According to a job posting, it’s possible that some of Rockstar Games‘ older titles could be getting remasters.
While the gaming world eagerly awaits the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, which has essentially been confirmed for November 19, Rockstar Games‘ job posting regarding “classic” games has everyone wondering which games will be remastered. Rockstar Games isn’t just the Grand Theft Auto franchise. There are also older games like Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire, Midnight Club, Table Tennis, The Warriors, Manhunt, and Bully. Many of these games don’t run on modern hardware. We can add 2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV to that list, as it also doesn’t run on modern hardware. However, as exciting as the job posting is, it might just be smoke and mirrors.
On Rockstar Games’ career page, Rockstar Australia is looking for a senior game programmer. The job description is fairly standard, but one small detail caught the attention of sleuthing internet users: “Rockstar is on the lookout for a talented senior gameplay programmer with a passion for game development. You will work as part of a small but experienced team and ideally take responsibility for one or more classic game technology areas, stepping outside your comfort zone to work in other areas as necessary.”
The phrase “classic game technology” leads everyone to believe that further remastered versions of older titles might be released. At the same time, however, it could also refer to classic game mechanics, such as driving or moving through an open world. Assuming the job posting is about classic titles, which ones could it be referring to? Which part of Rockstar’s massive library could it refer to? Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas are already available on modern hardware, though not in optimal condition. L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption are also available on modern hardware. Since we know that Remedy is working on remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2, perhaps Max Payne 3 and its underrated multiplayer mode are in the works as well. Midnight Club would be cool, but it would almost certainly be a licensing nightmare. The same goes for The Warriors. Table Tennis was fantastic, but is it worth Rockstar’s time and energy?
That leaves two candidates: Grand Theft Auto IV and Bully. There have long been rumors that Grand Theft Auto IV will be ported to modern hardware, while Bully has long been a pipe dream. We’ll see what happens.
