay trailer.

 

[Killer8]

I don't think they are confident they will actually release this year. Sure, they keep insisting it's happening, but anything can change in the last few months if the pieces aren't quite coming together. GTA IV was delayed by 6 months a mere couple of months before it was due to ship on Oct 17, 2007.

As it stands, if they want to hit Fall 2025 they are way behind in their marketing. Both GTA V and Red Dead 2 already had their second trailers out by now and GTAV was about to have its three character trailers drop in April 2013. The release dates for both were also known.

 

[Z O N E]

I mean, there's no reason to release Trailer 2 yet.

The hype and excitement for the game is already there, so they don't need to follow normal dev trends of releasing as many trailers as other devs.

 

[HRK69]

I'm not too concerned about the main trailers, to be honest. What I'd really love to see are gameplay videos like the ones they did for previous titles.

 

[Kerotan]

Time is ticking for 2026. IMO if there's no trailer 2 in the next 3 months it's 2026.

 

[Heisenberg007]

I don't think they are confident they will actually release this year. Sure, they keep insisting it's happening, but anything can change in the last few months if the pieces aren't quite coming together. GTA IV was delayed by 6 months a mere couple of months before it was due to ship on Oct 17, 2007.

As it stands, if they want to hit Fall 2025 they are way behind in their marketing. Both GTA V and Red Dead 2 already had their second trailers out by now and GTAV was about to have its three character trailers drop in April 2013. The release dates for both were also known.

At this point, I'm expecting every Rockstar game to be delayed at least twice, up to a total of 12 months.

But if they can maintain the quality they're known for, I'm not complaining.

 

[Dalbajobas]

Holidays 2026

 

[Dorfdad]

I’m guess. Need to play 4 and 5 proper now. Last one I completed was San Andreas

 

[Killer8]

At this point, I'm expecting every Rockstar game to be delayed at least twice, up to a total of 12 months.

But if they can maintain the quality they're known for, I'm not complaining.

They need the Benz.

 

[VanCityGamer]

Time is ticking for 2026. IMO if there's no trailer 2 in the next 3 months it's 2026.

In the next 3 months? I’d say if there is no trailer in April then the game will release 2026.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

In order to have unhindered success, they'll have to coordinate with Sony that sufficient units will be available for sale. Sony is going to put out their earnings report for the fiscal year in a couple of months, that will also come with a forecast of the upcoming fiscal year. That forecast will tell us what Sony is thinking behind the scenes based on discussions they've had with T2.

 

[rkofan87]

I don't think they are confident they will actually release this year. Sure, they keep insisting it's happening, but anything can change in the last few months if the pieces aren't quite coming together. GTA IV was delayed by 6 months a mere couple of months before it was due to ship on Oct 17, 2007.

As it stands, if they want to hit Fall 2025 they are way behind in their marketing. Both GTA V and Red Dead 2 already had their second trailers out by now and GTAV was about to have its three character trailers drop in April 2013. The release dates for both were also known.

this its a 2026 game boys

 

[Sybrix]

I’m guess. Need to play 4 and 5 proper now. Last one I completed was San Andreas

I mean, you don't really.

None of these games have connections that mean you need to play the previous titles. Some of the characters make an appearance in the sequals but not playing the previous games doesn't have any impact on the players experaince.

 

[Dr.D00p]

He has the look of a man who knows his company going to be banking a guaranteed billion dollars plus in the near future....without even trying.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Can’t wait for the next trailer, 100% we’re getting one in the next upcoming months. This will be a closer look on what the final product would look like.

 

[Loomy]

There's no reason to start marketing this game again until 6 months before release.

 

[Guerilla Munch]

 

[asdasdasdbb]

He has the look of a man who knows his company going to be banking a guaranteed billion dollars plus in the near future....without even trying.

Given the state of AAA, nothing is guaranteed. Even GTA 6.

 

[bitbydeath]

In the next 3 months? I’d say if there is no trailer in April then the game will release 2026.

In the next month? I’d say if there is no trailer in December then the game will release 2026.

 

[VanCityGamer]

In the next month? I’d say if there is no trailer in December then the game will release 2026.

I was being serious. Not sure the reason for your sarcasm.

 

[Raven77]

IF the game releases this year, it's a bad strategy I think.

To me it just reeks of arrogance. And this is my favorite game series of all time. I'm honestly not sure why they even released the first trailer so long ago. All the hype that they got from that is completely gone.

 

[bitbydeath]

I was being serious. Not sure the reason for your sarcasm.

Oh, me too.

 

[jm89]

We will find out soon enough if it is coming this year. Rockstars upcoming financial report will contain the clue.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

I hope there isn’t a second one. First one did an amazing job introducing characters, setting and vibe of the game. We don’t need more and I don’t want to be spoiled.

I would love if GTA 6 just went dark, except for a few commercials for marketing purposes. Don't even give copies to reviewers. Have everyone enjoy it at launch

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

At the end of the interview, Westin asked Zelnick the number one question in the entertainment industry: When does GTA 6 release? We learned this week that GTA 6’s release date is worrying the whole industry. The interviewer remarked that it appears to be a carefully guarded secret and pressed Zelnick on why that is. The CEO gave a small chuckle before giving an answer:

“The anticipation for that title maybe the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property. And I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve been in every entertainment business there is. We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. And we do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. And we found that the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement on the one hand and balance the excitement with unmet anticipation. We don’t always get it exactly right, but that’s what we trying to do.” – Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Interactive CEO

The key detail in there is that they’ve discovered shorter marketing cycles have proven to be better for creating and holding up the anticipation. It is clearly working with GTA 6. Rockstar Games dropped the first trailer in December 2023 and have remained silent since. Despite that, the game is still the most talked about game on social media with it trending regularly. Fans are not giving up on the game just because they have not heard anything in well over a year which is a change for a Rockstar Games title.

