Why is the process of making Rockstar games much longer than other studios?

When it comes to quality in the gaming industry, few studios can compete with Rockstar Games. Over the course of more than two decades, the company has repeatedly released games that have literally redefined the standards of their genre. The Grand Theft Auto series, two versions of Red Dead Redemption, and even titles like Bully and Midnight Club, all contribute to Rockstar's record of commercial success and the satisfaction of gamers and critics.

But these days it's no secret that the number of games released by this developer has decreased dramatically. This issue is more tangible than ever with the passage of time. For example, if we consider that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released next fall, it will be seven years since Red Dead Redemption 2 was released. A game that was released five years after GTA 5. In fact, between 2013 and 2025, i.e. in twelve years, Rockstar released only three main titles, and that is if GTA 6 is not delayed.

Now we compare these numbers with the output of this studio in the distant years. During the Xbox 360 era, we saw Grand Theft Auto 4 and its expansion packs, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, LA Noire, Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption and the Undead Nightmare expansion pack.

In addition to all these console titles, it also released games such as Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty Stories as side projects. To release this many games of acceptable quality level in less than a decade is truly admirable.

This comparison shows that Rockstar has not only reduced the number of released games, but also limited their variety. In the past, this company published many games in various genres and on different platforms; But now Rockstar has been summarized in two GTA and RDR series for years.

Of course, there are logical reasons for this change of procedure. The first reason that comes to everyone's mind is GTA Online. Online began as a multiplayer mod for GTA 5, but within a few years it has become one of the biggest entertainments online. Thanks to GTA Online, GTA V has sold more than 200 million copies and continues to generate huge revenue for Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, through in-app purchases.

With that kind of revenue, it's no surprise that the bulk of Rockstar's energy is focused on GTA Online. But is this alone the reason for Rockstar's lower risk in recent years? Probably not, but Rockstar definitely doesn't want to put the people working on GTA Online on a project like the Midnight Club remake.

Also, this issue can largely be the reason for not releasing single-player add-on packs for GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Although the online part of RDR 2 was not as successful as GTA Online, it still required a huge workforce to support it.

But as we mentioned earlier, GTA Online is not the only one to blame for the decrease in the variety of Rockstar games. If you have paid attention to the game industry in recent years, you know that the cost and time required for game development have increased drastically. A typical AAA game these days takes an average of 4-6 years to complete. Now consider the greatness of the game, the unparalleled attention to detail and the level of quality of Rockstar's flagship titles.

Of course, few studios can compete with Rockstar's thousands of employees and massive financial resources. Therefore, this studio can devote more resources to its games. Still, it's no surprise that games like Grand Theft Auto 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2 took such a long time to develop. Because this level of precision and quality has no way but to spend a long time.

This comes with other side costs, of course, and Rockstar has been criticized several times for issues related to workload and excessive pressure on employees. Reports indicate that the company has taken measures to improve these conditions.

It can be said that this issue is out of Rockstar's control. If it's going to develop game-changing titles like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar will need a tank full of money and several years of time. To be honest, at this point in time, any game Rockstar releases that doesn't meet the expectations of gamers will be met with a barrage of negative reviews and fan protests.

GTA Online's continued revenue allows Rockstar to devote the time and financial resources needed to its games. This is a unique situation for this studio. For that kind of revenue stream to stop, Grand Theft Auto 6 and its online segment would have to perform poorly. Considering the current situation and GTA's die-hard fans, it must be said that this seems highly unlikely.

Ultimately, Rockstar's decisions will primarily be directed toward the best use and greatest financial gain of available resources. Would we like to see the company move away from its focus on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption and offer more diverse titles? Of course, yes, but there's no doubt that this means less focus on Rockstar's money-making machine, GTA Online.