Rockstar Vancouver closes. Rockstar Toronto grows.

Local Triple-A game developer, Rockstar Vancouver, is closing. The developer of the recent hit, Max Payne 3, is to be integrated with Rockstar Toronto to create a single Canadian power house.

The 35 employees were provided opportunities to relocate to any of the Rockstar studios, worldwide. This could be an exciting opportunity for existing local studios to pick up some top talent. Their publisher, Take 2, simultaneously announced this news as an expansion of their Toronto studio.

For more information on why they closed, Read Here. http://ir.take2games.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=86428&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1712961&highlight=

They will be increasing Toronto’s already talented staff with 50 people. Tax incentives and financial support for video game companies has promoted strong expansion in Ontario’s digital video game industry. Where as, the Vancouver industry has already taken a blow this month with the closing of Radical Entertainment, developer of Prototype 2.

Max Payne 3 raised the technological bar of third person shooters both online and offline with intense gameplay. It boasts a rating of 86 on Metacritic.com and is ranked #10 for sales this week on VGChartz.com with the Local Justice, Downloadable Expansion Content’s July 23rd release around the corner. The new DLC makes 3 of the off-line levels playable in multiplayer. If you haven’t tried it yet, the multiplayer for Max Payne 3 is great and a refreshing online experience.

To watch the announcement video, Go Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2NJjZFP6xE

Best of luck to the world class guys at Rockstar Vancouver.

@LorenzoKayo