26. "They're still trying to figure out their RDR online strategy" In response to In response to 25
Obviously GTA Online has been KILLING on micro transactions, so in that sense its not sensible for them to digress from that model for RDR, but I'll bet it's also really hard to reconcile the billion dollar budgets they built that system for with the financial model of the 1890s (and for whatever it's worth, Rockstar cares about shit like that).
There's also been enough backlash against micro transactions - particularly within Take Two's own business with NBA 2K18 - that I'm sure shareholders want to make sure whatever their online strategy with this game is, it's going to do GTA numbers and not set the world on fire in any other way.
And until they know what that plan is, they can't sell their Deluxe editions, and if they can't sell their premium packages there's no business sense taking money for the basic version.