Rockstar does it right, like it or not

One of the most successful developers out there is also the one that is the most controversial.  Every time they release a game, they always seem to push the envelope of what the "M" (Mature) Rating is, yet still always produce a title that wows the gaming audience in some way.  

I personally remember back to the original Playstation releases of Grand Theft Auto I & II.  The whole selling point, in North America, for these games revolved around the fact that Europe had banned them from being sold.  The weren't that great, honestly, and were more focused about the shock of being able to walk up and steal a car rather than engaging the audience in a deep gaming experience.  That all changed on the Playstation 2 though.

Grand Theft Auto III was the very definition of a "sleeper."  It was the third game in a series that had been considered mediocre, at best.  The first two didn't set the world on fire with their sales, and there was no reason to believe that this game would do any different.  In fact, the only people who thought the game would actually do well, happened to be Rockstar themselves.  The rest, as they say, was history.  Every facet of the game was improved.  The overlooking perspective was scrapped in favor of a 3D over the shoulder style game.  Celebrities were brought in to voice the characters.  The gameplay was improved.  Just every part of the game was so polished, that (in hindsight) it is amazing that anyone overlooked the title. 

GTA3 was such a massive success that it allowed Rockstar to really make whatever they wanted.  Not only would they continue with the GTA series, but they would also introduce top selling franchises like Max Payne and Red Dead, and turn them into huge financial successes as well.  Why is it that Rockstar seems to always strike gold with their games?  How can they get away with only releasing one game a year?  How can they be so successful when the mainstream media bashes them consistently?

Well quite simply put it comes down to one part polish and one part timing.  First, here's what I mean by polish.  They don't release a game they think isn't ready.  Sure, they have released crap in the past (State of Emergency comes to mind), but for the most part, Rockstar does have a standard they set for their titles.  While some developers would be rushed by the publisher to have the title ready, Rockstar is willing to shift around their release calender rather than released an unfinished game.  (Take note of that EA and Activision, because you should be doing it too).  Rockstar delayed L.A Noire an entire year due to the game not being ready, and it was to great benefit to the title.

Now the timing piece, and this is far more important than you might be thinking.  Rockstar always releases their big titles around the same time every year; the months of April and May.  Most publishers want their stuff out in October and November due to Christmas sales.  Game companies make over 50% of their profits in the months of November and December.  If you have something you want to make a big splash in sales, your best bet is to release it in the holiday time frame.  (This is also why most consoles come out in November)  The only drawback to this is the fact that everyone does this.  October and November are always so chocked full of Triple A product, that people on a budget have to make choices as to what they want to play.   Rockstar handles it differently.  They release during a time period when there's very little coming out.  So when you go to the store when you're bored in the summer, chances are you'll see lots of marketing materials and such surrounding the Rockstar title of that chosen year.  

Rockstar has become a brand that is quite recognizable a well.  They spend a lot of money on very slick television ads, and once gamers see that R, they know they are going to get a well made game.  Chances are, this summer, you've seen quite a bit on Max Payne 3, right?  Doesn't hurt that the game is pretty well made and fun, right?  They have a way of making their titles "timeless" in a way, which also helps them out with the pre-owned sales thing.  Grand Theft Auto IV has been out for years now.  However, it's so timeless of a game that Rockstar still has the game in print.  Many games, due to the pre-owned market, don't last that long, but this one does.  Because even when GTAV comes out, GTAIV will still be it's own unique experience.

Overall, I wish we'd see more companies handle their business the same way Rockstar does.  I'm not even the a big fan of GTA or anything they do,  but I respect the hell out of the way they run their business, and no matter what happens, Max Payne 3 will be one of the top selling games of the year.