Take-Two CEO doesn't worry about violence in GTA 6 and its impact on players. „Entertainment doesn’t create behaviour, entertainment reflects behaviour”
The head of Take-Two Interactive revealed in an interview that he is not concerned about the issue of GTA 6's bad influence on audiences, as he believes entertainment is about telling engaging stories and evoking feelings, not creating bad behavior.
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, discussed in a CNBC interview (via VideoGamer) a timeless topic of interest on morning TV: violence in the GTA series, specifically the upcoming GTA 6, and its possible effects on young players' behavior. The CEO of the company firmly and quite ironically stated that "entertainment doesn't create behaviors, it only reflects them." That's why he is not afraid that the game may provoke aggression in the real world.
Entertainment gives people an opportunity to release feelings, engage in feelings, entertainment tells stories. The notion [that] entertainment creating behaviour has been tested and disproved over and over again.
Zelnick highlighted that the topic of "shaping behaviors" by different entertainment industry creations has been researched multiple times, and it hasn't been proven that they significantly influence the audience. He also added that film or series shows contain realistic scenes of violence, yet they don't cause their viewers to start behaving badly. That's why he himself is not worried about "photorealistic video games."
Creativity is the domain of people
During the conversation, the CEO of Take-Two also addressed the long wait for GTA 6. According to him, Rockstar Games strives for "perfection," which is why the creative process is long and complex. Given that GTA 5, released in 2013, has sold more than 210 million copies and, as Zelnick highlighted in the interview, continues to be a benchmark of success in the industry - it appears we should have confidence in him.
Well, 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 and, of course, nervous-making. We don't claim success until it occurs.
Furthermore, Zelnick remarked on artificial intelligence in the industry, noting that while new technologies can improve work efficiency, genuine creativity belongs to humans and cannot be replaced by AI. The developer also addressed the controversial issue of copyright, which generative artificial intelligence raises in some circles:
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.
The head of Take-Two announced that the release of GTA 6 will be "the biggest event in the history of the entertainment industry" and he expects a huge financial success.
