I want to take a break from my "top 10" blogs to discuss Rockstar games for a moment. Rockstar Games holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Their first big hit, GTA III, was the reason I bought a ps2 and I bought every GTA game since. Back then GTA was their ticket into fame, infamy, and fortune. But when this genration hit, Rockstar proved they were not a one trick pony.
Red Dead Redemption proved to me that Rockstar was past the childish elements of GTA. It had elements to it that screamed "Rockstar!" but without all the hookers and the innumerable innuendos of the GTA series. That is not to say I dislike those things, they are fun every once in a while but as I grew older I wanted something more than cheap laughs. Read Dead Redemption had more of a deeper story that said a lot about the earlier old west days; about how history back then is not so different from modern times. Red Dead Redemption was like a window into the past and since we don't have time machines, that is a good as it gets.
Im hoping Rockstar will continue this in their upcoming game, LA Noir. La Noir seems a lot like Red Dead Redemption, only set in the 1940s with a classic detective theme. From what I have seen in the trailers. this is a pretty classy game in many ways. The facial capture technology is not only very good but the story seems mature, gritty and engaging. Rockstar games is once again trying to show us a window into a different time. If Rockstar keeps uo this pace, GTA may have to share the fame with a few of its younger brothers.
Im impressed with how much Rockstar games has changed over the years. When you think they can't get any better, they push the boundaries even more by trying new approaches. Developers who try to copy them are always a step behind because no one knows what Rockstar will do next. They are not followers; they are one of the leaders of the industry. I am very excited for LA Noir, but I also want to hear a little bit about Agent pretty soon too. Maybe that will be the cream of the crop. Until then, kudos to you Rockstar, Keep on developing.
"Albion Online, the free-to-play fantasy sandbox MMORPG developed by Sandbox Interactive will launch for Xbox Series X|S on 21 April 2026." - Sandbox Interactive.
Jason Dietz: "We reveal the past year's best and worst video game publishers (based on their 2025 releases) in the 16th edition of our annual Game Publisher Rankings."
I was just going to say this, their biggest and top rated game here is TLOU2 for PC….it’s embarrassing.
Even Ubisoft and EA are ahead
Kind of surprised Nintendo is pretty low aswell, their biggest game is also a rerelease with the Switch 2 version of TotK.
@christopher:” Take note, Sony, you're falling behind by a lot.”
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Why single out Sony? Microsoft didn’t do any better than the year before 5th same as Sony 9th and they have acquired activision and other mayor titles that have boosted their score massively from a 9th and Sony a 4th the year before the acquisitions.
Sony does need to do better without a doubt and I do hope they do take note but not the note of buying publishers is the way to succeed.
1. Microsoft didn't get worse.
2. Sony got way worse.
3. Because Sony needs the criticism the most considering their publishing output this generation has been propped up by last gen ports and third-party developers for the most part.
Big part of that has been the live service push resulting in cancellation or flop after flop but when they put out the games their fans want we get amazing stuff like astro bot
Leadership really screwed the pooch trend chasing
https://www.metacritic.com/...
https://www.metacritic.com/...
Well I apologize I was wrong about not doing worse but my statement of Microsoft getting a boost still stand 🤷🏿
But... but... the garbage-mongers always tell us that Square Enix is in trouble! 😂
Square doesn't help that it fear mongers itself with ridiculous 'goals' that they can't reach and then they proclaim failure if they don't reach it. They're quite freaking profitable and people act like they're dying.
Keep in mind that these "proclamations" are usually third-hand bad translations from somedude who was at the investor conference, posted on Twitter, and picked up by press and youtubers like they were gold, and then when the official translation comes out, they're much softer statements, but at that point, the damage is done.
to be very fair
being number one on these things does not indicate how "well" their games do selling wise.
Console Creatures writes, "The Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is packed with content and showcases the series' best moments with attention to detail and quality of life improvements to make this one heck of a packaged deal."
Rockstar aren't making L.A. Noire though! Agent is the focus! However last gen R* had loads of non GTA games, more than this gen.
Rockstars last good game was GTA3 sad to say.
Great entry, thanks!
I don't know if it was just me, but I thought the facial animations were disturbing in that LA Noire trailer
ever since they made GTA4, I've vowed to myself to never by one of their games again unless they actualy throw in the element of fun in their games. there games have been lacking gameplay and replay value.
They are the kind of games that you finish once and never play again, which is what I look at in every single game I get. and R* has been failing that.