The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI has reportedly landed a marketing deal with Sony, which according to Take-Two head Strauss Zelnick is to “[serve] the core”, i.e. focus on the main consumer base which will be console-users. In an interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick says that “I think with regard to a release like that you’re judged by serving the core (…) if your core consumer isn’t there, if they’re not served first and best, you kind of don’t hit your other consumers” (however, Zelnick did say earlier that despite not accounting for most sales when he joined Rockstar in 2007, that has changed and PC purchases can make up to 45-50% of sales). Rockstar will still be focused strictly on consoles with initial release, with PC users having to wait for a later release before they’ll be able to play the game on their platform.

Zelnick comments on how the marketing deal with Sony has nothing to do with their focus on releasing on consoles first, stating that “historically” Rockstar has always gone console first, which is true considering Rockstar’s release patterns with their previous games. GTA V’s widespread success began with console releases, before being released onto PC two years later in 2015. That being said, those who have not already purchased a PS5 or Xbox Series X are in for some trouble, as prices have increased on both consoles as a result of DRAM shortages which have been affecting the pricing of console components. 

All this being said, what people want the most out of GTA VI is for it to be a good game upon release. In an era with increasing disappointment towards AAA releases, people still have faith that a studio like Rockstar can still deliver- although Zelnick said he was “terrified” of GTA VI’s arrival due to expectations from fans, Rockstar has not failed in its promises so far, so perhaps we’re still in for a treat despite everything.