Take-Two CEO responds to Red Dead Redemption port controversy
Talk about fumbling the bag. After the disappointment of the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, there were high hopes that Rockstar Games could lasso a banger with a Red Dead Redemption remaster. 13 years after the cowboy caper became one of the best games of all time, it's now pistols at dawn.
While many expected a new-gen remaster that would follow in the footsteps of what Naughty Dog did with The Last of Us Part 1, those hopes were quickly buried like the zombies of Undead Nightmare. Instead, we're getting a Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 port, boasting a controversial $50/£40 price tag.
Take-Two CEO defends Red Dead Redemption port pricing
Click to enlargeSpeaking IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the Red Dead Redemption port's pricing and said, "That's just what we believe is the commercially accurate price for it." Although you get its DLC, the 2023 rerelease of Red Dead Redemption lacks a PC release, is locked at 30FPS, and doesn't include multiplayer.
Take-Two EVP of Finance, Hannah Sage highlighted Undead Nightmare as a bonus. When asked if the DLC warrants the price, Zelnick said it "was a great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it's a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers."
Zelnick was asked about a potential PC release, although he remained tight-lipped. When pushed on the difference between ports, remasters, and remakes, the Take-Two boss concluded, "It depends on the vision that the creative teams have for a title."
He continued, "In the absence of having a powerful vision, for something that we would do with a title, we might bring it in its original form, we've done that, and in certain instances we might remaster or remake, so it really depends on the title and how the label feels about it, the platform, and what we think the opportunity is for consumers."
Players slam the Red Dead Redemption port
Click to enlargeAs you can imagine, the internet hasn't been kind to the Red Dead Redemption port. It's true that the IP is one of Rockstar's biggest, but with reports that we lost out on a GTA 4 remaster and a proper Red Dead remaster, as well as whatever happened to Bully 2, it's hardly a win.
Namely, there are grumbles that this new release is dubbed a "conversion," which sounds like a fancy repackaging to stick an extra tenner on the end. As Xbox owners are able to play a 4K version of the game on their Xbox Series, many are questioning what Rockstar has actually done here.
While angry villagers are gathering their pitchforks, Take-Two is sticking to its revolvers on this one. With the Red Dead Redemption conversion coming to digital stores on August 17 and a physical release on October 13, there isn't long to wait to see what kind of reception it gets.