Rockstar loses many PR's, Marketers
by Nick Doerr 
{ Jul 10th 2006 at 2:00PM }
Rockstar and their parent, Take-Two Interactive, have had a ton of hot coffee poured on their laps lately (pun intended) with the FTC investigating the sexy add-on to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, grand jury supoenas, closing of two corporate buildings, plummeting stocks and overall sadness. With all this junk going on, many people from Rockstar games have apparently dashed off in the night. Oddly enough, according to GameDaily BIZ who compiled a list of the employees that left, many were involved Public Relations or Marketing. The two are fairly related, the former more consumer oriented and the latter business, so what does this portend?Perhaps the end of Rockstar is nigh -- their "on the edge" style of gaming may finally have crossed the border and the employees know it. At least, those who have to talk to people outside of their walls. It will be harder to garner support for their games with all these issues arising, and these PR and Marketing people vacating is practically a guarantee that there is little support left for Rockstar. On a positive spin, perhaps Rockstar is cutting costs and eliminating shoddy employees. Will there be a GTA5? If the world backs off of gaming censorship, indeed.
[edit: fixed an awkward sentence or two]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
boots @ Jul 10th 2006 2:17PM
Maybe god punished them for switching allegiances like dirty whores? LOL
Seriously though, it would be a shame to see the demise of Rockstar. Then again, their last GTA games started to feel too generic, so if GTAIV sucks and flops, then to hell with them.
Perhaps when Sony said: "We don't need them", they already envisioned this.
bob @ Jul 10th 2006 3:05PM
PR and marketing is bloat. They're trimming the fat. Besides, their name is established. There's less need for the PR and Marketing, whereas they'll still need programmers and testers, no matter what. This is simply trimming excess in the light of some challenges. If you wanna talk about a game company that's gone down the tubes, right about Atari, who's CEO says they are "like Vikings." Atari's stock was up yesterday, at .52 per share.
jkdoug @ Jul 10th 2006 3:32PM
Rumors and speculation aside, please work on that grammar, Nick... definitely (not definately), subpoenas (close, though), employees know it (not possessive or a contraction, so lose the apostrophe). Okay. I feel better now.
I love GTA and games like it. I really can't wait to play GTA4 on a PS3.
chris the marketer @ Jul 11th 2006 8:04AM
If I was in marketing at Rockstar I would quote good ol W, Bring it on.
1st - release a "un-rated directors cut" of San Andreas, with sex scenes included. Available only at select retailers.
2nd - Grand Theft Auto 4 - rated and unrated versions. With the unrated version sure to not have any more sexual content then a couple mobsters twin hitting a stripper (aka a graphic episode of the Sopranos).
Use the RockStar brand to mean controversy. Move titles such as Tabletennis to other brands. . .
Watch sales go through the roof, thanks to consistent press and congress disapproval.
chris the marketer @ Jul 11th 2006 8:08AM
BTW -
Bob obviously doesn't understand marketing's role within an organization. Marketing is not advertising (advertising is just one possible execution of a corporate marketing strategy. Marketing role is to be the customers voice within an organization. A bad organization makes products and tries to get people to buy them, a good one has marketers who understand how they can add value to a consumers life - and then gives it to them.
ben furneaux @ Jul 11th 2006 6:04PM
The only way I can see RS going soft is if they lose all their origial staff because they are under pressure to be more PC by the publishers.
PS3 @ Jul 11th 2006 11:24PM
i doubt this will really have an effect on future GTAs sales. For for the most part the majority of Rockstar game buying fans are above puberty and for the most part could care less about partial nudity.