Rockstar Games

Background

Rockstar Games is an American video game publisher that is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive. It was formed in 1998 after Take-Two acquired BMG Interactive. Rockstar also develops games through multiple divisions.

1st Logo (October 31, 1999- )

Logo: Just a still picture of the Rockstar Games logo. It depicts an orange rounded square with a black outline, which has the letter "R" inside it, with a white star connected to it.

Variants:

Earthworm Jim 3D for N64 (1999): An early-design yellow logo falls into the white screen. It looks like a rectangle with rounded edges and prolonged outline with the name "ROCKSTAR" in italics below.
Monster Trucks Madness for N64 (1999): The logo with italics name on black background.
Max Payne (2001): Orange logo appears without any name below.
State of Emergency (2002): Orange logo with the name in italics zooms in and blurs.
GTA Advance for GBA (2004): Still Rockstar logo on a black BG.
Beaterator (except PSP): The white outlined logo on a rainbow background.

FX/SFX: Typically none.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on various games.

2nd Logo (March 31, 1999-February 1, 2000)

Logo: Several black-and-white shots of the Rockstar logo from different camera angles are shown, followed by the banner logo against a blue background as it fades in orange, then the whole screen becomes static-shocked like the computer would do, changing to the same blue background with the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" in center.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The sounds of camera shots and people chattering, followed by the high-pitched synth which sounds like a whistle or a sine tone, which is gated in timing with glitches.

Availability: Seen on GTA: London 1961 and the Dreamcast version of Wild Metal Country.

3rd Logo (October 22, 1999)

Logo: The orange Rockstar banner slides and stops in the center of the screen, then breaks off. In the same time, the background also breaks and reveals the gradient gray space. The remains of the logo vanish and the name "ROCKSTAR GAMES" appears in white italics. Police lights flash below, while the name experience several distortions and color flips to black.

FX/SFX: Simple CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: Sounds of sliding, glass breaking, then police screamer.

Availability: Seen on GTA 2.

4th Logo (September 26, 1999)

Logo: Several small searchlights move on the screen, occasionally revealing the orange banner hanging on the gray background. The banner appears in the circle of light. Then it vanishes and the gradient space appears, with the name "ROCKSTAR GAMES" in italics, wiped on the screen.

FX/SFX: Simple 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Sounds of fans screaming.

Availability: Seen on Thrasher: Skate and Destroy.

5th Logo (1999)

Logo: TBA.

FX/SFX: 90's CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A hum from a tape player with MacInTalk Zarvox (a novelty text-to-speech voice that came in MacInTalk) saying the company name and a quiet and short buzzer.

Availability: Seen on the trailer to Thrasher: Skate & Destroy.

6th Logo (October 25-26, 2000)

Logo: A couple of power sticks on both sides of the screen start generating electricity bolts that connect together to form the shape of the R* logo. The entire thing flashes with of electricity to reveal the Rockstar logo and the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" below in a neon light style.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: The sounds of electricity, and power as the neon fades in.

Availability: Seen on Smuggler's Run, Surfing H3O and Midnight Club: Street Racing.

7th Logo (January 29, 2001)

Logo: We see the game's protagonist Konoko performing battle tricks on the camera, standing on the lighted olive-colored Rockstar banner. Then the silver banner comes into the screen, the name written directly on it. The black and white picture looks relief.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A synth techno tune with the sounds of kicks.

Availability: Seen on Oni.

8th Logo (July 23, 2001-August 6, 2002, 2011, November 11, 2021)

Logo: On a black background, we see a green static grid flash in, which disappears after a couple of seconds. Followed by this, we see the words "RAM OK" type in on the top-right corner of the screen, shortly followed by the words "ROM OK" typing in beneath "RAM OK". Both pairs of words then disappear, then the Rockstar logo draws itself out in the same style as before, with the text "ROCKSTAR GAMES" typing in beneath the logo.

Variants:

There is an extended version of this logo, where the regular logo plays as normal, but once it's finished, the Rockstar logo zooms out and spins around for a few seconds before coming to a halt and forming the Rockstar North logo.
- A variant with the DMA Design logo also exists.
An enhanced version of this logo exists, which is based on the extended version of the logo.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: Electronic sounds are heard throughout.

