Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are running ahead for the $100 Ultimate Edition rather than the cheaper standard release, Take-Two Interactive chief executive Strauss Zelnick said in an interview with CNBC reported by IGN. Take-Two is the parent company of developer Rockstar Games.
Actually, it is skewing more to the premium edition. That might be a reflection of the fact that the most avid consumers are the ones who are pre-ordering now.
The qualifier matters, because the split Zelnick describes is a snapshot of who is buying months ahead of release rather than a forecast of the eventual mix. He offered it in response to the interviewer's suggestion that pre-orders might be running level across the two editions.
A price that has drawn scrutiny
Pricing has been contested since pre-orders opened in June. The standard edition is $80, roughly $10 above what other major releases tend to charge, while the Ultimate Edition asks $100 and adds exclusive digital content. Zelnick told IGN last week that he believes the price reflects the game's value, going as far as to call it a bargain on the grounds that Rockstar has a record of overdelivering.
Asked about holiday promotions, given that the game arrives shortly before Black Friday and Christmas, Zelnick said Take-Two establishes its own pricing but has no ability to control what individual storefronts do, and that a retailer cutting a price is reducing its own margin. He pointed to Grand Theft Auto 5, whose price he said held for far longer than a standard entertainment release, as a reason not to expect deep discounts on the new game any time soon.
Zelnick also addressed the controversy over the game shipping without an actual disc. He said a true physical release after launch is not off the table, and that he does not regard the omission as something likely to damage sales.
An extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6 premieres on Netflix on August 27, followed by a staggered rollout to YouTube and social platforms; the YouTube version arrives six hours later and is free to watch. Zelnick has promoted the segment without describing what it contains, and the initial paywalling has frustrated some players.
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