Summary
There have been some big acquisitions in the video game world over the last few years. Microsoft purchased bothActivision BlizzardandBethesdafor obscene sums of money, andSonydid the same whenit acquired Bungie in between Microsoft’s behemoth buys.
While not as earth-shattering as those listed above, Take-Two andRockstar Gameshave today announced the purchase of Video Game Deluxe, a support studio that will likely help to bolster the company’s development ofGrand Theft Auto 6.
Take-Two And Rockstar Announce Acquisition Of Australian Support Studio Video Games Deluxe
Rockstar and Video Games Deluxe have a storied history. The studio was founded by former Rockstar and Team Bondi employee Brendan McNamara, who happens to be the creative force behindL.A. Noire(and 2002’s The Getaway). The studio then went on to create L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files for the Rockstar.
Arguably, Video Games Deluxe’s best, most notable work comes on the much-maligned GTA Trilogy. The game launched in 2021 to a score ofless than one out of ten on Metacritic, becoming theworst-reviewed game of the year, and Rockstar wasflooded with refund requestsfrom disappointed fans. After years of fixes, the game is finally in a playable state, and much of that work can be credited to the Sydney-based studio. The studio will be rebranded Rockstar Australia.
With such a strong past with Rockstar Games, both creating games and fixing them, this acquisition makes perfect sense and bodes well for the upcoming launch of this year’s most anticipated title.
In itsstatement, Take-Two said: “After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia,” with Video Game Deluxe founder Brendan McNamara saying, “We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible.”
