In the gaming universe, the name Grand Theft Auto, or commonly GTA, is enough. The game has created a legacy and name for itself that is hard to take over for any other game. There could be many other games that come and go, but the legacy and craze for GTA is unmatched.
The game is still fresh in the memory of an entire generation of people. At a time when Windows computers were just beginning to boom, and video games were becoming more popular, GTA was a game that almost every PC had. Apart from the fun and enjoyment value, GTA as a game also carries a nostalgic value for an entire generation who spent hours and hours playing GTA in their growing-up years.
As the developer, Rockstar Games preps up to bring the next big installment in their most celebrated game franchise, GTA, unofficially named GTA 6, the fans can’t wait to see what big the devs are coming up with the upcoming game.
Most players will be familiar with GTA Vice City, GTA SanAndreas, and the 3D GTA games, but there was a time when GTA did not look the way it does now.
First Grand Theft Auto game
Recently, Rockstar Games announced that it is celebrating its 25th anniversary in December 2023. The game series has been highly acclaimed and loved by fans of all age groups, but here’s the history of GTA series, which not many are aware of.
The action-adventure series of games, GTA was originally created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the supervision of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, along with Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. The initial games were developed by DMA Design based in Scotland, which was later acquired by Take-Two Interactive and renamed Rockstar North in 2001. The games are published by American company Rockstar Games.
The first ever GTA game was released in November 1997 for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows, in December 1997 for the PlayStation, and later in October 1999 for the Game Boy Color. The first game had a storyline, map, and features top-notch for that era’s hardware.
The game had three locations – Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. It featured a top-down 2D aerial view that today would look outdated. However, at that time, it was revolutionary since it allowed gamers to drive around cities, get into gang wars, assassinations, bank heists, and much more.
The success and popularity of GTA led to the release of GTA 2 in 1999. It was a little different from its predecessor. It was based in a futuristic metropolis known as Anywhere City. This installment had cleaner visuals, faster gameplay, and the save feature.
Then came GTA 3 in 2001, which revolutionized the game series by introducing the 3D view. GTA 3 provided a more immersive gameplay experience, and players could relate to Claude, the protagonist, because of his silent nature. GTA Vice City followed in 2002, changing the face of not only the game series but also open-world games in general.
After a year’s break, the series launched GTA San Andreas in 2004, which to date remains one of the most loved GTA games. It was followed by GTA 4 in 2008, and later GTA 5 and GTA Online in 2013, all three of which lived up to GTA’s name, further expanding the game’s popularity and legacy.
Rockstar recently celebrated 10 years since the release of its last successful and reigning title, GTA 5. And now, players will soon be receiving the next big game, GTA 6, in 2024 or 2025.
Grand Theft Auto, as a series, has always been revolutionary and ahead of its times, setting the bar high for themselves as well as for the industry overall. And talking of accomplishments, GTA is habituated to not only achieving milestones but doing it be breaking and creating records. GTA 5 made multiple records when it was released in 2013.
And there’s no doubt GTA 6 will also be breaking and setting multiple records, which it has already started with just the trailer release date announcement.