BMG Interactive Entertainment

A defunct video game publisher and division of Bertelsmann Music Group, active in the 1990s and later acquired to form Rockstar Games.

Action

Strategy

Tactics

Sports

Founded

1994

Acquired

1998

HQ

New York City, United States

Parent

Take-Two Interactive

Known for

Action-Adventure / Open World / Racing

31

Games

1995–1998

Years

6

Platforms

$25.95

Ø CIB

-9.6%

24M change

About

BMG Interactive Entertainment was established in 1994 as the multimedia division of the German music conglomerate BMG. The company published several notable titles for systems like the 3DO, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn, including Gex and Grand Theft Auto. In 1998, the publisher was acquired by Take-Two Interactive, where its assets and core team were rebranded to form Rockstar Games.

During its active years, the publisher focused on securing distribution rights for innovative third-party titles across emerging CD-ROM platforms. Early software offerings included the port of the acclaimed space adventure Star Control II in 1993, followed by the pinball game Pataank and the action-strategy title Horde in 1994. The company also handled the release of the vehicular combat game Off-World Interceptor that same year.

As the 32-bit console era expanded, the division diversified its portfolio with high-profile localization and publishing deals. It distributed Warp's acclaimed cinematic horror game D in 1995, bringing its unique real-time gameplay to Western audiences. The publisher also released Ballz: The Directors Cut in 1995, an updated version of the quirky polygon-based fighting game. Through these partnerships, the company established a reputation for backing unconventional, adult-oriented, and technologically ambitious interactive software during the mid-1990s transition from 2D to 3D gaming.