Mat Piscatella has become a notable figure in the video game industry, even though he doesn’t really make video games himself.
Instead, he works for Circana, formerly known as NPD. Circana’s business is in analyzing the metrics of other businesses, and Mat is squarely focused on the video game industry.
In a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Mat got candid about the poor prospects of the industry this year, and why that makes Grand Theft Auto 6’s release so important.
First off, is the fact that 2024 is really not shaping up to be a good year for the industry. Sony admitted they won’t have any major AAA releases for the whole year, and Nintendo is rumored to have delayed the release of the Nintendo Switch to 2025. Microsoft is expected to have some major AAAs of their own, but having two of the three major players not bringing big releases is still bad overall.
Mat also addressed the rumors that Sony and/or Microsoft could bring Pro versions of their consoles this year. Even with NDAs in effect, Mat revealed he hasn’t received word if they are even happening. But if they are, their impact won’t be enough to fix the industry for this year.
In Mat’s words:
“The uncertainty level this year is probably the highest I can recall – and I’ve been around since 2005 – with the uncertainty of what’s going to get us to the finish line because we don’t have those big games announced that we know.”
Mat also acknowledges the success of Helldivers 2 and Palworld, but points out they aren’t performiing at the same level that last year’s biggest blockbuster did. That title was Hogwarts Legacy, and it doesn’t seem like there will be a similar title for this year.
And with all that pessimistic talk in mind, here’s what Mat said about Grand Theft Auto 6:
“This is going to be a tough year, but if you look towards 2025, if interest rates come down and money becomes a little bit more free-flowing to devs and pubs, we should get a boost in the development cycle again.
We’re going to get a renewed batch of interest with GTA 6 in particular. There’s probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry, so no pressure.”
Unfortunately, the big expectation is that this year won’t be great for the video game companies. That news could lead to more layoffs, but other unhappy outcomes are in the horizon, such as employees getting pay cuts, and just a smaller market for games overall.
As Mat hints at, an entertainment industry like video games needs those big blockbusters to raise the tide for everyone else’s boats. Grand Theft Auto 6 looks like a can’t miss prospect, and that’s what the industry hopes will happen, to bring back momentum for selling new consoles, and even other games.
