The friends you make in Max Payne 3 this May can be the same friends you roll with in Grand Theft Auto V thanks to Rockstar's Crew mechanic, a new multiplayer feature that keeps your camaraderie and rivalry alive even after you've moved on to a different game.
The multiplayer clan is a close-knit group when everyone's engaged in the game of the moment, but what happens when that game fades and a new game rises? While more organized player groups have no trouble migrating en masse, the less organized among us are left floating adrift, seeking out new friends to play with, bond with, and eventually abandon.
Not in Rockstar's online multiplayer titles. Not with Crews.
Say you're playing Max Payne 3. You and some friends form a Crew, spend a few months building up your reputation, forming rivalries with other Crews, and then boom, Grand Theft Auto V hits the street. Spin it up, login, and your Crew will right there with you.
It's a feature akin to what Blizzard is trying to do with Battle.net, keeping players together no matter what game they are playing. The Rockstar Games Social Club is the glue that binds everyone together, keeping close track of statistics as well as rivalries; yes, people who hate you can now hate you in any future "appropriate" Rockstar titles.
IGN has a posted a lengthy interview with Rockstar about the intriguing new feature, chock full of information on this new way to play together and stay together.
Multiplayer Crews Revealed on IGN - Play from Max Payne 3 to Grand Theft Auto V [Rockstar Games]