'Scotland government cuts us out' - Rockstar North

In an extremely rare interview,Rockstar North president Leslie Benzie has discussed his feeling ofneglect from the Scottish government, which he says "seem to cut usout" when it comes to highlighting the country's success stories.

Considering GTA's massive cultural influence, notes The Times,it's strange that politicians committed to "a smart, successfulScotland" haven't come knocking at Rockstar North's door - the game isafter all one of Britain's biggest exports.

"We'd love to helpif we have time," president Leslie (you can only get away with thatname if you're Scottish) told the paper. "But there are a number ofagencies which actively seem to cut us out. There is this weird thingwhere people think Scotland is so innovative, but if you do anythingtruly innovative, you get beaten down." Yesterday Rebellion boss Jason Kingsley called on Britain to"celebrate" GTA IV. "This is the world's biggest launch in the gamesmarket and the intellectual property is actually British made," he said.

"We've had such a beating over the past three years - by the Americangovernment, the British government, the Daily Mail," said RockstarNorth boss Benzie.

Before DMA Design became Rockstar North,remembers Benzie, he had decided to leave the company. But new boss SamHouser convinced him to stay by financing the team's move to Edinburgh.Why not move to Rockstar's head office in New York? "For the Weather,"he says.

There is no sun. If I am abroad I can sit in the sunfor a whole day and do nothing and feel great. If I sit outside here,I'm fidgeting after a couple of minutes. There are a lot of us here.This is our home."

Now that GTA IV's finally in the shops,Benzie says he's left with "a void" after living with the sequel for solong. "It is almost depressing," he said. "It's like somebody's gonefrom your life. A couple of weeks from now, I'll be fine.

"You've been working on the project for three-and-a-half years andyou've given up all your friends. You've given up television. You dothis nonstop. Up to the last four months, you're not sure it's going togel. It is in those very last moments that it comes together. That'swhere the fear comes from. We spend our entire time just shaking andthinking: 'Is it going to work?'"