Take-Two (NASDAQ:TTWO) Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO), the holding company of Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar Games, exceeded revenue guidance for the latest financial year, bringing in net bookings of US$5.28bn, with net losses coming to an expected US$7.03 per share driven by the US$12.7bn acquisition of Words With Friends developer Zynga.
Recurrent consumer spending increased 88%, beating expectations of 85% and accounting for 78% of net bookings.
Operating expenditures caused operating cash flows of US$56mln, significantly below guidance of US$400mln.
Numbers aside, Take-Two made some tantalising remarks for gamers waiting patiently for the next instalment of the GTA global mega franchise.
“Fiscal 2025 is a highly anticipated year for our company," Take-Two said in prepared remarks, continuing: "For the last several years, we have been preparing our business to release an incredibly robust pipeline of projects that we believe will take our company to even greater levels of success.
“In Fiscal 2025, we expect to enter this new era by launching several groundbreaking titles that we believe will set new standards in our industry.”
Surely these tantalising words are referring to something far grander than another NBA 2K update.
More likely is the chance that Grand Theft Auto 6, 10 years in the making, will be coming to games consoles some time in 2024.
Rockstar Games has already been winding down its support for GTA5 since 2022. At least, that’s what was gleaned from a heartfelt thank you note posted to GTA5’s mammoth development team in August.
That said, Rockstar has continued to support GTA 5 well into 2023, with The Last Dose downloadable content (DLC) adding to gamer retention, as well other buyable add-ons including new vehicles, clothes, weapons, modes, and much more
GTA 5 has been unbelievably lucrative for Take-Two, selling over 180 million units since its launch in 2013, while a stready stream of DLC has kept gamers coming back.
Gamers got an unexpected look at GTA 6 when development footage was leaked to the public in September 2022, which seemed to show the first playable female character in the long-running franchise.
GTA Glasgow anyone?
Though Take-Two and Rockstar are US companies, GTA has its roots in the British Isles.
Scottish studio DMA Design developed and released the first entry into the GTA franchise, simply called Grand Theft Auto, in 1997 before being bought out by Take-Two Interactive at the turn of the century.
DMA Design was renamed Rockstar North and has continued to create every main GTA game since then.
Perhaps GTA 7 will have us gunning down rival gangs in Glasgow.