Red Dead Rebellion?

Well it's about time I tried to start bringing you some more news. I should really try and move away from BioWare since my last 2 posts have been regarding their latest epics Mass Effect 3 and The Old Republic.

So I move on to Rockstar, with their wonderfully crafted Red Dead Redemption still giving gamers the world over hours of enjoyment and torment as you battle through New Austin as John Marston, ruthless gang member turned family man, turned government lacky against your will.

The further through the game you go, you realise more and more than John has had his family taken against their will and he is being forced to cooperate in order for their safe return. It's really like GTA thrown back a century, with the themes of the government being seedy and underhanded starting here, only to continue into Rockstar's modern epics, GTA.

Right anyway, Rockstar are an enigmatic company, while sometimes they'll do a very lovely trailer for a new game, most of the time they'll just say a few things that leave you asking questions and wanting more answers. In this, they are experts, and by being experts they allow us all to sit, mouth-watering until the next morsel of information, or image is released to make us waiting peons speculate further on what could come from them.

Take the trailer for GTA:V. There was an older gent in the trailer, which immediately led to web outbursts and speculation that the older gent was Tommy Vercetti from Vice City. So much so that Ray Liotta's agent had to deny that the actor was returning as the 80's gangster and eventual crime lord of Vice City.

Now, according to ITK (In the Know) types, Rockstar has begun development on RDR2 and it is due to be called Red Dead Rebellion, this news is a few months old, but it's the "insiders" that leak little bits here and there which is something I would not put past Rockstar to include in their mighty arsenal of advertising weapons. Release "secret" information as an insider source, and even if it's 100% accurate, people will discuss and debate whether it is true or not and speculation rises further.

The latest morsel however came from Rockstars own Ask and Answered blog. Someone from Facebook asked if a new RDR would be coming "anytime soon" and Rockstar responded with:

"We love Red Dead too – and are thrilled that so many of you loved John Marston’s tale and are excited for more epic Western action."

"As we mentioned in our last set of Asked & Answereds to similar questions about the future of other game franchises like Bully and L.A. Noire, we don’t always rush to make sequels but that does not mean that we won’t get to them eventually."

"Stay tuned for further announcements about the future of the Red Dead series."

So RDR2? One day maybe....

Rockstar are a wonderful games company, their games are developed and published by themselves so they don't have to abide by anyone's rules but their own. If they say that yes there'll be another RDR they'll do it, when that will be is anyone's guess because they can afford to spend as much time as they want developing the games to publish them when they choose to do so.

Here's a surprise, I'm going to refer to Mass Effect - well BioWare really. Mass Effect 3 came out roughly 2 years after Mass Effect 2, a lot of time to some maybe, but for games of this caliber more time should be taken. Now I'm one of Mass Effect's biggest fans, a look through the blog should testify to that, but a lot of the themes were missing from the 3rd, the Dark Energy plot that was hinted at in ME2 was missing and the endings weren't best received by the fans of the series. A lot of the blame however has been placed squarely at the feet of Electronic Arts, who seemed to rush the development of the game, giving a release date months in advance only to put it back by 4-5 months.

It all seemed a bit, ridiculous really, especially in the months leading up to the release, when you couldn't swing a dead cat around without hitting a new image or trailer for the game.

Rockstar however do not have this problem, they are their own beast and can dictate their own timetable, only giving out release dates when they are damn sure how realistic it is.

But the last comment from Rockstar is what really grabs peoples attention - "Stay tuned for further announcements about the future of the Red Dead series." Now that is a good enigmatic, open ended comment. The future announcement could be that a new RDR DLC is coming, along the lines of the Lost and the Damned from GTA:IV, or it could be that Red Dead Rebellion is coming, or it could mean that because they are focusing on GTA:V nothing in Red Dead will be coming anytime soon.

It's left to the readers to discuss what was meant and what the future could bring for Red Dead.

Also good to see was mentions of Bully. I liked it but never really got into it that much, but the wife loved it! I must try that again one day...

So there it is, Red Dead Rebellion? Oh yeah, Rebellion was the name given by someone ITK back in April. I suppose we'll just have to fall in line with Rockstar and stay tuned for further announcements...

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