GTA Mastermind Leslie Benzies opens 4 new game companies at once after leaving and suing Rockstar - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Coyoteze;51714085] I was approached early last year by a Rockstar recruiter for an "unannounced title" (but turned it down due to lack of security) [/QUOTE] Can you expand on what you mean by lack of security? Sorry I'm just curious.

[QUOTE=Hogie bear;51714119]Can you expand on what you mean by lack of security? Sorry I'm just curious.[/QUOTE] It'd involve me moving to a completely different country (more specifically one [I]leaving the EU[/I] :vs:), while knowing nobody there, knowing nothing about how the economy works there and more importantly: not knowing if I could rely on still having the job once development wrapped up. I couldn't get a straight answer out of the recruiter if it was contract-based and I'd be left to my own devices later on or if it was permanent employment.

[QUOTE=Wafflemonstr;51713272]Rockstar died with his departure, as they have shown with their lack of any single player support, and their money gouging in the online portion. I hope they prove me wrong with Red Dead Redemption 2 but I'm not optimistic.[/QUOTE] that's all take two though.

[QUOTE=J!NX;51713414]Even if it put PC gaming to shame buying even a PS4 for the few games that are worth it... still honestly wouldn't be worth it it's sad to see the state of alternative systems for PC gamers IMHO. This isn't to say consoles are shit, but if you have one system getting another is worthless really. I guess that's mostly a good thing when you really think about it though, but like, when there ARE exclusives, there are so few reasons to pick the alternatives.[/QUOTE] Idk I feel like the power combo is a PS4, 3ds (soon to be switch) and a pc

[QUOTE=Wafflemonstr;51713272]Rockstar died with his departure, as they have shown with their lack of any single player support, and their money gouging in the online portion. I hope they prove me wrong with Red Dead Redemption 2 but I'm not optimistic.[/QUOTE] Benzies was the head honcho behind GTA Online though; he specifically mentions the microtransactions in his lawsuit as an example of what he brought to Rockstar.

[QUOTE=SirJon;51713535]Now make a proper rival to break GTA's monopoly PLEASE[/QUOTE] watch dogs, driver, saints row, sleeping dogs, scarface: the world is yours, just cause, simpsons: hit and run, mercenaries, true crime, mafia just off the top of my head even more if you count things that slightly deviate from the formula, like far cry series (not including the original) being gta but first person in the wilderness, red dead being gta but with horses instead of cars, gun being a red dead clone, bully being gta without the cars, mgsv: tpp being tactical gta in the desert featuring waifu and fabulous male ass, jaws unleashed aka grand theft shark gta doesn't have a monopoly on the genre, and they neither invented, popularized, nor typified it. those titles go to Mercenary, Driver, and Hunter, respectively. [editline]23rd January 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=No Party Hats;51714266]Idk I feel like the power combo is a PS4, 3ds (soon to be switch) and a pc[/QUOTE] I would say more like a pc and a vita. other than pokemon the 3ds doesn't have any standout titles and it can be emulated anyway. there's not currently a vita emulator (though one is in the works, but I dont think it'll be usable any time soon)

[QUOTE=butre;51714366]gta doesn't have a monopoly on the genre, and they neither invented, popularized, nor typified it. those titles go to Mercenary, Driver, and Hunter, respectively.[/QUOTE] What are you even talking about? Driver didn't popularize the genre because Driver 1 and 2 were basically a completely different genre than any GTA game the other 2 you mentioned are way too old and obscure to really be able to say that they contributed that much to the genre.

The Benz is strong now

[QUOTE=simkas;51714795]What are you even talking about? Driver didn't popularize the genre because Driver 1 and 2 were basically a completely different genre than any GTA game the other 2 you mentioned are way too old and obscure to really be able to say that they contributed that much to the genre.[/QUOTE] the only thing that differentiates the games I named from modern games of the style is technological limitations. mercenary may be old and obscure but that doesn't change that it invented the genre. hunter is obscure today but when it was released it was a pretty big deal and as far as game mechanics go is very modern, and if driver didn't have the technological limitations of being a psx game it would have been every bit as expansive as gta 5. I'm more referring to driver 2 than the first, that one played more like a tech demo with 4 levels instead of 1

[QUOTE=butre;51715288]the only thing that differentiates the games I named from modern games of the style is technological limitations. mercenary may be old and obscure but that doesn't change that it invented the genre. hunter is obscure today but when it was released it was a pretty big deal and as far as game mechanics go is very modern, and if driver didn't have the technological limitations of being a psx game it would have been every bit as expansive as gta 5. I'm more referring to driver 2 than the first, that one played more like a tech demo with 4 levels instead of 1[/QUOTE] Neither of those games really invented the genre because they're so different than what even GTA 1 was that you can barely compare their genres. GTA 1 did create the open world city driving car jacking cop shooting genre and it popularized it, it absolutely did, you cannot argue with that. [editline]23rd January 2017[/editline] There's a reason why those kind of games were called GTA clones for a while.

