Rockstar Games

History

Rockstar Games was founded in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive. The company emerged from BMG Interactive, a British division that had previously published the original Grand Theft Auto (1997).

After the restructuring, Sam Houser and Dan Houser took the helm of the new studio, setting a course toward creating large-scale open-world games with cinematic storytelling. In 2001, the release of Grand Theft Auto III revolutionized the industry, establishing the standard for 3D open-world games.

Since then, Rockstar Games has consistently delivered projects that become cultural events. The company is known for its long development cycles and an exceptionally high level of quality in its final products.

Key Titles

• Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
• Bully (2006)
• Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
• Red Dead Redemption (2010)
• Max Payne 3 (2012)
• Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
• Grand Theft Auto VI (TBA)

Studios

Rockstar Games unites several internal studios around the world, all working as a single team on major projects:

• Rockstar North — Edinburgh, Scotland (lead studio for the GTA series)
• Rockstar San Diego — Carlsbad, California (Red Dead Redemption)
• Rockstar London — London, United Kingdom
• Rockstar New England — Andover, Massachusetts
• Rockstar India — Bangalore, India
• Rockstar Toronto — Toronto, Canada

Industry Impact

Grand Theft Auto V became one of the most commercially successful entertainment products in history, generating over $8 billion in revenue. GTA Online continues to generate income more than 10 years after its launch.

Red Dead Redemption 2 received numerous awards for its storytelling, graphics, and open-world detail, becoming a benchmark for developers worldwide.

Rockstar Games is known for its proprietary RAGE engine (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine), which powers the scale and technical quality of their projects.