More at the link:

The Reason Why GTA 6 Trailer 2 Hasn't Released Yet - RockstarINTEL

The thought process behind the GTA 6 marketing strategy has been revealed by the CEO of Rockstar Games' parent company. Learn more all about it in this article.

rockstarintel.com

 

[64gigabyteram]

gta baybee

 

[nial]

I can't wait for Rockstar to prove everyone wrong about them not meeting 2025.

 

[Sybrix]

If this game is coming out Oct/Nov this year, doesn't it seem strange that no new trailer or screenshots have been released with less than 8 months before release?

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Don’t mind Quality over quantity. They could just release the second trailer a few months later to generate a massive hype again and then release the game a few months after that with a launch trailer and bang over 100 million full price copies easily.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

I can't wait for Rockstar to prove everyone wrong about them not meeting 2025.

Seriously. I get GoW Ragnaork vibes when every "expert" thought it will not meet its 2022 release window because there was little to no marketing leading to its release up until the September 2022 State of Play.

 

[PhillMeCream]

I mean its going to sell no matter what, but this kinda giving out that they don't know if its going to come out this fall. It might also be the reason why they bought that one game studio to help wrap up

 

[peish]

There were the alpha leaked videos, we can see how the game plays, sorta have an idea i guess.

 

[MMaRsu]

I mean its going to sell no matter what, but this kinda giving out that they don't know if its going to come out this fall. It might also be the reason why they bought that one game studio to help wrap up

They want to be 100% sure before they commit to a date.

 

[nial]

Seriously. I get GoW Ragnaork vibes when every "expert" thought it will not meet its 2022 release window because there was little to no marketing leading to its release up until the September 2022 State of Play.

Now that unlocked some memories. I remember still being a lurker here when GAF was discussing which one would make it to 2022 between GOW Ragnarok and Starfield, And even after the later got delayed to 2023, GAF was still doubting for GOW, all of that leading up to the July trailer that revealed the release date. It was glorious.

 

[Kerotan]

In the next 3 months? I’d say if there is no trailer in April then the game will release 2026.

June is about 6 months before November so I'm giving it until then. But every week that passes I'm giving them less time.

 

[ProtoByte]

This game is getting too overhyped. There's very little chance it can meet expectations. It will sell incredibly, but if it becomes one of those 6-month cope/honeymoon phase things, it will be very bad for the industry.

 

[Represent.]

Yep, no trailer til September.

I mean, they dont need more than 2 trailers. They could drop the trailer a week before release if they wanted. Id actually like to see that happen

 

[MMaRsu]

This game is getting too overhyped. There's very little chance it can meet expectations

Thats what people said about Gta San Andreas, GTA IV, and GTA V.

 

[ProtoByte]

Seriously. I get GoW Ragnaork vibes when every "expert" thought it will not meet its 2022 release window because there was little to no marketing leading to its release up until the September 2022 State of Play.

You do remember that Ragnarok was initially slated for 2021?

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

You do remember that Ragnarok was initially slated for 2021?

I do. But most people were still doubting the 2022 release year even after the original delay.

 

[Hudo]

I mean, showing a new trailer in 2025 for a 2026 game seems a bit premature, yes. On the other hand, they've shown a trailer for this fucking game more than a year ago...

 

[PeteBull]

I say we can easily compare trailers gta5 got.

Grand Theft Auto V/Trailers

This page covers all trailers released for Grand Theft Auto V. The first Grand Theft Auto V Trailer was released on November 2, 2011. The song used in the trailer is "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" by Small Faces. The trailer is narrated by Michael De Santa followed by a collection of fast-paced...

gta.fandom.com

1st aka reveal trailer was 2nd nov 2011 (no launch date, not even a year).

2nd trailer- skeletons- was bit over a year after that- 14th nov 2012 (here rockstar was still targetting spring 2013 as we see at the end of the vid).

3rd trailer- introducing all 3 protags, debuted 30th april 2013 (here we got proper date already, 17th sept 2013).

4th trailer- official gameplay- happened on 9th july 2013.

5th trailer- official story trailer- that literally described initial plot- happened on 29th august 2013 - that was just 3 weeks before launch.


TLDR- till we see trailer with official date, exact day- we gotta assume delay, at least of few solid months, so far we didnt even get aprox launch date, just vague 2025, so everything can happen

 

[MMaRsu]

I say we can easily compare trailers gta5 got.

Grand Theft Auto V/Trailers

This page covers all trailers released for Grand Theft Auto V. The first Grand Theft Auto V Trailer was released on November 2, 2011. The song used in the trailer is "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" by Small Faces. The trailer is narrated by Michael De Santa followed by a collection of fast-paced...

gta.fandom.com

1st aka reveal trailer was 2nd nov 2011 (no launch date, not even a year).

2nd trailer- skeletons- was bit over a year after that- 14th nov 2012 (here rockstar was still targetting spring 2013 as we see at the end of the vid).

3rd trailer- introducing all 3 protags, debuted 30th april 2013 (here we got proper date already, 17th sept 2013).

4th trailer- official gameplay- happened on 9th july 2013.

5th trailer- official story trailer- that literally described initial plot- happened on 29th august 2013 - that was just 3 weeks before launch.


TLDR- till we see trailer with official date, exact day- we gotta assume delay, at least of few solid months, so far we didnt even get aprox launch date, just vague 2025, so everything can happen

that was 2011 tho times have changed