Simon Cress
Video game publishing is big business, and there’s multi-billion-dollar profit potential for the companies that consistently get it right. Rockstar, one of the most iconic names in video gaming history, is a prime example.
Their games have consistently blown away fans and experts, with many of their titles easily ranking in the top 20 video games of all time, especially from a critical perspective. One of the key ways they’ve been able to get ahead and stay ahead is that they do not rest on their laurels and have continuously looked outward for ways to expand the quality of video gaming even further rather than sit back and bathe in previous successes.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar’s boldest and arguably most well-received game. In the sprawling fictional world heavily based on Wild-Western America, you can travel to various taverns and towns playing poker against patrons.
Other Rockstar games include casino gaming too, but poker players were mightly impressed by the inclusion of the card-based casino game in this 2018 release. At the same time, no real money exchanges hands in Red Dead, but it’s a good way to learn the basics. Supplementing this by mastering online casino strategies would be strongly advised if you want to play the game for real money.
However, the beauty of the casino game integration in Red Dead Redemption 2 allowed players to understand and learn the game through the prism of the main character Arthur Morgan, without having to lose any money in a real-life game or tournament. You could learn how the game works by playing Red Dead and digesting some online tips before trying it out for yourself.
The Early 21st Century
When Rockstar released GTA 3 in October 2001, nobody could have predicted the cultural phenomenon that was about to unfold. Although it received excellent reviews and won numerous accolades at the time, retrospective critique has labeled it as one of the greatest video games of all time, and it was a seismic shift for Rockstar going from the 2-dimensional world of the previous GTA installment and moving into the 3D action-adventure world effortlessly.
It was in GTA 3 that casinos were first integrated, and although they have since become a big part of other types of Rockstar games, Kenji’s Casino was the first prominent mention of a casino. For those who didn’t play the game, Kenji was one of the bosses you worked for, and there were several missions you would complete when you visited his casino. Although you could not play casino games like poker, blackjack, and slot machine titles, like in later Grand Theft Auto releases, this was a sign of what would come from the innovative team behind this landmark game.
Mid-2000s
By the time the hysteria from GTA 3 and GTA Vice City had reached epic proportions, the world was ready for the most highly-anticipated video game in the history of console gaming. GTA San Andreas smashed all conceivable records when it first came out in late 2004, shifting over 12 million units within the first half a year of its release, ensuring it has its place in history as the quintessential PlayStation 2 game.
In terms of casino gaming within a game, San Andreas was the “big bang” – Las Venturas was the third and final island you could unlock in the game, and it was heavily based on Las Vegas, littered with casinos you could own and play in. From slot machine games, video poker, virtual horse racing, blackjack, and roulette, it brought the most extensive and well-rounded casino experience ever captured in an action-adventure game.
Although games like LA Noire looked to capture the importance of investigative detail, picking up on facial movements in a detective game akin to picking up on somebody’s poker face, it didn’t quite have the same impact or reception as their more famous games but was still well received.
The GTA V Era
By 2013, Rockstar’s legacy in the gaming sector was complete. A multi-billion-dollar international company that was renowned for gaming innovation, the world would sit up and take notice whenever a big project was on the horizon, which is what happened when GTA V came out in 2013. Red Dead 2 came out in 2018 with extensive and well-thought-out casino offerings within their vast world.
Rockstar’s versatility has allowed them to bring out updated and highly-acclaimed versions of their games on PC, which has further helped them cement the legacy of some of these iconic gaming titles, including GTA.
Conclusion
Rockstar’s artistic direction and ability to innovate are revered throughout the creative world. It stretches beyond video gaming, such is their domination in specific fields of the sector, and their ability to design games that crossover into popular culture with significant sales is a testament to the quality of the incredibly gifted people who work at their companies and sister companies who help create the finished product.
With the next GTA installment around the corner, it’ll be intriguing to see how they continue to implement casino games like poker into their future titles, and the world remains on the edge of its seat to see what they have in store for us as this decade progresses.
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