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto III, several releases of Max Payne, and the US releases of The Italian Job, Smuggler's Run: Warzones (2002) and Smuggler's Run: Hostile Territory (2001). The extended version is seen on the PC, Xbox, Android, and iOS versions of Grand Theft Auto III. The enhanced version of the logo can be seen on Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition. The DMA Design variant can be seen on early versions of Grand Theft Auto III.

9th Logo (October 27, 2002, November 11, 2021)

Logo: We see a white background, with a white, textureless Rockstar logo. Some colors gradually fade in, filling the logo with a orange color (the R goes black, but the star is still white) Then, the words "Rockstar Games" writes themselves below in stylish handwriting. The background then turns black, and the text goes white.

Variant: An enhanced version of this logo exists.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A synth note, then some beach sounds, then a held bass note, followed by another synth note.

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC, Android, and iOS. The enhanced version of the logo can be seen on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, and iOS.

10th Logo (April 9, 2003)

Logo: Against a black background, some bolts of fire form the Rockstar logo. The words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" are formed below in the same manner afterwards.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: The sounds of fire and a quiet deep synth note as the logo is fully formed.

Availability: Seen on Midnight Club II.

11th Logo (November 18, 2003)

Logo: Superimposed over the opening of the game, we see the Rockstar logo with white magnets below reading "ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESENTS". The logo "flickers" a few times, and then fades out.

FX/SFX: Various 2D and 3D effects.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the game, accompanied by static sounds.

Availability: Seen on Manhunt.

12th Logo (May 4, 2004)

Logo: On a wooden surface, a burned Rockstar logo fades in with the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" below in a western-style font.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A whooshing sound.

Availability: Seen on Red Dead Revolver.

13th Logo (2004, November 11, 2021)

Logo: On a black background, we see the Rockstar Games logo being spray-painted onto the screen, along with the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" (in the font for "San Andreas" in the game's logo) and a registered trademark appearing below.

Variant: An enhanced version of this logo exists.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The sound of a spray can's lid "popping" off, and a few "spray" sounds.

Music/Sounds Variant: On the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction short film, a ding can be heard when the text appears.

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for PC, macOS, PlayStation 2, Xbox, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 3. The enhanced version of the logo can be seen on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, and iOS. It can be also seen on the aforementioned The Introduction short film.

14th Logo (2005)

Logo: We see a white rolling rim, with the logo seen through it, then it drives away, leaving the orange Rockstar logo behind. The name is written in stencil style.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Car engine sounds.

Availability: Seen on Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition for the XBOX, PlayStation 2 and PSP.

15th Logo (October 17, 2005)

Logo: The baseball bat flashes through the screen, wiping in the orange Rockstar logo and the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES". Then another bat swirls from another side and changes it to the red Rockstar Toronto logo.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Bats wheezing accompanied by dark synth cues.

Availability: Seen on The Warriors.

16th Logo (2005)

Logo: A couple of orange taxis come right, roaring in, seen through the logo-shaped hole. They leave the Rockstar logo behind with the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" below.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Car sounds.

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PS2, PSP and iOS.

17th Logo (May 23, 2006)

Logo: A white tennis ball falls and jumps on the floor, the black logo is carved on it. Then the white banner logo zooms to the screen, without any name.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Sounds of ball.

Availability: Seen on Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis.

18th Logo (October 17, 2006-March 4, 2008)

Logo: On a black background, a baby blue colored sign with a red skull pops up on the left side of the screen, and is knocked over by a baseball. An orange sign with a navy blue snake pops up on the opposite side of the screen (the right side), and is also knocked over by a baseball. Then, a green version of the Rockstar logo pops up on the centerside of the screen, a baseball hits it, but nothing happens. Even more baseballs are thrown at the logo, which only makes the text "Rockstar "Vancouver" pop up. A brick is then thrown at the logo, making it flip over, turn into the familiar yellow color, and changing the text to "Rockstar Games". After this, the logo fades out.

