Analyst: Take-Two 'Can Do It Without GTA'

Take-Two can turn an annual profit without major Grand Theft Auto launches thanks to franchises such as Red Dead Redemption and NBA 2K, according to financial analyst David Ristau from The Oxen Group. The American developer and publisher made a profit in 2010, despite not releasing a new GTA title during this period -- the first time this has happened since the company was founded in 1993. "This is not a one-horse show any longer," says Ristau on financial site Seeking Alpha. "The company is taking its groundbreaking style of doing things and funneling it into new genres," the analyst says, citing 2010 top sellers Red Dead Redemption and NBA 2K11. Concerning 2011, Ristau mentions that the upcoming release of crime-scene investigation game LA Noire "should not be overlooked." "This is a company that can truly transform itself, as it has released series of games with great reception and is gaining traction in new markets" he suggests. Regarding the next game in the Grand Theft Auto series, Ristau notes that "with the blockbuster blowout of Call of Duty: Black Ops that made $1 billion in sales, GTA V’s capabilities are unattenable." He goes on to speculate that "The game could truly take this stock into levels not known before." Take-Two Interactive's chairman Strauss Zelnick had previously called 2010 a "milestone year" for the company, stating that it was "in a stronger position than at any time in our history." As previously reported, the company's total fiscal year revenue for 2010 topped $1.15 billion, up 65 percent from the previous year.