Naturally, Zelnick talked about the GTA 6 delay all the while hyping the upcoming sequel. However, one thing that many might have missed during the interview is a small tidbit of how Zelnick operates that sets him apart from other executives.
Whereas other CEOs and executives will often embellish how much they "consume" their own products, Zelnick isn't shy about admitting that he isn't the consumer.
"I think being the consumer and chief in the entertainment business is probably a mistake. I wasn't the consumer in chief in the movie business or in the television business or in the music business," said Zelnick. "My job is to attract, retain, and motivate the best talent in the business and get out of their way."
Zelnick's track record speaks for itself. He has held top-level executive positions throughout his entire career, from Columbia Pictures International Television to Vestron Inc, 20th Century Fox, and Crystal Dynamics.
Since taking over Take-Two in 2007, Zelnick, the single-largest shareholder of the company, has seen the company's portfolio of award-winning and best-selling titles grow year-by-year.
The fact that Zelnick is the first to admit that it isn't his job to tell developers and studios how to do their job is good news: it's the very definition of creative freedom.
Coincidentally, the best-selling titles by Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto V, Bully, Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Redemption 2, were all released after 2007.
Overall, it's been an eventful quarter for Take-Two and Rockstar Games. After seeing stocks plummet from record highs following the GTA 6 delay, share prices are showing signs of recovery now that the second GTA 6 trailer has been released.
With over a year to go until the launch of GTA 6, Rockstar has given audiences plenty of information to keep them busy, from new characters and locations to an updated website.
Over a week since the record-breaking trailer dropped and people still can't get enough of GTA 6, overshadowing pretty much every other announcement made since.
