Anyone worried that the Red Dead Redemption 2 online portion of Rockstar’s western epic would be hitching itself to the Fortnite bandwagon can rest easy. While a battle royale hasn’t been definitively ruled out, publisher Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick wants the title to forge its own path in an ever-changing industry.
Speaking to GameDaily.biz, Zelnick is candid about the successes of Epic’s behemoth of a battle royale, but remains steadfast in his belief that Red Dead Redemption 2 online is doing things its own way, stating:
“We’ve used battle royale mechanics before. I wouldn’t rule [including a battle royale] out, but any mechanic you use would want to be in service of the core entertainment experience…no one is looking for a clone of Fortnite. I wish we had Fortnite — we don’t — so wishing we had Fortnite is not going to help me.”
All in all, that’s an exceptionally level-headed response from a man who knows only too well that the industry can be in danger of having its cake and eating it when it comes to copycats.
In fact, Red Dead Redemption 2 online might go off in a completely different direction if Zelnick’s quotes are any indication. He’s also given a warning to some of his peers,
“You can’t possibly believe that battle royale is the only mechanic that has captured people’s attention that interact with entertainment. So if you’re busy cloning it, you’re going to get to market in three years. Good luck to you. You don’t think there will be another hit in between now and then? Because I do. Do I think that it’s a hit that will be a clone of Fortnite? I do not.”
Welp. That’s put the industry on notice. It’s little surprise coming from a man who has boldly proclaimed that single-player games aren’t even close to being dead. Honestly, it’s a breath of fresh air: do your own thing; Red Dead Redemption 2 plans to do just that by seemingly rustling up some ideas of its own. Now, isn’t that a novel idea?
[Source: GameDaily]
