Technology
10 Key Considerations Before a New Product Launch
If launching a new product was easy, then everyone would be doing it.
Instead, even as we’ve discovered in our planning for the launch of our new “coffee table” book of infographics, it requires an incredible combination of vision, deliberation, teamwork, and project management expertise to accomplish something that’s never been done before.
And even if you are lucky enough to nail many of those things, external factors can be just as deadly.
Getting a Launch Right
Today’s infographic comes from To The New, and it details 10 key points to consider before any new product launch. While it has a slant towards technology and startup products, many of the points are relevant for any new endeavor.
The fact is: launching a product can be ripe with pitfalls. Mckinsey says the chance of success for a new product is 14%.
That’s why preemptively addressing the most common slipups for new products can be an invaluable step for any prospective entrepreneur.
Ten Areas to Focus On
Here are 10 areas that experts say must be addressed to increase the odds of a successful product launch:
1. Market Analysis
According to CB Insights, 19% of startup failures were as a result of ignoring competition. Instead, the market potential must be properly analyzed and assessed to give a realistic perspective on a product launch.
2. Unclear Requirement and Strategy
If expectations for team members are unclear, then it will have a ripple effect. Product development will be delayed, and it could impact timing and profit potential.
3. Product Roadmap
This high-level plan keeps team members on the same page as product development and the launch are executed.
4. Poor Design
An easy thing to overlook – product design should be tested with extensive user research. Otherwise, users may not be aware of key features.
5. Engineering Best Practices
Following best practices for engineering helps to guarantee the product will be ready and glitch-free come launch time.
6. Poor Project Management
Unrealistic timelines, a lack of communication, and inadequate resource allocation can have a big impact on project success.
7. Funding and Capital
Getting the right amount of capital is key. Allocating it wisely to ensure project success is just as important.
8. Launch Timing
Poor timing can also lead to failure. As a result, project scheduling should be carefully planned and thought out, taking into account possible roadblocks or other adverse circumstances that could derail the plan.
9. Performance and Usability
For software or web-based products in particular: no one wants to deal with long loading times, slow responsiveness, or other usability issues. It’s best to clear these up before the product hits market.
10. Availability and Maintenance
If the product is connected to the web, the team needs to ensure that servers and security measures are taken to ensure uptime and availability.
A Final Note
Even the most powerful corporations are aware of the many potential pitfalls when launching a new product.
It’s why every CEO is so adamant that their organization maintains the focus on their core vision, competitive advantage, and current brand value proposition. If any new product does not fit all this criteria, it’s not worth the risk of the company being distracted. This is true for even the most resourceful and innovative corporations.
Luckily, and consequently, this conservatism that permeates big companies is exactly what opens up the tiny window for you to succeed with your next product launch!
Technology
Charting Grand Theft Auto: GTA’s Budget and Revenues
Dive into the GTA budget through the years, with GTA VI set to be the most expensive video game of all time.

Charting Grand Theft Auto: GTA’s Budget and Revenues
Over 10 years since the launch of Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), the second most-sold video game in history, Rockstar Games has announced its sequel GTA VI will be “coming 2025.”
As the anticipation only grows for this next big entry in the franchise, we take a look at the GTA budget through the years. How much have the last two games cost to make, how much have they earned, and how do they compare with the latest entry?
Data for this visualization comes from Statista, TweakTown, and Twitch Metrics.
How Much Has GTA VI Cost to Make?
The GTA franchise has grown enormously in scale from humble beginnings as a top-down, 2D video game in 1997. Fifteen installments later, the upcoming release, GTA VI, is estimated to be the most expensive video game to be made yet.
Here’s a look at how much GTA VI and the last two major releases cost, and how much revenue they’ve earned as of August 2023.
Year | Title | Production Costs ($) | Revenue ($) | Copies Sold |
---|---|---|---|---|
2025 (est.) | GTA VI | $2B (rumored) | N/A | N/A |
2013 | GTA V | $265M | $7.7B | 185M |
2008 | GTA IV | $100M | $2B | 25M |
In 2008, GTA IV cost around $100 million—already a budget that rivalled big Hollywood releases. However with 25 million copies sold, the game earned nearly $2 billion—a five-fold return on its production cost.
Five years later, GTA V (2013) cost more than $200 million to make—twice GTA IV’s budget. A decade after its release, GTA V has generated close to $8 billion, with hundreds of millions in annual revenue from subscriptions and in-game purchases—a model that its successor is sure to follow.
In fact, subscription fees and in-game purchases represented 78% of Take-Two Interactive’s (parent of GTA developer Rockstar Games) revenues in 2023.
Analysts estimate the to-be-released GTA VI’s costs at $2 billion, including marketing and other expenses. A massive open-world (set in the Miami-inspired “Vice City”), cutting edge graphics, and a reportedly brand-new game engine are all reasons for the game’s outsized budget.
For comparison, the current most expensive games to have been made include Red Dead Redemption 2 (also by Rockstar) and Star Citizen, both reportedly with a $500 million budget.
Meanwhile, Take-Two Interactive shares are up more than 50% for the year.
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