Reports from earlier this year noted a developmental shift in Rockstar Games that in turn would affect its games moving forward. The prime example given from these reports wasGrand Theft Auto 6, which supposedly has shifted to an incremental development schedule in response to “crunch” backlash. While the more immediate effects of this new approach will likely affect the next game in the massively successful franchise, the nextRed Dead Redemptionentry may see some significant changes as well.
Even thoughGrand Theft Autois Rockstar Games' juggernaut,Red Dead Redemptionis by no means dwarfed by its flagship franchise.Red Dead Redemption 2is one of the highest selling video games of all time, with both games in the series being widely considered some of the best video games ever developed. Rockstar Games is a very different beast in 2020, and depending on howGrand Theft Auto6turns out, that will in turn greatly affect the nextRed Dead Redemptiongame.
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Responding to Crunch Concerns
Development changes are occurring at Rockstar Games for a number of reasons, but mainly in response to some controversy about its development methodology. Game development “crunch” is pervasive throughout the whole industry, not just big-budget publishers and studios. It represents the time where developers work the hardest and longest hours to meet a development/release deadline for a game.Rockstar Games' “crunch culture” controversygarnered great backlash, and as a result, has taken on a more incremental approach.
To the publisher’s benefit, it’s been noted that Rockstar’s work culture has improved drastically thanks to those testimonials. As a result of these changes, game development on key projects likeGrand Theft Auto 6will be very different compared to previous games. For example, Rockstar has implemented a consistent andincremental development approach forGrand Theft Auto 6. The game will initially release “moderately sized” for Rockstar’s standards (meaning it’ll still be huge, just not ginormous), and then be expanded with regular post-launch updates throughout the game’s lifespan. Rockstar’s goal is to help “mitigate stress and crunch” while still providing a worthwhile experience up to par with Rockstar’s earlier work.
This is by all means a worthy goal and Rockstar should be praised for such an action. However, the industry has perpetuated crunch for a reason, however ill-conceived, an that’s in part due to expectations when it comes to development time frames and more. This is a better long term solution, but the key word there is long term.
Uncertainty for Future Rockstar Games
From a strictly game development level, this does pose some uncertainty forGrand Theft Auto 6and equally if not more uncertainty for the nextRed Dead Redemptiontitle. Development onRed Dead Redemptioncould take the same route thatGrand Theft Auto Onlinedoes, albeit in a different game universe.The blossoming ofGrand Theft Auto Onlineover timebrought the game’s depth far beyond what was initially given to players in the beta.Grand Theft Autohas proven that an incremental development approach can succeed, but it’s hard to say if a game likeRed Dead Redemptioncan also garner success from a similar model.
Some of that uncertainty can be seen when examiningRed Dead Online. Obviously the success ofRed Dead Onlinepales in comparison toGrand Theft Auto Onlinesimply because of the nature of the games.Grand Theft Autowill always have broader appeal because of its simplistic, realistic nature. That being said,Red Dead Onlineis seeing similar success on a microcosmic scale, but not to the same effect asGrand Theft Auto Online. TheRed Dead Redemptionseries is all about capturing an often romanticized portion of American history, focused mostly on a compelling singleplayer narrative and engrossing world. Shifting a project like that to an incremental development model would meana constantly evolving narrative like a TV show, which has been done for games before, but to varying degrees of success.
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As much asRed Dead Redemptionis its own entity, the reception of the nextGrand Theft Autogame will certainly affecthow the nextRed Deadgame is developed. Transforming Rockstar’s various development studios in response to crunch is great for the employees for now, but some have expressed concerns that crunch may become worse as time goes on. Developers fear that will put a strain onGrand Theft Auto 6’s development pipeline as deadlines draw near, and this new approach could be a big risk for the publisher, one that could seriously affect the games Rockstar produces.
TheRed Dead Redemptionseries is also not a franchise built with as much malleability asGrand Theft Autogames have.Grand Theft Autogames have jumped across various cities and different time periods across the United States and the world.Red Deadhas always had a clear focus:a wild western open-world adventureset in the early days of modern US history. Granted there’s still some flexibility there, but for the most part it’s a far more condensed area that can be explored both narratively and gameplay-wise. Taking an incremental development approach toRed Dead Redemptioncould be counter-productive to the game’s overall quality. At the same time, as long as updates and content continue theRed Deadstory in meaningful ways without overstaying its welcome, it could prove innovative.
Only time will tell how an incremental model affects Rockstar’s franchises in general, butRead Dead Redemptionspecifically may see some growing pains in its future.
Red Dead Redemption 2is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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