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While many gamers are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Grand Theft Auto 5 in September, they are likely equally as interested in what Rockstar Games has on tap for their next title. However, with so many franchises now in their wheelhouse it’s hard to predict just where Rockstar might go.
That being said, a comment by Take-Two Interactive (parent company to Rockstar) CEO Strauss Zelnick may have tipped the developer’s hand, or at least suggested what game might be in development. His comments don’t outright say it, but Zelnick strongly hints that Red Dead Redemption 2 might be in our future, along with several other Rockstar franchise iterations.
In a quarterly earnings call, Zelnick wanted to address a preconception about Rockstar – specifically their focus on new IPs rather than sequels. As Zelnick sees it, Rockstar is just as much about creating permanent franchises as any developer. There is no shelf life to a Rockstar franchise, just like there isn’t a shelf life for Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed.
“Our competitors do not see it that way. Our competitors’ view is that our franchise will have a certain life, and at the end of that life, you move onto the next thing, so you better make hay while the sun shines. Our view is to the contrary. The best franchises are permanent franchises.
What’s most telling about Zelnick’s comments are the three franchises he “name drops” when talking about creating permanent franchises – those being Borderlands, BioShock, and Red Dead. While we haven’t heard much about Red Dead Redemption 2 from Rockstar, that apparently doesn’t mean a sequel is not in development.
At the same time, there are several other Rockstar franchises that we know, or have been told, are in development. Bully 2, for example, was labeled as the next project for Rockstar Vancouver after Max Payne 3, but that was almost two years ago.
As fans know, Rockstar is as secretive a developer as can be, choosing only to reveal new information when appropriate. Look at the amount of time that passed between the first Grand Theft Auto 5 trailer and the second. Or how long LA Noire seemingly floated along in limbo before it suddenly materialized as a finished product.
Now, however, it’s about Grand Theft Auto 5, and getting that game onto store shelves. Then, when out promoting GTA, maybe Rockstar might tease their next project. I’m sure gamers would love to see a Red Dead Redemption, as would Zelnick apparently, but we’d suspect that Rockstar will only make another one if they can find the right story to tell.