Take-Two Already Fears That Grand Theft Auto 6 Will Be A Failure

A lot is riding on GTA 6 but will it live up to the video game hype?

In Take-Two’s most recent 10K filing with the SEC, the games company indirectly acknowledged the power of gamers when it listed bad ratings of their games as a risk factor. Notably, Take-Two noted under Risk Factors that: “Grand Theft Auto and certain of our other titles, such as Red Dead Redemption or NBA 2K, are "hit" products and have historically accounted for a substantial portion of our revenue. Grand Theft Auto products contributed 14.7% of our net revenue for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and the five best-selling franchises (including Grand Theft Auto), which may change year over year, in the aggregate accounted for 56.5% of our net revenue for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. If we fail to continue to develop and sell new commercially successful "hit" titles or sequels to such "hit" titles or experience any delays in product releases or disruptions following the commercial release of our "hit" titles or their sequels, our revenue and profits may decrease substantially, and we may incur losses.”

Take-Two then indirectly acknowledged the power of gamers in its 10K filing that: “Furthermore, obtaining and maintaining high ratings of our games on the third-party platforms on which we operate are important as they help drive players to find our games. If the ratings of any of our games decline or if we receive significant negative reviews that result in a decrease in our ratings, our games could be more difficult for players to find or recommend. In addition, we may be subject to negative review campaigns or defamation campaigns intended to harm our ratings. Any such decline may lead to loss of players and revenues, additional advertising and marketing costs, and reputation harm.”

Bad games will obviously negatively affect profitability. However, it is quite significant for Take-Two to list negative reviews as a risk factor. Is Take-Two admitting that GTA 6 will be a bad game and pre-emptively blaming gamers for the possible negative reception of GTA 6? If the rumors on Steam from earlier this year are true, this may indeed be what is happening.

According to the rumors, GTA 6 has gone full woke: “In a shocking turn of events, the highly anticipated GTA 6 is shaping up to be a prime example of excessive “wokeness” in the gaming industry. Recent leaks suggest that the game is going to extraordinary lengths to cater to the overly sensitive ideas of the modern players, and it’s anything but good for those of us who appreciate the based nature of the Grand Theft Auto series. Firstly, GTA 6 introduces a pronoun system, supposedly to make “all players feel comfortable.” …. They’ve also included a trans character. It’s becoming painfully clear that this inclusion is driven by a desire to check boxes rather than to enrich the narrative.

It’s like they’re using characters as tokens to gain approval, which is just plain insulting to the gaming community. The main protagonist, a Latino woman, is now referred to as “Latinx.” …. Worse yet, the game is heavily censored to avoid offending modern players. The beauty of GTA was its willingness to push boundaries and challenge players to confront uncomfortable themes. Now, it seems like they’re more interested in playing it safe in a “safe space” than delivering a truly immersive experience.”

If GTA 6 does indeed include D.E.I. content, it might cause problems for sales, similar to those facing Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Gamers have been getting better at organizing against companies pushing leftist political agendas above the gameplay, and the tolerance level among consumers is at an all-time low.

Only time will tell whether these rumors are true. What is certain, though, is that gaming companies like Take-Two are starting to realize the power that gamers have. Let us know in the comments what you think of Grand Theft Auto 6 and whether it will be a success.

by Jack Dunn