Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has commented on the long wait for Grand Theft Auto VI and spoke out against the idea that artificial intelligence technologies will surpass the “creative genius” that is only possible from humans. In an interview, Zelnick said the wait for GTA 6 has been so long in part because developer Rockstar Games is seeking “perfection.”
“What Rockstar Games puts into all of their titles is a desire for creative perfection, which is why it takes a long time and why it’s complex. We don’t claim success until it occurs,” Zelnick told CNBC.
GTA 5 was released all the way back in 2013 and has been released across three generations of console platforms, in addition to PC. In total, it’s sold more than 210 million copies. Zelnick said GTA 5 has been the “standard bearer” at Take-Two and the video game industry overall in terms of sales success.
“Grand Theft Auto 6? What can I say? There is enormous anticipation inside our company and in the marketplace as a whole. We couldn’t be more excited,” he said.
After years of development, GTA 6 is set for release in Fall 2025 across PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Zelnick recently admitted the game could be delayed, but for now, it remains on track for release this year. Before this, Zelnick said he understands that fans are frustrated over the long wait for GTA 6.
As for his comments on AI, Zelnick said Take-Two’s teams have been using digital tools since the earliest days of video game development, going on to say that the video game industry is known to be an innovator in this area. He said he expects that to continue with new AI technologies, but he also made it clear that AI cannot replace a human when it comes to creativity.
“The genius is human. The tools may be digital, but the creative genius is human,” he said. “We believe in protecting and paying human beings. We believe we ought to pay for their work if it’s replicated by AI after the work is done. We don’t think it’s the right thing to do to ask someone to perform once, use their work over and over again, and not pay for it. We don’t think that’s right.”
Before this, Zelnick said artificial intelligence as a term makes no sense because machines do not learn–humans do. “Those are convenient ways to explain to human beings what looks like magic. The bottom line is that these are digital tools and we’ve used digital tools forever,” he said. “I have no doubt that what is considered AI today will help make our business more efficient and help us do better work, but it won’t reduce employment.”
In other news, Zelnick recently discussed how a big game like GTA 6 could help lift console sales.