NBA 2K25 is all about basketball, but developer Visual Concepts shook things up last month with the introduction of Gravity Ball. This $8 add-on was described by the studio as a blend of 'American-Gladiators-meets-futuristic-basketball-meets-paintball.' During a recent Take-Two Interactive earnings call, an analyst inquired whether the inclusion of this futuristic mode in NBA 2K25 could set a new precedent for major franchises moving forward. CEO Strauss Zelnick responded, 'I outlined our three-part strategy, with innovation at its core, and I'm genuinely proud that Visual Concepts and 2K chose to innovate with Gravity Ball, particularly from a creative standpoint.' He further added, 'It also serves as an experiment in our business model, and we've already gained valuable insights. It's a fantastic minigame, truly impressive.'
Zelnick also noted that 'consumers are really enjoying' Gravity Ball in NBA 2K25, though he cautioned that it's 'premature to label it a trend.' While Fortnite has evolved into a broader platform hosting various games—such as Fortnite Festival and Lego Fortnite—Take-Two isn't fully committing to that approach. 'It's too early to definitively say that our future lies in paid minigames within larger platform-type games,' Zelnick stated. 'But it does reflect our creative teams' openness to trying new ideas and their willingness to push boundaries without being overly protective of their IPs.'
The Take-Two CEO covered a wide range of topics during the earnings call, not limited to NBA 2K25. Zelnick discussed the Borderlands movie's underperformance, yet highlighted that it actually boosted video game sales for the series. He also emphasized the potential pitfalls of solely focusing on sequels. NBA 2K25 was released in September on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The Gravity Ball mode, however, is currently exclusive to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
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