Vertical Integration

Another definition from The Media Student's Book...

Vertical Integration: Gaining control over the whole process of making a media product - developing, publishing, distributing and exhibiting.

Rockstar Games have become a vertically integrated company by buying developers they have previously worked with, such as DMA Design who became Rockstar North and Angel Studios who became Rockstar San Diego. By doing this Rockstar have control over development, funding and marketing of their products.