We are hearing a fairly self-serving explanation for why Grand Theft Auto VI, and many Rockstar titles before it, only arrive on PC after a significant delay.
When it launches, Grand Theft Auto VI will be the biggest game release in history, and perhaps one of the biggest launches in the entire entertainment industry. Whether it arrives on November 19 as currently planned or at a later date because of an unforeseen delay, that statement is practically set in stone. It will remain true even though Grand Theft Auto VI will initially launch only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, not on PC. The lack of a PC launch has sparked plenty of debate, including speculation that Rockstar and Take-Two would rather let players pay twice if they want to play on PC as well as current-generation consoles.
Other theories point to just how much work goes into a game like Grand Theft Auto VI, and how Rockstar’s developers are already under serious time pressure with the console versions alone. Preparing the PC port for launch would add an even greater burden, though it is not as if Rockstar could not afford to do it if it really wanted to. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, has seemingly given the real reason why Take-Two and Rockstar prioritize consoles. During a new interview with Bloomberg at the ESA Interactive Innovation Conference in Las Vegas, Zelnick made it clear that Rockstar launches its games on consoles first because that is where its most important consumer base is.
“Rockstar always starts on console because, with a release like that, you’re judged by how well you serve the core consumer. It’s about really serving the core consumer. If your core consumers aren’t there or aren’t served first and best, you kind of miss the mark with your other consumers. Historically, Rockstar has gone to console first. I think our goal here is to deliver something to consumers that they’ve never experienced before. Being pretty close to the front of the sidelines is very exciting. And terrifying. The expectations are so high. It’s a high-stakes game for big boys only, and I’m cool with it,” Zelnick said.
Zelnick appears to be referring specifically to Rockstar, while other Take-Two studios generate 40-50% of their revenue from games such as the annual NBA 2K series, which are also purchased by PC players. He also clarified that console exclusivity, at least at launch, has nothing to do with Take-Two’s relationship with platform holders such as Sony. So the official answer to why Grand Theft Auto VI, and apparently most major Rockstar releases, come to consoles first before arriving on PC is that Rockstar’s core consumers are console players, not PC players. There are certainly PC players who will disagree with that, but as Rockstar and Zelnick currently see it, and apparently will continue to see it for the foreseeable future, PC players come after console players.
To put it mildly, it is surprising that this is the official explanation for why Grand Theft Auto VI is launching on consoles before PC. The interview highlights how expensive the game has been to develop: thousands of developers have worked for years to create such a massive and culturally significant product. There are no official figures, of course, but Zelnick acknowledges that these costs, combined with the cultural weight and expectations surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto, create terrifying pressure. A simultaneous PC release alongside consoles would certainly help ease some of those concerns, simply because more people would be able to buy the game on launch day. It seems this high-stakes game does not bother Zelnick too much.
