Did Take-Two buy Rockstar?
As a fellow passionate gamer and industry expert, I can definitively say that Take-Two does NOT own or "buy" Rockstar Games. Many get understandably confused by their relationship, but Take-Two has actually been the parent company in full control of Rockstar for over 20 years!
Let me explain…
The History Behind This Powerhouse Publisher
Founded in 1993, Take-Two Interactive started as a small independent video game publisher. But over the next decade they grew rapidly through major acquisitions of top developers.
The most notable was in 1998 when Take-Two acquired Rockstar Games – the edgy developer behind early hits like Grand Theft Auto. This gave Take-Two full ownership and operational control over Rockstar – essentially making it a subsidiary.
Other key acquisitions for Take-Two:
- 2K Games in 2005 – Publisher of NBA 2K, WWE 2K, Borderlands.
- Firaxis Games in 2005 – Developer of Sid Meier’s Civilization series.
Today, Take-Two forms an expansive umbrella corporation that oversees these three major labels:
- Rockstar Games: Flagship developer/publisher for Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, Max Payne, and more.
- 2K: Publisher of NBA 2K, Borderlands, Bioshock, Mafia games.
- Private Division: Indie publisher for Kerbal Space Program, The Outer Worlds.
With full ownership over Rockstar plus other labels like 2K, Take-Two has cemented itself as one of the largest third party game publishers worldwide.
But it all started by that pivotal acquisition of Rockstar Games back in 1998!
Doubling Down on Mobile Gaming Growth
Beyond their core console/PC labels, Take-Two understands that mobile gaming growth can no longer be ignored.
The acquisitions have continued into 2022, with Take-Two‘s game-changing purchase of mobile developer Zynga for a mammoth $12.7 billion.
For context, this Zynga acquisition almost equals the market valuation of Take-Two itself! It‘s a massive investment that instantly provides:
- Access to Zynga‘s expertise in free-to-play mobile game development.
- Ownership of mobile hits like Words with Friends, FarmVille, and Zynga Poker.
- Expanded global reach, with Zynga boasting monthly active users.
| Mobile Game Title | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| Words w/ Friends | 10+ million |
| Zynga Poker | 30+ million |
| Farmville | 2+ million |
The numbers speak for themselves – acquiring Zynga gives Take-Two a viable path to evolve beyond premium console/PC experiences. Expect mobile designs and revenue opportunities to eventually influence Rockstar‘s iconic franchises as well.
What This Means for Rockstar (and the Future GTA 6)
While Rockstar operates semi-independently under the Take-Two umbrella, make no mistake – business developments like the Zynga deal can influence future games.
Take the reported expansive budget for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 – budget estimates range from a staggering $2 billion up to an unprecedented $4 billion!
Where does this astronomical amount of funding come from? Ultimately, it‘s Take-Two that enables these massive investments into their subsidiaries like Rockstar Games.
Add in Take-Two‘s intent to embrace games-as-a-service models plus free-to-play mobile mechanics thanks to Zynga…and GTA 6 suddenly seems primed to be Take-Two‘s boldest swing yet.
Beyond GTA 6, I speculate that Rockstar may also be tasked with developing:
- The next sci-fi epic experience à la GTA/Red Dead
- Further remastered updates for older franchise titles
- Mobile spin-off titles for casual gamers on-the-go
If I know anything from decades of following Rockstar releases, they epitomize unapologetic ambition with each new mega-project. And under Take-Two‘s watch, the sky seems the limit for what Rockstar can achieve next.
I don‘t know about you, but as both a gamer and industry analyst – I can‘t wait to see how Take-Two guides Rockstar to new heights!
Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Do you expect GTA 6 to shatter more records? And what else would you love to see from Rockstar this decade?
