Earlier this week, gamers looking forward toRed Dead Redemption 2were struck with some bad news — the game won’t make its fall 2017 release date, and has beenpushed to next year. However, it seems that publisher Take-Two isn’t particularly worried about the impact the delay will have on the game’s success.
“Consumers are consuming entertainment year-round now; they don’t stop in the summer months,” said the company’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, on an earnings call that took place shortly after the delay was announced. “We believe that if you give people an extraordinary experience, they will show up for it.”
Zelnick notes thatRed Dead Redemptionlaunched in May, and managed to be incredibly successful. It’s certainly true that top-tier games can find success outside of the holiday period, and there’s enough anticipation forRed Dead Redemption 2that it’s difficult to imagine the title bombing simply because it’s released in the summer.
Red Dead Redemptionwas something of a sleeper hit, with the fact that it offered a wholly different spin on the basic open-world formula of the Grand Theft Auto series resonating with gamers. Speculation about a sequel ran rampant until the official reveal, and it doesn’t seem like the current level of hype will disappear because of a six-month delay.
However, it makes sense for Take-Two to do a little damage control at the moment. The company’s stocktook a significant divein the wake of the delay being made public, so it’s easy to see why Zelnick would provide a sunny outlook.
Red Dead Redemption 2isn’t the only big release that Take-Two expects to field over the next year. The company has attempted to offset the delay with confirmation that anew game from a major 2K franchiseis inbound, although details are scarce at this time.
