Roberts said that part of the reason it was canceled was due to \u201cnon-trivial conflict\u201d between Rockstar New York and the Midnight Club team in San Diego. He said that a part of the conflict was legitimate, as multiple deadlines were missed during the development of Midnight Club: Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
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Missing deadlines and falling behind schedule, especially in the pre-digital distribution days of gaming, often had potentially massive financial consequences. But it wasn\u2019t just what happened with past games that Roberts believes was a factor in the game\u2019s cancelation. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think that might have been the core of it, but it was also creative control,\u201d<\/strong> he said. \u201cThe team in San Diego kind of\u2026we felt, in any other studio environment, Midnight Club was a solid game.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
Roberts pointed to the fact that, while competing with other racing titles like Need for Speed and Burnout, the game was successful and data showed players kept playing longer than the competing games. But that wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe perception was we never got the accolades or the reception,\u201d<\/strong> Roberts explained. \u201cThe New York perspective was, \u2018You\u2019re not GTA\u2019. When you\u2019re the red-headed stepchild project\u2014you know, we\u2019re doing a good job, we\u2019re world-class, but we\u2019re still treated less than. It was challenging.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n
After Midnight Club 5 was canceled, Roberts said that the team was dismantled. Some, he said, transitioned to working on the company\u2019s RAGE game engine or on Red Dead Redemption. The rest, however, were let go. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they cancelled it, it was pretty clear that there would be no more Midnight Club and everything was going to be GTA and stuff moving forward, and that\u2019s just the way it was going to be,\u201d<\/strong> he said.<\/p>\n
You can listen to this full interview with Kris Roberts now with a Premium Plus membership in the Insider Gaming App. Download the App for free on iOS<\/a> and Android<\/a> to get limited ads on the cleanest way to read your gaming news. <\/p>\n
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