[GU]elmur_fud
I have balls of Depleted Uranium
I think Rockstar always owned the Max Payne IP. The difference in this case is that Remedy (who, I think, came up with Max Payne) is not making the game.
ermm nope. For starters, 3dr helped create the story with remedy then sat back and assisted the then fledgling developer. Rockstar wasn't in the picture even with max payne 1. It wasn't till 2002 almost a year after the game was released that take 2 bought out the co-owned rights from 3dr and remedy.
http://www.remedygames.com/company/history
I couldn't find a exact date quick like about when rockstar aquired the IP but I did find this.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/3dr-bewildered-by-max-payne-film
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remedy_Entertainment