Reports of Rockstar Workplace Woes Widen as Source Suggests Another Max Payne 3 Delay

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Following allegations of poor working conditions at Red Dead Redemption developer Rockstar San Diego, an anonymous ex-employee of sister studio Rockstar Vancouver has told Joystiq that the Max Payne 3 developer is likewise suffering.

"Virtually everything said in the original 'Rockstar wives' letter and by current and former Rockstar San Diego employees in the comments applies to my experience at Rockstar Vancouver," the source explained, specifying "14 - 16 hour work days, six or seven days a week" due to "enforced crunch mode through to the end of the project."

But while Red Dead Redemption's impending April 27 release date points to the possibility of temporary relief for the beleaguered San Diego staff, Max Payne 3 isn't due out until sometime between August and November 2010, at the earliest.

Worse yet, the source implies that another delay for the twice-postponed project is likely, explaining: "The game's story just went through another total re-write earlier this month (the third that I am aware of in the past two years) and that [means] the team would have to have all of the content done by April or May to make that August release date."

As before, Rockstar and studio owner Take-Two have yet to issue a statement on the allegations, though Rockstar debuted a new wallpaper series dubbed "The Eye" following a report that compared its main New York office to The Eye of Sauron.

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 18, 2010 11:52 AM

    Good. Delay the whole game until it goes back to its old-theme.

    This looks.....off.

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      January 18, 2010 12:15 PM

      this.

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      January 18, 2010 12:16 PM

      [deleted]

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      January 18, 2010 12:25 PM

      lol. I love the new look and style.

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      January 18, 2010 12:54 PM

      You are correct, good sir.

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      January 18, 2010 1:15 PM

      your face looks off

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      January 18, 2010 1:48 PM

      I just want Max to be Max and they don't even seem to be able to do that right. I hope to be pleasantly surprised when it's all said and done, but beyond my interest in seeing where they're going to go with a "Max Payne 3", I really don't have a whole lot of faith in this project.

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      January 18, 2010 1:55 PM

      [deleted]

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      January 18, 2010 8:39 PM

      Yeah; didn't really care too much when the new look was announced but the more I stare at it the less I like it. Doesn't fit the character, wrong vibe, etc., etc.

      Kind of like with Splinter Cell Conviction, if you're gonna stray so far from the source and the original gameplay then just make a new IP.

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