For its games like GTA 5 Online or Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR 2), publisher Take-Two sees more options for monetization. However, they do not want to take the last money from players.
In the future, further possibilities could be used to monetize games like GTA 5 Online or Red Dead Redemption 2. The head of Take-Two (publisher of GTA and RDR2) says that more microtransactions could be possible in their games. However, they do not want to take the last money from players or let the gaming experience suffer.
More monetization without a negative aftertaste
According to CEO Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two is not as dependent on microtransactions in games as other publishers. However, there are many opportunities to further expand this field. But that does not mean that Take-Two games are to be flooded with purchase options.
“You can’t always offer things for free; there’s simply no business model for that”, said Zelnick at the Cowen and Company media conference. “… but we also do not want to optimize monetization so much that we exploit it to the fullest.” Customers would notice that, and they would not like it.
Additionally, Zelnick explains that they from an industrial perspective are still earning too little money per user. Therefore, a solution is being worked on that allows for more microtransactions but does not negatively affect the players. “If you pay too much for something, even if it is of good quality, it leaves a bad feeling. We do not want our players to have that bad feeling.”
In GTA 5 Online there are new contents available for free. Content such as the large Biker expansion or the recently announced Gunrunning DLC is available to every player after downloading and comes with no additional costs. Vehicles or properties from these expansions can be purchased with in-game currency.
Microtransactions exist in the game through Shark Cards, which allow players to recharge their virtual balance. Credits can also be earned by completing missions in the game. However, these can be time-consuming and require a certain “grind.”
Monetization in Red Dead Redemption 2
As the next major title from Rockstar, Red Dead Redemption 2 is approaching, which fans are eagerly awaiting. We already know that the game will have online features. However, it is unclear how microtransactions in RDR2 will be integrated and whether there will be possibly purchasable DLCs.
The release of Red Dead Redemption 2 has recently been postponed to 2018
