Grand Theft Auto isn’t the type of franchise that turns out a new game every year, or even every two years, for that matter. According to Take-Two Interactive, the reason for this is because the series needs to remain fresh. By releasing new entries frequently, Take-Two feels Grand Theft Auto would lose quite a bit of its luster.

“Often times people ask us ‘Why don’t you come out with Grand Theft Auto every two years?'” stated Take-Two COO Karl Slatoff. “To us, that doesn’t make sense, because Grand Theft Auto, every single time it comes out, is a brand new experience. You can’t possibly do that in two years. And if we did that, our product would fatigue and the franchise would degrade from a value perspective.”

According to GameSpot, Slatoff’s sentiments echo those of Rockstar North’s Leslie Benzies. “We could easily have churned out a new version year after year without really progressing as a franchise, but if we did that, eventually the fans would lose interest,” explained Benzies.

It’s certainly a smart decision to refrain from releasing new Grand Theft Auto games every year. Hell, every two years would seem like overkill. By only launching a new title within the series every few years, Take-Two and Rockstar have ensured that fan interest remains high and that brand fatigue doesn’t set in. It’s a smart strategy that maybe some other publishers and developers should employ.

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