Former Rockstar Games Developer Shares Game Development Secrets, Content Removed at Company’s Request
A former Rockstar Games developer recently started sharing various development secrets with players on his personal blog earlier this month. Obbe Vermeij, who has participated in many classic “Grand Theft Auto” series, began blogging about his time at Rockstar North, the Take-Two company responsible for developing Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and more.
Vermeij’s blog posts revealed details about the early development of the Grand Theft Auto series and other Rockstar Games titles. One post discussed the original concept for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which was initially planned as a zombie shooting survival game. Another post revealed that after completing “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas”, the team experimented with espionage-style gadgets in the game, which ultimately influenced the development of a James Bond-style game.
One of the most intriguing revelations was about a game codenamed “AGENT”, which was meant to be a linear level design similar to the “Max Payne” series. The project, which initially had a grand vision, ultimately dwindled in scope and was eventually abandoned as the team’s focus shifted to the development of “Grand Theft Auto 5”.
However, Rockstar North officials were not pleased with Vermeij’s behind-the-scenes revelations, and the former employee was asked to remove the blog posts. In a statement, Vermeij expressed surprise at the request, as he had thought that discussing games he worked on ten to twenty years ago would not cause any issues. Nonetheless, he complied with the company’s request.
In a follow-up post on Twitter, Vermeij clarified that Rockstar Games did not directly force him to remove the content, but it was at the behest of some old employees who were unhappy with the revelations. Rockstar Games is known for being highly secretive about its game development, and the company rarely shares internal secrets with the outside world.
However, as Rockstar Games approaches its 25th anniversary and prepares to reveal the long-awaited new game in the Grand Theft Auto series in early December, it is clear that the company is facing both internal and external pressures.
Despite rumors of a high-pressure working environment during the development of “Red Dead Redemption 2”, recent reports suggest that the working environment at Rockstar Games has improved significantly, with senior management allowing for a more relaxed development approach for the team’s next new game.
As fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming release, it seems that the legacy of the Grand Theft Auto series continues to captivate both players and developers alike.