Variant: On Bully: Scholarship Edition, when the single baseball is thrown at the green Rockstar logo, that's when the "Rockstar Vancouver" text pops up. When multiple baseballs hit the logo, it flips over an extra time, turns black, and changes the text to "Rockstar New England". The regular Rockstar logo still comes up when the logo is hit by the brick.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: Just clicks when the signs pop up, and the sounds of metal denting when they get hit. A faint carnival theme is heard throughout.

Availability: Seen on Bully for PS2 and Bully: Scholarship Edition for Xbox 360, Wii, and PC.

19th Logo (October 31, 2006-March 5, 2007)

Logo: The Rockstar Leeds logo is shown. Several orange stripes appear over it, eventually wiping it fully colored orange. The words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" appear in the Vice City font below.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Quiet marker sounds, along with part the game's opening theme

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for the PS2 and PSP.

20th Logo (October 29, 2007)

Logo: TBA.

FX/SFX: TBA.

Music/Sounds: TBA.

Availability: Seen on Manhunt 2.

21st Logo (April 29, 2008-October 29, 2009)

Logo: The Rockstar logo just slowly zooms out and fades out.

FX/SFX: Simple zooming effects.

Music/Sounds: The music used on the game's respective intro.

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes from Liberty City.

22nd Logo (October 20, 2008)

Logo: The white stars moves through the screen choppily, each followed with the Rockstar division logo and the normal orange logo appearing in at the end and stopping in the middle of the screen, without any name.

FX/SFX: Again, 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A short hip-hop cue repeated for each logo.

Availability: Seen on both Midnight Club: Los Angeles and Midnight Club: L.A Remix.

23rd Logo (2008)

Logo: The Rockstar logo is formed through a music equalizer. Then the equalizer goes down, clearing the logo as the words "ROCKSTAR GAMES" fade in below.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: An echoed electronic disco tune.

Availability: Seen on Beaterator on PSP and IOS.

24th Logo (March 17, 2009)

Logo: The glowing nameless banner appears against a black background and a moving subway train within the logo goes by to reveal the Rockstar North logo.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The sound of trains moving.

Availability: Seen on the PSP version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

25th Logo (May 18, 2010)

Logo: A spinning coil of a bar machine appears and presents a yellow Rockstar logo without any name. The logo is shot and vanished in a small cloud of smoke.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A western-oriented music with sound of spinning machine and shooting.

Availability: Seen on Red Dead Redemption.

26th Logo (2011)

Logo: The Rockstar logo appears in grayscale, with an old, grainy film effect, then becomes orange, but the grainy movie effects remain.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Some orchestral noir music along with the sound of film playing.

Availability: Seen on L.A. Noire for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

27th Logo (2012)

Logo: The white Rockstar banner appears. Then shooting is heard and the banner fills almost fully with blood. After it, the blood level comes down. The logo flickers and vanishes in a white noise.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The shooting and sounds of a medicine pill pickup.

Availability: Seen on Max Payne 3 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

28th Logo (September 17, 2013)

Logo: A sound of a car broken into and driven away is heard as police sirens and gunfire follow, accompanied by blurry flashing siren lights and a series of wanted stars in the upper right corner (like the wanted system HUD in the Grand Theft Auto series) that fill up. Once the fifth star is full, it flashes into the middle forming the orange Rockstar logo on-screen, with the Rockstar North logo forming after.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The sounds of a car-break in, police sirens and gunshots.

Availability: Seen on Grand Theft Auto V.

29th Logo (October 26, 2018)

Logo: Smoke rises up. Two red-colored cylinders, first left then right, fall from the top of the screen. The smoke fades away. A double-barreled gun is pointed at the screen, and it becomes evident that the cylinders are bronze bullets with red smearing. The bullet shells read:

"ROCKSTAR GAMES" on the top
"20" on the left and right of the bullets, possibly making out "2020". The number "20" can also be Rockstar Games' 20th anniversary.
"EST. MCMXCVII" on the bottom. The Roman numeral MCMXCVIII is equivalent to the Arabic numeral 1998. This is the founding year of Rockstar Games.

The bullets fire. The Rockstar Games logo appears, colored in blood red.

FX/SFX: 2D animation, with some 3D effects.

Music/Sounds: The pistol loading, and then firing.

Availability: Seen on Red Dead Redemption 2.