Rockstar Games is now mainly known for two major series: Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. The company no longer creates new IPs like Max Payne, L.A. Noire, or Midnight Club (some of which were also made with external teams).
So why doesn’t Rockstar try something completely new? The answer comes from a former Rockstar developer, technical director Obbe Vermeij.
What Vermeij Said About Rockstar Games
Speaking with GameHub, Vermeij explained that “the reality is if you have a studio that has one mega successful game, it just doesn’t make sense to do any wild changes. Whatever weird ideas you have, we really should put them into GTA rather than just launching an entirely new game.”
GameHub mentioned canceled Rockstar projects such as Agent—a James Bond-style game set during the Cold War—and a zombie game set on a Scottish island, neither of which was ever released. Vermeij said he does not regret setting those projects aside to focus on GTA.
“In retrospect, I don’t think there’s a missed opportunity at all, either with that zombie game or with other experiments like Agent. They wouldn’t have been as good as GTA. They would have been a waste of time and a distraction.”
That said, Vermeij showed respect for development teams that choose to move away from what made them successful to try something new. He mentioned Larian Studios, which decided to focus on Divinity instead of making Baldur’s Gate 4.
“Good for them. But it’s a bold move. It’s not obvious. It’s very risky. It’s easier to just keep on doing what you’re doing.”
On a related note, Baldur’s Gate 3 was limited by its game engine. For Divinity, Larian is now creating a brand-new engine.
