Zhongtong Finance APP learned that Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO.US), the developer of the Grand Theft Auto series of games (GTA series),$Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO.US)$In the financial report released on Thursday, the company stated that it is expected to achieve significant growth in net booking scale in the fiscal years 2026 and 2027, mainly because this electronic game publisher is preparing to launch the long-awaited global game, Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), next year. After announcing the latest financial report and the blockbuster news about the expected booking scale for the fiscal year, the stock of this New York-based company rose more than 5% in post-market trading on Thursday.

The latest financial report data shows that Take-Two's net bookings for the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, ending on June 30, 2024, increased slightly by 1% year-on-year to reach US$1.22 billion; the first quarter of the same period last year was US$1.2 billion. According to GAAP, Take-Two's net revenue for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 increased by 4% year-on-year to US$1.34 billion. Take-Two's adjusted earnings per share were realized at 5 cents, while Wall Street analysts expected adjusted loss per share of 2 cents.

The company's game net bookings are its core performance operating indicators, defined as the net amount of products and services sold as digital or physical sales during this period, including game licensing fees, physical goods, in-game advertising, strategy guidelines, and publisher incentives, etc.

Since its launch in the late 1990s, the GTA series of games has accumulated billions of dollars in revenue. It is reported that the company unexpectedly narrowed the release window of "Grand Theft Auto VI" ("GTA VI") to the fall of 2025 in May, laying the foundation for the release of the latest sequel of one of the most popular electronic game series in the world next year.

According to statistics, one of the most profitable electronic games in history, Grand Theft Auto 5, has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.

Analyst Michael Pachter of Wall Street investment firm Wedbush Securities predicts that the growth of Take-Two's orders for the next two fiscal years will be mainly from "GTA VI", which will be launched next year.

Take-Two previously stated in May that it expected up to 40 large-scale electronic game projects in its game R&D pipeline by fiscal year 2027.

However, the company's performance outlook data shows that its overall booking scale data for the second quarter is lower than the general analyst expectation mainly due to the significant softness in consumer spending on real-time service games under inflationary pressures and the macro environment of high interest rates in the United States.

According to the Wall Street analyst forecast data compiled by LSEG, Take-Two expects its bookings for the second quarter to be between US$1.42 billion and US$1.47 billion, while the average analyst estimate is around US$1.47 billion.

Take-Two stated that the scale of the recurring consumer spending generated by its "GTA Online" in the first quarter of this year has declined, indicating that the player participation rate of the real-time service game, which is the mainstay of the game, may be slowing down after years of continuous growth.

According to the financial report data, Take-Two's bookings for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending on June 30, 2024, were about US$1.22 billion, below the average analyst expectation of US$1.25 billion. The company reiterated in the performance report that the net booking prospects for fiscal year 2025 are in the range of US$5.55 billion to US$5.65 billion.

The company also stated that it did not see any impact of large-scale strikes by electronic game performers on its game development, which is consistent with the optimistic comments of peer electronic game leader Electronic Arts last week.