The company behind the hugely successful video game franchise Grand Theft Auto was presented with the highest accolade at the British Academy Games Awards in 2014.
Rockstar Games were honoured with the Fellowship at the BAFTA Games Awards on 12 March 2014 for their outstanding and exceptional contribution to games.
The ceremony was attended by Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies, Aaron Garbut and Dan Houser, who accepted the accolade on behalf of the company. The award was presented by President of Komami; Hideo Kojima.
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Founded in 1998, Rockstar Games have proven pioneers of the gaming industry by consistently pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved. Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, stated that, "It's in our DNA to avoid doing what other companies are doing.”
"You have to have originality in your games; you have to have some kind of interesting message”.
Groundbreaking games such as L.A. Noire, Manhunt, Bully and Red Dead Redemption have revolutionised the industry across a number of platforms and earned the company global recognition.
However, it was the Grand Theft Auto series’ shift into 3D with Grand Theft Auto III that reached a new height in game-making, as players were immersed in a highly detailed, open world where they could explore gritty urban locations and follow the game’s narrative at their own pace. This unique approach to game development is proving more popular than ever with gamers.
On 17 September 2013, Grand Theft Auto V made $800 million worldwide, becoming the best-selling game of all time in its first 24 hours with continuing sales saw it break six world records, including fastest game to gross $1 billion.
Grand Theft Auto V has also gained critical as well as commercial success, having been nominated in 9 categories at this year’s British Academy Games Awards, including Game Design and Best Game - a testament to their significant influence on the gaming industry over the last year.
The Chair of BAFTA’s Games Committee, Harvey Elliott praised the company for their achievements to date:
BAFTA/ Steve Butler“The creativity and passion exhibited by the Rockstar teams have inspired a generation of game developers to raise the bar in every aspect of game development. From design and mechanics, through to storytelling, cinematics and audio immersion, and in the process creating games that compete so profoundly on a global stage across all entertainment media.”
Committed to honouring all those that contributed to Rockstar’s success, the company’s founder, Sam Houser added:
“This honour reflects the creative vision and dedication of a huge number of people over many years, and we look forward to accepting the Fellowship on their behalf.
Rockstar Games will join Fellows Gabe Newell (Half-Life, Counter-Strike), Peter Molyneux (Populous, Theme Park), Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario, The Legend of Zelda), Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari, Pong) and Will Wright (SimCity, The Sims).
BAFTA/ Jamie Simonds
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