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Take-Two Extends Contract With Key Rockstar Games Developers

Sam Houser, Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies are staying where they are.

The Houser brothers aren't going anywhere.
The Houser brothers aren't going anywhere.

Several key developers at Rockstar Games--Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Leslie Benzies--have signed a new employee contracts with parent company Take-Two Interactive, keeping them firmly in place.

The news comes just as Take-Two has announced its fiscal 2011 results. Keeping the noted talent behind much of Take-Two's own bottom line is important, and something mentioned in many of Take-Two's own financial calls. The contracts were due to expire soon, though clearly that will not be happening.

Details of the agreement will never come out, but Take-Two says the new agreement comes on "substantially similar economic terms" to its previous contacts.

L.A. Noire, a collaboration between Rockstar Games and Team Bondi, was just released last week. Max Payne 3 is expected to the next release from Rockstar Games but is not listed on Take-Two's schedule. It is not uncommon for Take-Two to leave Rockstar Games productions off its schedule.

Patrick Klepek on Google+

24 Comments

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napalm

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Edited By napalm

Do you guys remember when EA was trying to buy Rockstar Games?

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ahoodedfigure

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Edited By ahoodedfigure

This article seems to imply that the contracts very well might not have been renewed...  I guess I haven't been keeping up on this story enough.

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deactivated-5865c6a5c9438

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I don't see how a Max Payne 3 -especially what has been shown so far- can be a good game.

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MachoFantastico

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Edited By MachoFantastico

Three awesomely talented dudes.  
 
Not surprised by this news. 

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Winternet

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Edited By Winternet
@Buzzkill said:
@Winternet said:
As long as the radio DJ from Vice City is still on board, I'm ok with that. What was his name. Lazlow or something.
He was the Vrock DJ. IMO tony was the best DJ because she played an older humbler version of herself in Liberty City.
Yeah, she was Flash DJ, right? The two best, imo, in the entire GTA series. 
 
Later, I also enjoyed the VCPR w/ Maurice Chavez.
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lockwoodx

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Edited By lockwoodx
@Winternet said:
As long as the radio DJ from Vice City is still on board, I'm ok with that. What was his name. Lazlow or something.
He was the Vrock DJ. IMO tony was the best DJ because she played an older humbler version of herself in Liberty City.
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Winternet

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Edited By Winternet

As long as the radio DJ from Vice City is still on board, I'm ok with that. What was his name. Lazlow or something.

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MrKlorox

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Edited By MrKlorox

Cool. Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies are two of the most important producers in the industry.

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xpgamer7

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Edited By xpgamer7

I can't think of a single reason they didn't deserve this.

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fjordson

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Edited By fjordson

Seems like they have total freedom over there, so good for them. Rockstar is as good as anyone in the business this generation so I can't wait to play their next game (whether that's Max Payne 3, GTA V, Agent or something else).

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ApocalypseLater

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Edited By ApocalypseLater
@DarkbeatDK said:
With 1,6 million copies sold in just a week, I'm not surprised.
 
I'd love to see the same kind of game, but set in the 80's. 
I guess it's not very "Noir", but just think about how awesome it would be! 
Winners don't do drugs!
 
No Caption Provided
I'm right there with you. Though some people think of it as a palette swap, there are so many games whose mechanics I'd love to see in different settings.  Hell, I'm still waiting for a Brothers in Arms game not set in WWII.
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DarkbeatDK

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Edited By DarkbeatDK

With 1,6 million copies sold in just a week, I'm not surprised.
 
I'd love to see the same kind of game, but set in the 80's. 
I guess it's not very "Noir", but just think about how awesome it would be! 
Winners don't do drugs!
 

No Caption Provided
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AhmadMetallic

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Edited By AhmadMetallic

KLEPEK YOU'RE ON FIRE 
 
KEEP THEM COMING BROSEF!

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MeatSim

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Edited By MeatSim

Smart idea to resign them.

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Zabant

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Edited By Zabant

The Housers are one of the last bastions of brilliant British game developers, so they get all my support.

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Th3_James

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Edited By Th3_James
@GetEveryone said:
If we don't hear Max Payne 3 news soon I may blow a gasket.

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Surkov

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Edited By Surkov

Sounds good. Pay them any amount money to keep them happy, which in turn, keeps me happy. 

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Gerhabio

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Edited By Gerhabio

As they should

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FritzDude

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Edited By FritzDude

Release GTA V already. Thanks.

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batmeng

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Edited By batmeng

Rich motherfuckers.

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deactivated-57beb9d651361

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If we don't hear Max Payne 3 news soon I may blow a gasket.

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hatking

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Edited By hatking

I wonder if the contract has any stipulation about Take-Two being bought by another company?  I read a horror story a few weeks ago about Activision or EA wanting to buy Take-Two and annualize Grand Theft Auto. 

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botchmouth

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Edited By botchmouth

cool, more good games a comin!

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patrickklepek

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Edited By patrickklepek
The Houser brothers aren't going anywhere.
The Houser brothers aren't going anywhere.

Several key developers at Rockstar Games--Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Leslie Benzies--have signed a new employee contracts with parent company Take-Two Interactive, keeping them firmly in place.

The news comes just as Take-Two has announced its fiscal 2011 results. Keeping the noted talent behind much of Take-Two's own bottom line is important, and something mentioned in many of Take-Two's own financial calls. The contracts were due to expire soon, though clearly that will not be happening.

Details of the agreement will never come out, but Take-Two says the new agreement comes on "substantially similar economic terms" to its previous contacts.

L.A. Noire, a collaboration between Rockstar Games and Team Bondi, was just released last week. Max Payne 3 is expected to the next release from Rockstar Games but is not listed on Take-Two's schedule. It is not uncommon for Take-Two to leave Rockstar Games productions off its schedule.