Tue, Jul 05, 2011 | 13:49 BST
Report – Rockstar “will not publish” next Bondi project
“Disdain” for LA Noire developer Team Bondi on the game’s development from publisher Rockstar means it won’t publish the Sydney studio’s next game, a wide-ranging expose on GI.biz is reporting.
The article claims that the developer is “trying to find another publisher for their next title, but the relationship with Rockstar has been badly damaged – Brendan treats L.A. Noire like a success due to his vision but I think Rockstar are the ones who saved the project.
“They continued to sink money into LA Noire, and their marketing was fantastic. Without their continued support, Team Bondi would have gone under several years ago.”
It’s also noted in the feature that Rockstar were keen at taking over Bondi and turning it into a Rockstar Sydney subsidiary.
“The more they worked with Team Bondi management, the more they came to understand that this was a terrible idea.”
One instance of how strained the relationship was between Rockstar and Bondi was an email from studio boss Brendan McNamara over the game’s new logo compared to the one shown at its announce in 2006.
“Every dog has its day and there’s going to be hell to pay for this one. I’ll never forget being treated like an absolute **** by these people.”
This follows up an original expose on the studio at IGN just a week-and-a-half ago. The IGDA said afterwards it would investigate the original claims.
There’s more at the link. It’s quite a great read for what it’s worth.
LA Noire launches back in May for PS3 and 360. It’ll release on PC this coming autumn.
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Posted in: Action, PC, PS3, Rockstar, Xbox 360
Tags: Brendan McNamara, Rockstar, team bondi
16 comments
#1
macronia
05/07/11, 9:12 am
lol @ R* , they are greed , they are not satisfied with 4 million copy ?
New IP , also only 2 months passed
I hope that doesn’t affect PC version cuz i want it badly
#2
NightCrawler1970
05/07/11, 9:20 am
RockStar have to work on there own games, not using other Devs like Bondi, i know RockStar use there own people to making GTA V, unless you want to expend Game Devs, like 1 floor of GTA DEV-Crew, 1 floor of L.A. Noir II..
The profits RockStar makes, use it in “PORTS”, better Graphics, great story-line thats what a gamer wants…
#3
Maximum Payne
05/07/11, 9:22 am
@1 I want it to
Maybe Team Bondi didn’t want to have any business with R* ?
#4
Christopher Jack
05/07/11, 9:24 am
They could have bought out the company & forced a change in management by exporting some of their executives to the studio.
#5
Johnny Cullen
05/07/11, 9:30 am
@2 I wouldn’t quite say Rockstar shouldn’t work with the independents. They did alright with Remedy on Payne, didn’t they?
#6
loki
05/07/11, 9:31 am
I hope the next Team Bondi will not have PC port. And I’ll buy it
Greed kills Rockstar
#7
osric90
05/07/11, 9:46 am
L.A. Noire is the best that could’ve happened to Rockstar. I’m sorry but GTA is just another exploited franchise that’s geting worst and worst everytime. RDR was awesome. RDR and L.A. Noire are saving Rockstar.
#8
Lounds
05/07/11, 9:47 am
I miss the days of GTA vice city, best game made imo, such a fun game.
#9
DeforMAKulizer
05/07/11, 10:02 am
Didn’t Rockstar San Diego also have unbearable work loads and tiring hours, so much so that the wives of the developers rallied against them?
My guess is that fine Team Bondi’s management sucks, but i think R* also put a lot of pressure on their devs to release the game at a specific date mainly being between March and May (As can be seen in almost every R* game)
#10
MadFingerz
05/07/11, 10:16 am
@8 Agreed, Vice City was the best thing that came out of R* so far. They better go back to that formula for GTA 5.
#11
Maximum Payne
05/07/11, 10:23 am
@9 Yea I agree.
#12
NightCrawler1970
05/07/11, 10:35 am
@5, Normally RockStar don’t bitch about how much revenue they makes in games, im pretty sure that GTA 4 still sells good on the market, and also RDR, can’t believe RockStar bitch about poor LA Noire Selling with saying like “crappy ass game, STUPID BONDI”, “it only sold 4 fricken million”..
RockStar always comes with “hot-cakes games”, and sells very well on the market….
btw, i didn’t play “Payne”…
#13
sb319
05/07/11, 8:21 pm
#14
YoungZer0
05/07/11, 8:57 pm
You people should read the article on gamesindustry.biz instead of assuming it’s all R* fault.
#15
Moonwalker1982
05/07/11, 10:52 pm
I also saw a few people on Eurogamer saying it’s probably actually Rockstar themselves and not Team Bondi. Looking back at the RDR thing, with the letters from the angry wives of the Rockstar employees….but we can’t know for sure. It’s just a shame though.
#16
DSB
05/07/11, 11:26 pm
Ultimately, a few weeks of bad press is very temporary compared to solid profits.
Either Rockstar don’t like LA Noire, or they aren’t making enough money on it. They’d never fire a studio that was doing well for them.