The former chief operating officer of Rockstar Gary Dale has been named as the new executive vice president of Take 2, it has been announced.

Dale will be chiefly looking at the publisher’s sales and distribution activities, and is said to be pursuing further ‘business development opportunities’ for the company, chiefly by liaising with all of Take 2’s publishing labels, of which Rockstar is one. He will also be tasked with exploring the opportunities in emerging markets such as online and casual gaming.

"Gary's depth of experience in the interactive entertainment industry and his long-time association with our company make him an excellent choice to take on this new corporate executive VP position," Take 2 CEO Ben Feder stated.

"As part of our emphasis on driving profitable growth, we are asking Gary to spearhead our efforts to explore opportunities in emerging areas such as online gaming and casual games, and in promising regions such as Asia/Pacific and Latin America, while also helping to enhance the performance of our sales organization."

He had served as Rockstar COO since January of this year, having previously been European MD of Capcom since 2003. He was tipped to be taking a senior role at Take 2 as early as last March.