Grand Theft Auto is "not up for comparison" with fellow Take-Two open-world game Mafia III, says the publisher's CEO Strauss Zelnick.

In the company's quarterly earnings call yesterday, Zelnick dismissed comments about the two games' similarities, saying Mafia III is "a completely different experience. [...] I wouldn't compare it to anything else out there."

Following Mafia III's Gamescom 2015 reveal, many have noted how similar its moment-to-moment gameplay is to the GTA triple threat of running, driving, and shooting.

The comparisons are likely driven by speculation that Take-Two wishes to repeat Grand Theft Auto V's astounding 54-million strong sales figures, also announced in the earnings call.

In addition to defending the two titles' individuality creatively, Zelnick added that 2K Games and Rockstar Games don't share their work, despite having a common parent company.

"We do not have a tech-sharing environment. We're a very congenial company, but we don't think that's the best way to get the best out of our development folks," he said.

Mafia III launches in 2016 on new-gen consoles and PC.