Since its formation in 1998, Rockstar Games has been a culture-defining force in gaming. The company has made waves through its various iconic franchises, including theRed Deadseries, which lets gamers play as outlaws in the Wild West. 2010’sRed Dead Redemptioncenters onJohn Marston, who finds himself forced to turn against members of his old gang after his loved ones are taken hostage by the government. Though the game is a resounding success that has sold 23 million copies to date, it is relatively aged, which has many gamers eager for a remake.
With Rockstar’s recent trend of polishing and re-releasing its classic games for modern gamers, the idea of aRed Dead Redemptionremake is not farfetched. However, the company should consider letting another studio deal with such a project. With the nextGrand Theft Autogame in the pipeline, handing over aRed Dead Redemptionremake project to a competent studio would help avoid unnecessarily dividing Rockstar’s attention.
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Rockstar Games is not a single studio, but is instead a family of worldwide studios which includes, but is not limited to: Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar New England, Rockstar North (responsible for theGTAseries), Rockstar Toronto (responsible for PC ports of severalGTAgames), and Rockstar San Diego, which is responsible for theMidnight ClubandRed Deadseries. Though the studios are far apart, they do work together when larger projects require it.
Over the years, Rockstar’s games have grown larger in scope, thanks to the company’s reputation for delivering games rich in detail and intricate open-world design. This was taken to extremes withRed Dead Redemption 2, which was released in 2018 and serves as a prequel to its predecessor. Set in the pre-industrial USA during the dusk of the era of outlaws, the game follows Arthur Morgan and his gang as it disintegrates. The game was a passion project for Rockstar, and it is estimated that over half a billion was spent on marketing and development, making it one of themost expensive games ever made.
To make the game a reality, Rockstar drew from all its worldwide studios, resulting in around 2000 people working on the game. Despite the colossal amount of manpower available, there were still reports that employees were subjected to excessivecrunch time at Rockstar. According to gaming journalist Jason Schreier, the company underwent significant internal cultural changes in response to the deluge of complaints from workers followingRed Dead Redemption 2.
Rockstar has confirmed that its focus is directed toward the next entry in theGTAseries. After the historic success ofGTA 5, the company is likely eager to not only reach the heightsGTA 5did, but to exceed them, too. EarlyGTA 6rumorspaint a picture of a very ambitious game in the works, and this will certainly require yet another heavy investment of labor and money from Rockstar, likely even exceeding the company’s investment inRed Dead Redemption 2. It is not hard to imagine that the company will be drawing from all its global studios once again to ensure the game is released within the current gaming generation without resorting to any compromises.
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Should Rockstar also attempt to take on aRed Dead Redemptionremake, it could cause the company’s resources to be divided. TheGTAseries is a flagship franchise for the company, and it would be wise for Rockstar to ensure that the game manages to amaze gamers who have been impatiently waiting for nearly a decade. By passing theRed Dead Redemptionremake to a trusted external studio, Rockstar can ensure that bothRed Dead RedemptionandGTAreceive the care and attention they deserve.
Throughout its history, Rockstar has displayed impressive creativity, innovation, and a startling ability to execute a highly ambitious vision. Consequently, though many studios have tried to emulate Rockstar, none have managed to achieve this. However, Rockstar is not infallible, and it has demonstrated that remakes and remasters could be its weak spot. This has been seen with theGTAseries when theGTAtrilogy remakeleft many gamers disappointed.
Fortunately, there are a few studios that could do a respectable job remasteringRed Dead Redemption. The first is Remedy Entertainment, a Finnish studio that has a close relationship with Rockstar thanks to theMax Payneseries. Recently, Remedy announced that it would be responsible for the upcomingMax Payneremakes, with Rockstar financing the project. It would be convenient for Rockstar and Remedy to collaborate once again for aRed Dead Redemptionremake, as the two companies are already on friendly terms, and have demonstrated in the past that they are capable of working together.
Another candidate is Bluepoint, a studio that has made a reputation for itself as being an industry expert in remakes and remasters. Quality titles from the studio includeShadow of the Colossus,Gravity Rush Remastered, andDemon’s Souls. Bluepoint’s track record demonstrates that the studio has a knack for adapting classic games for modern consoles, while remaining faithful to the source material. If put to the task, there is no reason why Bluepoint would fail to deliver a stunning remake ofRed Dead Redemption.
After the release of theGTAtrilogy remaster, gamers are speculating about which of Rockstar’s games will be receiving renewed attention. Many are hoping it isRed Dead Redemption, as though its visuals may be dated, its themes and cast of characters still manage to resonate with gamers. Though Rockstar is perfectly capable of delivering an impressive remake, it may be a good idea for the company to let another studio handle it and give the game adequate attention, as the development of the nextGTAgame could require most, if not all, Rockstar’s attention.
Red Dead Redemptionis available on PS3 and Xbox 360.