[QUOTE=simkas;51713409]Oh come on, I completely don't buy that him alone is what makes their games great. They have massive teams, I don't see how could one person possibility be entirely responsible for their projects coming together in the end.[/QUOTE] Except there are people in the industry that do exactly that. The team that overhauled DooM to awesome was very very small, and they led the rest of the existing team on the right path. Halo also had a similar branching structure, and when people left, it immediately showed. Mass Effect had a similar changing of the guard in the opposite direction as the series went on. Authors absolutely matter, particularly when it's more than 'just a job' to them. Cough Nintendo Cough

[QUOTE=simkas;51715441]Neither of those games really invented the genre because they're so different than what even GTA 1 was that you can barely compare their genres. GTA 1 did create the open world city driving car jacking cop shooting genre and it popularized it, it absolutely did, you cannot argue with that.[/QUOTE] gta 1 was a top down 2d shoot em up with a couple of cars added in to mix it up. it's absolutely not the same genre as modern GTA or the games I mentioned.

[QUOTE=butre;51715490]gta 1 was a top down 2d shoot em up with a couple of cars added in to mix it up. it's absolutely not the same genre as modern GTA or the games I mentioned.[/QUOTE] What? No it wasn't, cars were a huge focus of the whole game. Hell, it originally started as just an open world driving game, shooting was added at a much later stage. Except for a lack of a real story, it's absolutely the same genre. You do missions, get money from them, steal cars, shoot pedestrians, get chased by cops and all that.

[QUOTE=butre;51715490]gta 1 was a top down 2d shoot em up with a couple of cars added in to mix it up. it's absolutely not the same genre as modern GTA or the games I mentioned.[/QUOTE] Have you never played GTA1?

[QUOTE=Eric95;51713581]actually, gta v's single player was extremely good as hell what the heck are your standards for a good game if gta v was shit[/QUOTE] Production value-wise sure, but it was a gigantic downgrade from GTA IV which has quite possibly the greatest single player story and writing of all time, and was one of the most technologically astounding games of all time. I was bored with the story of GTA V within about two hours when I played it, and I actually took a couple month break around the mid point before going back and finishing it.

[QUOTE=Wafflemonstr;51715888]Production value-wise sure, but it was a gigantic downgrade from GTA IV which has quite possibly the greatest single player story and writing of all time, and was one of the most technologically astounding games of all time. I was bored with the story of GTA V within about two hours when I played it, and I actually took a couple month break around the mid point before going back and finishing it.[/QUOTE] well i know it's all a matter of opinion but to me gta IV felt really clunky, slow and boring while gta V was the opposite

[QUOTE=Berman Slick;51716668]Are you serious? GTA 3 is the reason we have Saints Row, Scarface, Simpsons H&R, Sleeping Dogs, The Getaway, True Crime, Mafia, Crack Down, Watch Dogs, Just Cause, Gun, The Godfather, Infamous.. GTA 3's worldbuilding, story, and non-linear mission structure had a direct impact on gaming, one that brought us to where we are. Rockstar showed everyone how it's done early (and keeps doing it) and devs have been following their example ever since, albeit improving and fleshing out the concepts in their own ways. Ask any of the dev staff in these companies and they'll say GTA 3 was an unavoidable inspiration lol[/QUOTE] iirc wasn't Jak II and III for the PS2 inspired by GTA 3 too

[QUOTE=DOG-GY;51713425]Shouldn't really change the fact that buying anything from R* is endorsing cheating and horrible practice.[/QUOTE] If a game's fun I'm not going to limit myself from playing it to ~prove a point~ to a company that wouldn't even notice if I didn't buy it. I'll probably grab it secondhand anyway, what with it being on console where the discounts are shit.

[QUOTE=gk99;51717589]If a game's fun I'm not going to limit myself from playing it to ~prove a point~ to a company that wouldn't even notice if I didn't buy it. I'll probably grab it secondhand anyway, what with it being on console where the discounts are shit.[/QUOTE] Alright.

Good for him. I definitely wish him the best, and will keep my eyes and ears open for whatever project he's working on. As for R*, let's hope you guys found a decent enough replacement. If RDR 2 is good, then I'll probably pick it up. If it's not, then I guess R* will just join what seems to be an ever growing list of "developers I once respected, but don't give a shit about anymore."