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Terry Donovan leaves Rockstar

Take-Two confirms that cofounder, managing director of label has moved on from the company.

A representative with Take-Two Interactive today confirmed for GameSpot that Terry Donovan, managing director and cofounder of the publisher's Rockstar Games label, has left the company. Donovan took a leave of absence from the company in September and then decided last month that he would not be returning, the representative said.

While Donovan was a cofounder of Rockstar, the representative said the studio would be able to carry on unhindered. Many of Donovan's duties--which primarily dealt with publishing and marketing the company's games--have already been accounted for, he said, as Take-Two last week announced that Capcom's European managing director Gary Dale had been appointed as Rockstar's COO.

"Rockstar is a very robust organization and has tremendous depth," the representative said. "It has over 600 artists and developers, marketing people... Sam and Dan [Houser, also cofounders and producers of the Grand Theft Auto series] is the leadership now, along with Gary Dale. The roles have been filled."

Rockstar Games is best known as the developer of the Grand Theft Auto series of games, although it also has Bully, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis, and the Midnight Club series to its credit.

112 Comments

  • Helios1856

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 1:29 pm GMT

    was he a major part of the GTA4 series..i dont know these things.
    i just need to know the gta4 updates...

  • SemiMaster

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 8:36 am GMT

    Aw man, the drugs and booze and floozies, the life of a video game designer is so lavish and addictive.

    Tonight on Behind the Video Game on VH1.

  • Supreme_Fantasy

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 2:59 am GMT

    I juz know GTA games from rockstar..

  • gizmo_logix

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 5:09 pm GMT

    Why did Terry Donovan leave? That's the big question.

  • SNIPER-CAZ

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 3:56 pm GMT

    Grand Theft Auto pushed the open map structure which we see a lot more of now. Plus now knowing that Terry Donovan didn't really have a part in producing grand theft auto i feel better knowing it still could be a great game.

  • grey-flood

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 2:54 pm GMT

    the dark history of rockstar begins!!!!

  • zippyzee

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 2:49 pm GMT

    rumour is he wasn't happy with the mature content going into GTA4 so he quit.

  • truevibe

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 2:27 pm GMT

    Ive nevr really cared for GTA...but rockstar has def. put out some high quality games

  • pwnr

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 1:03 pm GMT

    Will there be a replacement?

  • NandoSupes

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 11:33 am GMT

    I personally dont like any game of the GTA series, but they all very well develop games no doubt,give credit when credit is due.

  • ShinraCrestia

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 10:52 am GMT

    GTA helped push the free roam environment which added a lot to games. This amounted to more replay value and longer game play. The player can do what they want in the game. So for all those that hate GTA, you still should give it credit where credit is due. Just like people should give Nintendo credit on innovations that they have done. GTA series has offered something new in every installment. GTA SA has a lot more features than GTA 3 and Vice City. So to say that nothing has changed in the games is a lie.

  • RESIDENTEVILTWO

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 10:34 am GMT

    GTA is the best series ever!

    (fixed)

  • Agreb91

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 9:57 am GMT

    Well thats his choice to go. I wonder what made him want to leave? No matter what I hope Rockstar continues to put out great games.

    And for those saying they don't like Rockstar that is your choice there is no need to cause a big scene about it.

  • Fauij

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 9:36 am GMT

    if you think its the worst series then dont pay attention to it..

  • BelmontMaster

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 7:14 am GMT

    Hey Ericvon guess what Im not a nintendo fan and I hate GTA its the worst series ever made in my opinion.

  • Ericvon71

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 5:44 am GMT

    If you notice it is mostly Nintendo fans that say it is overrated!!

  • Panta

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 3:12 am GMT

    Ignorance is bliss.

  • peon_frenzy

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 1:49 am GMT

    Ok..I know so many of you are mad that San Andreas out sold Halo 2. (look it up at NPD) Its ok. Halo 2 has the highest frist day sales of any game. But to claim that the GTA series is overrated!? The first real "sandbox" game. GTA3 the game that countless companies have tried to copy since the day of its creation?...

    Its ok if you dont like these kind of games for whatever reason. But to say that a game like San Andreas is overrated is simply ignorant. If you were to write a list of the new gameplay elements, items, weapons, etc from Vice City to San Andreas you would have a list with atleast 100 bullet points. also i just read something about just cause. the game is maybe a 1/3 the size of san andreas and possibly a lot smaller. poor comparison. I am done speaking to the deaf.

  • WestSideAzn

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 12:47 am GMT

    GTA is coming out with its like sixth title.... I really see no point. If it's something in the Bay Area (aka San Francisco or San Jose) then, that's going to be pretty weird.....

  • ketsuatama

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:40 pm GMT

    As long as he was only a suit and not a creative , I couldn't care less!

  • alcarazo9

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 8:10 pm GMT

    GTA is overrrated

  • cheetah_TM

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 7:09 pm GMT

    Just when GTA was getting boring..Bully came along..I'm hoping they'd come up with some more new titles instead milking GTA to the max.

  • smerlus

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 5:08 pm GMT

    VGMusicFreak: Hulk rarely has as many people, cars going around at the same time and when it does...toss in a few explosions and the game chugs....

    as for Just Cause: 2 years later and the only version that is consistantly stable is the 360 version...

    nice try at hating on the GTA series but your facts are off

  • da_real_deal

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 4:54 pm GMT

    no...does this mean no more free roam??!

