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Take-Two: Red Dead is 'permanent,' BioShock stays with 2K Marin
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick noted Red Dead among the company's "permanent franchises" at the Cowen and Company's Technology, Media and Telecom Conference this week. "It's obvious that GTA is a permanent franchise as long as we keep delivering this incredible quality; it seems quite obvious that Red Dead is a permanent franchise, again with the same caveat," he said. The Rockstar Games-developed series has two entries: 2004's Red Dead Revolver and 2010's Red Dead Redemption, and the CEO's phrasing strongly indicates that another Red Dead game is on the way. "But not everything is going to be a permanent franchise," Zelnick added. "We can do very well even if it's not. I would like to see us grow with a couple more great franchises in the next couple years and we're launching Evolve, we have very high hopes for that." Zelnick also commented on the BioShock series, saying the publisher thinks it is "beloved, we think it's important [and] certainly something that we're focused on, something 2K Marin will be responsible for shepherding going forward." 2K Marin suffered layoffs in October following the launch of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, prior to reports that the studio was on the verge of shuttering entirely. The developer launched BioShock 2 in 2010 between the two entries created by the Ken Levine-led studio Irrational Games. Irrational downsized to a small team of 15 in February, at which point Levine said the developer was "handing the reins of our creation, the BioShock universe, to 2K so our new venture can focus entirely on replayable narrative." [Image: Take-Two]
Some guy got a Red Dead Redemption tattoo
You have got to have some huge cojones to go and get a giant tattoo of a dude from a video game that isn't out yet. What if the game is a real stinker? Then you have to be that dude nobody likes who goes around defending the game, saying people just didn't get the symbolism or whatever other excuses those people make up to justify their decision. It's a real mine field. That's why the above tattoo (via iGrandTheftAuto) of James Marston, from May's Red Dead Redemption, is so odd to us. It's not like the guy who got the tat will be the next Zune guy, but, well -- whatever makes you happy, we guess. [Via Rockstar]
Red Dead Redemption has 'surprising' multiplayer, to be revealed in early April
We just spent some time getting our filthy hands even filthier inside of Red Dead Redemption, where we actually skinned a horse and instantly felt like we'd killed Trigger. But no-good horse killin' aside, the big news here is that multiplayer is coming to Red Dead Redemption. We don't know how just yet, but a Rockstar representative told us that it would incorporate multiplayer in a "surprising" way. Surprising as in it doesn't totally suck like in GTA IV? Aw, snap. Yeah, we went there. Now we'll have to worry about being skinned. More details are coming directly from the horse's mouth (sorry, couldn't resist) the week of April 5th, so stay tuned for more details when Rockstar reveals the secrets of what we like to call Red Dead Redemption: Posse Galore. %Gallery-43816%
Latest Red Dead Redemption screens sneak up and take us out
Alright, alright, not really -- they're just screenshots, folks! But these four new screens do most assuredly feature Red Dead Redemption's main hero (and his buddy Marshall Johnson) sneaking up on a variety of old West bad guys to, presumably, take them out -- the folks at Rockstar claim that these shots are about "taking cover," but we can see with our own eyes that they're clearly about clandestinely poppin' fools. We've still got a few more months before the game's scheduled release date of April 27, and as such, we'd be willing to bet this isn't the last we've seen of Mr. Marston and his U.S. Marshall buddies. %Gallery-83751%
Rumor: Wives of Rockstar San Diego rally for better work conditions
According a Gamasutra user blog penned by "Rockstar spouse," working conditions at Rockstar San Diego -- the studio responsible for not just the Red Dead franchise, but also Rockstar's proprietary "RAGE" game engine -- have been deteriorating for quite some time due to "mismanagement." Claims ranging from a neverending "crunch" cycle to lack of appreciation to straight up "dishonesty" are leveled in the post, with a handful of comments (some anonymous, some from verified ex-Rockstar San Diego employees) corroborating, and often adding to, the complaints. "This is EXACTLY the reason I left Rockstar San Diego in February 2009," commented one ex-Rockstar employee. An alleged employee speaking anonymously said, "There were extended core hours, frustrations rising, and then a false promise of the dropping of mandatory Saturdays, which seemed to last for about three such Saturdays." The "Quality of Life" issue discussed in the piece isn't a new one for the games industry. It was first brought up in late 2004 with the "EA Spouse" letter (also anonymous), and again mid last year with Epic Games exec Mike Capps. We've contacted Rockstar and followed up with Rockstar San Diego employees for more information.
