Take-Two CEO Calls for Action on Game Budgets, AI May Offer Solutions
Take-Two is currently facing challenges with AI.
Game budgets are continuously rising, and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick believes this trend cannot continue indefinitely. In an interview with Bloomberg, he emphasizes the need to cut costs.
However, Zelnick notes a contradiction: according to the company's strategy, Take-Two must continue to release major blockbusters like GTA, which require significant investment. How to achieve this is a question.
"We definitely cannot cope with exponential budget growth — we might manage even with linear growth. Therefore, pressure is felt from all sides, including ourselves. Overall, we want to create larger hits and are willing to take reasonable risks," he stated.
"The business model of a gaming company is not very sustainable unless you create huge hits — but that is very difficult. The task of Take-Two is to be the most creative, innovative, and efficient."
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Zelnick suggests that artificial intelligence or other technologies could help developers create more (or at least the same) for less money. Another option is to scale down projects where possible.
"If we broaden the scope and replace the term 'AI' with 'technologies,' that is our bet. Our bet is definitely not to give consumers less. And it is certainly not to make games easier, shorter, or worse."
One game that embodies this approach, according to Zelnick, is Mafia: The Old Country, which showed good sales at a price of $50 and a relatively small budget. Take-Two will have more such games.
Interestingly, in another interview, Zelnick mentioned that Take-Two has not yet seen significant effects from AI implementation. In early April, the company laid off the entire team working on neural networks and artificial intelligence.
