Rockstar has been reluctant to drum up publicity so far, even though GTA 6 is scheduled to be released this year. The drum plays itself.
Other development studios would have already released seven trailers, twelve behind-the-scenes videos and a dozen screenshots if their highly anticipated game were only a few months away from release. Rockstar and Take Two are different.
There is only one trailer for GTA 6 so far, and it only captures the mood of the game. Official information about the main characters, the story and the general content is scarce. An exact release date is still unclear, although there are already rumors of a potential delay.
Almost everything concerning GTA 6 is shrouded in uncertainty. As Strauss Zelnick, the head of publisher Take Two, reveals in an interview with Bloomberg, this is purely intentional.
We have competitors who describe their release schedule years in advance. We have found that it is better to provide marketing material relatively close to the release window, on the one hand to create the excitement and on the other hand to balance the excitement with the unfulfilled expectation.
GTA 6 has an advantage that should not be forgotten: the aforementioned excitement about the title is significantly higher than for any other game. GTA 6 doesn’t need a trailer to stay in the conversation, while other games have to compete for the attention of customers.
But Zelnick is well aware of this: The anticipation for this title is perhaps the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment product, and I’ve been in the entertainment industry for quite a while.
Of course, it can also be an advantage to withhold all information until the last second: For example, Tango Gameworks released the acclaimed action-rhythm game Hi-Fi Rush via Shadowdrop, attracting significantly more attention than it would otherwise have done.
All of this depends on the game, the time and many other factors, of course.I don’t always get it exactly right either […].
, Zelnick adds.
If Grand Theft Auto 6 really is delayed again, it could be much more than just unpleasant for fans: a number of studios will suffer as a result, potentially going bankrupt. Because hardly any other game will want to compete with GTA 6 for attention.
