Rockstar Games: an overview of famous franchises
Video game developer Rockstar Games has created world-famous franchises. It owns projects such as Red Dead, Max Payne, Midnight Club, and others. The studio’s most commercially successful game is the fifth version of Grand Theft Auto. In 2021, its sales totalled more than 140 million copies.
The founders of Rockstar are the Hauser brothers and their partners, King and Donovan. It came into being in 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive after its parent, DMA Design, merged with and acquired other companies. Today, the developer operates nine studios and employs approximately 1,200 people.
Key games overview
Rockstar’s franchises are well known even to those who aren’t into video games. Films and TV series have been made based on some of them. The studio’s most popular projects include:
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III – the first game from Rockstar. It is the first game from the company Rockstar and has the nickname GTA. You may have noticed that DMA Design had previously published this title. But in 2001, it became a 3D shooting game with third-person. The game immediately gained popularity among gamers. Since its release, the game has had sales of more than 14.5 million copies worldwide. This game is also important for the development of the industry and the direction of open-world projects.
Red Dead Redemption
2004 saw the release of another popular game from the studio—Red Dead Redemption. It is a western-style adventure project using RPG elements. Over time, the game turned into a whole universe, where each new series takes place in a new place and with a new mission. The second version of Red Dead sold over 36 million copies and won several awards at The Game Awards.
Max Payne
Finnish studio Remedy Entertainment originally developed Max Payne. However, after its creation it was taken over by Rockstar. The game is a shooter in which the protagonist – special agent Max Payne – is wrongly accused of killing a friend. He must find the real killer and exonerate himself. As he progresses in his investigation, he also unravels other cases. The universe of this project is so bright and dynamic that it has attracted the interest of cinema representatives. A film based on the adventures of the main character was made in 2008.
Midnight Club
The company launched the Midnight Club project in 2000. It immerses players in the open world of car and motorcycle racing. In total, there were four series, but in 2010, the studio announced that it was stopping work on the sequel.
In addition to its core games, Rockstar develops projects for all tastes. For the most demanding gamers, there are horror, detective, action, and other genres. Each game boasts high-quality visuals and a well-thought-out storyline.