  • Eclipse83Lives

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 3:07 pm GMT

    Who cares Rockstar had what like 2 good series. GTA SA = overrated, Bully their best game. And GTA 4 will probably be just another good sandbox game. In a pile of great ones to come. So no biggie. SandBox is the next great 5 years of gamming. And not by any one game. I mean Rockstar is cool, and has their area in the gaming bizz. But their no superstar.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 2:35 pm GMT

    well good luck to him

  • sancezz

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 2:27 pm GMT

    And this makes a difference hooooooow?

  • Ackad

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 2:09 pm GMT

    what!? gotta be serious!!

  • ricsuave

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 1:55 pm GMT

    Never even heard of this guy, and I'm willing to bet that most of you haven't either, so this really is a non-factor to me.

  • HyperMetaDragon

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 1:33 pm GMT

    Whoopee.

  • Miami_4_Ever

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 1:30 pm GMT

    what a shame...

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 11:48 am GMT

    Arrivederci! Curiously they don't elaborate the circumstances for his leaving....

  • jamjemclm

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 11:03 am GMT

    It sounds like they're trying to convince him they don't need him. In reality, they probably need him back more than anything.

  • VGMusicFreak

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:52 am GMT

    Smerius: I have played games with more characters on screen at once that looked nicer. Its possible to push fewer polygons and still have better art direction then the previous GTA games. The people's faces hardly look human in some cases. The recent hulk game had much better art direction then the gta games and looked way better. Just Cause as well even on ps2 looked better then GTA SA.

  • VGMusicFreak

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:50 am GMT

    ":Wilstysabsinthe
    Well, VGMusicFreak, wouldn't that be the case with any shooter if you choose to ignore the storyline?"

    yes but some games are more fun. I quite enjoyed Painkiller and F.E.A.R. and half life 2, even prey to some extent. The mechanics in the previous gta games were so stiff. I am not saying that a shooter needs a good story but the gta games dont hook me with the gameplay so i need something to keep me playing.

  • fahad2mail

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:27 am GMT

    ohhh. so sad. rockstar is one of my all time fav.

  • robboh

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:17 am GMT

    GTA games never look amazing because the polygons have to be spread out over the whole map. With a game like fight night its just 2 player models and a static background, that why it looks sooo good.

  • smerlus

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 9:44 am GMT

    Wytefang: What GTA does in quantity pushes a system just as hard, if not harder than a game like MGS does in quality.

    with today's technology, it's simply impossible to have 20 gran turismo cars, 25 MGS style characters and an oblivion view all at once

  • wytefang

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 8:32 am GMT

    They have over '600' artists? I wonder why their games generally look blocky and like crap then? Well anyway, good luck to Terry in his new endeavors.

  • Wilstysabsinthe

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 8:09 am GMT

    Well, VGMusicFreak, wouldn't that be the case with any shooter if you choose to ignore the storyline?

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 7:37 am GMT

    I could say that I'm a GTA fan, and I don't like certain type of games, but I have never said that I want those games to fail, VGMusicFreak, because there are some people out there that likes them..

  • cifru

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 7:17 am GMT

    Agree with You Gta-mafioso

  • ares_infernus

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 6:05 am GMT

    well said gta-mafioso, but hey, ya cant expect everyone to have fun with mindless/not mindless macabre like we do.....some people just dont know the point of gaming, or they only play games with their ears, which has bad enough taste

  • GTA-Mafioso

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 2:17 am GMT

    VGMusicFreak, Fall in a hole and Die

  • VGMusicFreak

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 12:38 am GMT

    I find the gta games to be just mindless shooters when i ignore the story and boring attempts to be interesting when i do follow the story. The game music i like is the stuff like from Final Fantasy and Onimusha and stuff. I dont think games should be shot full of licenced music.

  • ObiKKa

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 12:24 am GMT

    Ya'll? Did you just see what VGMusicFreak below me just said? Why so, so-called video game music freak?

  • VGMusicFreak

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 12:18 am GMT

    hopefully this will affect the gta series in a negative way.

  • ObiKKa

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 12:18 am GMT

    cartoon966230
    "Its cool to see sam and dan at the top........maby they can put more of a touch of there gta magic on all the games rockstar pumps out from now on

    i am a loyal fan i own

    ...
    ...
    Red dead revolver
    max payne 1 and 2
    smugglers run 2
    ..."

    *Sighs* Man, I hate it when people get mixed up with the Max Payne games & Rockstar the developer. I've seen it happen once before. WRONG! Rockstar is simply just a subsidiary of Take-Two. The Max Payne games were actually developed by the Finnish developer Remedy, and published by Take-Two. Get it!? OK. 3DRealms (yes, the developer of "Does Nuke Fizz" yet or not) also co-developed on some levels for either or both of the Max Payne games.

  • ObiKKa

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 12:08 am GMT

    GeigerdolylWodd
    "Still I hope the cover/in game art direction doesn't change he may have been supervising director of it and if so it might take a different direction."

    It might not change, because creating a 3D GTA game, & especially by now, is such an uber-expensive practice that the simple 2D Illustrator-like art on the cover, etc, is cheaper to make than getting an employee to render a 3D art cover, & what else.

  • John_of_Fire

    Posted Jan 13, 2007 11:28 pm GMT

    I hope he moves on to something great. He started a great company. I have owned many of the games they published. At this point Rockstar should be fine but I wonder what he will do now.

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