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Take-Two: Remasters Have Always Been a Part of the Strategy, Not Interested in Simple Ports

Take-Two: Remasters Have Always Been a Part of the Strategy, Not Interested in Simple Ports - News

by William D'Angelo , posted on 05 September 2021 / 4,852 Views

Remasters and remakes have been a part of the games industry for a long time and have become more common in the past decade or so. 

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference and transcribed by VideoGamesChronicle discussed remastered and remakes. He says that remasters have always been a part of the strategy for the publisher and that they have no interest in doing simple ports. 

"I’m not sure there’ll be a bigger part of the strategy," said Zelnick. "Remastering has always been a part of the strategy. We’ve done differently than the competition – we don’t just port titles over, we actually take the time to do the very best job we can making the title different for the new release, for the new technology that we’re launching it on.

"So, we improve the technology, we upgrade the visuals, and we make performance enhancements. And that’s why I think our remastered titles typically do so well."

"We’ve done great with the Mafia series, for example, and Grand Theft Auto [V] is now heading into its third generation which is incredible," he added. 

"It was a standard-bearer when it was launched, it continued to be the standard-bearer in the second generation, we’ll see how Grand Theft Auto does in the next generation. Obviously, I’m confident that Rockstar is going to deliver just a great experience, but you can’t do that if you’re just doing a simple port."


A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.


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26 Comments
Azzanation (on 04 March 2021)

So in other words, we like to sell our games multiple times to you.

  • +1
Hynad Azzanation (on 04 March 2021)

Just like many others. Like Nintendo, for example.

  • +5
Azzanation Hynad (on 04 March 2021)

In Nintendo's case, bringing games over from a platform not many own is justifiable or extremly old games. Remastering games a couple years old and reselling for close to full price is a no no in my books. Collections are excusable.

  • -3
Hynad Azzanation (on 05 March 2021)

I expected the double standard and you selectively turning a blind eye.

  • +3
Azzanation Hynad (on 05 March 2021)

Double standard? Oh please. Where is the double standard? I gave you more information you deserve.

  • 0
Hynad Azzanation (on 05 March 2021)

You think what you said is information?! ?

Your double standard is clear as day by the fact that you come up with excuses for Nintendo for doing the same thing others do, while you don’t approach the others in the same manner.

You turn a blind eye when Nintendo does it. How many times have they asked people to re-buy games from prior gen because they wouldn’t carry over to the new console? Mario Kart 8 sold over 8 million copies on WiiU alone, yet in your book it was fine to sell people the same game again (with minor improvements) once they moved to the Switch because it was originally sold on a console that didn’t sell well?

If anything, Nintendo should have offered the Switch version of the game to those who purchased it for the WiiU, out of gratitude for them being loyal fans who follow them even on a sinking ship. They couldn’t care less and sold it again at full price to everyone. Want some more? Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze was 20$ as a Nintendo Select on the WiiU e-shop, it was removed from that shop just as it re-released on the Switch, where it was introduced at full price!

You really need to quit drinking the kool-aid.

  • 0
Azzanation Hynad (on 05 March 2021)

Flawed argument as i never said Nintendo dont do it. All console manufacturers are guilty for the exact same thing and i stand by that.

There are exceptions as i mentioned. Very old games, collections, and games not many have access too.

Your MK8 point is poor. MK8 only sold to those WiiU owners, majority of the gaming market didnt have a WiiU so not many are complaining that it got re-released tho i never agree with the full price especally if the game was developed many years ago.

No game that gets released again should be sold at full price, ever, unless its a complete remake and even than, thats debatable. Keep trying tho.

  • -3
Hynad Azzanation (on 05 March 2021)

I don’t even need to try.

  • 0
Azzanation Hynad (on 06 March 2021)

Go pay full price for GTA5 for the 3rd time. I could care less. I certainly wont.

  • 0
Hynad Azzanation (on 06 March 2021)

I won’t buy the game, since I didn’t like it much the first time I got it, but it’s nice of you to care.

  • 0
EnricoPallazzo Azzanation (on 05 March 2021)

there is absolutely nothing wrong with it if people still want to buy it. the day I update my TV to a 65"
I will most likely buy some movies again, this time in ultra blu ray versions.
It also allow people that never played the game to play it in a much better version. I had never played the last of us on PS3, and I was pretty happy to know there was a much improved remaster version to be played on PS4 when I decided to play the game.

  • -1
Azzanation EnricoPallazzo (on 05 March 2021)

Cool, however you shouldn't have to pay for basic upgrades that are free on other platforms like PC. Also selling at full price on a old game is also not right.

  • 0
KratosLives (on 07 March 2021)

Yeah keep milking it rockstar. I guess the people who keep buying those shark cards are to blame aswell.

  • 0
EnricoPallazzo (on 05 March 2021)

Im pretty sure a remaster (doesnt even need to be a remake) of GTA4 would make them a lot of money, probably 10 million units guaranteed. Never understood why they never did it, even if it was just a 4k patch RDR style.

  • 0
Ashadelo (on 04 March 2021)

Does this company actually make games?

  • -2
AJNShelton (on 04 March 2021)

Switch version confirmed

  • -4
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method114 Ka-pi96 (on 04 March 2021)

They are so focused on online now that I would actually prefer remasters at this point.

  • 0
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method114 Ka-pi96 (on 04 March 2021)

Yea I don't want GTA 5 remastered. I'm thinking of the older ones like San Andres.

  • 0
KLAMarine Ka-pi96 (on 04 March 2021)

Online is here to stay: $hark card$ yo.

  • -2
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Hynad shikamaru317 (on 04 March 2021)

Same. RDR 1 is, to me (and you), a much more fun game than RDR2.

  • 0
AkimboCurly shikamaru317 (on 05 March 2021)

It really doesn't need much. A 60fps patch would be fantastic though.

  • 0
VAMatt shikamaru317 (on 05 March 2021)

I'd prefer to see RDR1 remade in the RDR2 engine. RDR1 feels very dated at this point, I don't want a remaster unless it is going to be significantly tweaked to feel like a modern game.

  • +6
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