Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick offered some guarded commentary on subscription services in a recent investor call, noting that “it’s hard to say” what impact—positive or negative—a day-one Xbox Game Pass launch had on The Outer Worlds’ release.
Even with being offered as a subscriber freebie for Game Pass users, he notes that The Outer Worlds has so far sold over 2 million copies since launching in late October.
For subscription services in general, Zelnick says Take-Two is more keen to launch older titles on pay-for-access libraries as a way to reinvigorate the back catalog, but hasn’t ruled out other “experimental” launches when it makes sense.
“I think what we have said all long is that generally speaking we want to be where the consumer is,” said Zelnick. “Generally speaking, we think subscription offerings to the extent they exist are probably better suited to catalog, but we are willing to take experimental chances when it makes sense for particular title and when the deal underlying that option also makes sense for us. “
