Rockstar Games, previously known as DMA Design in 1997, released the first Grand Theft Auto game 25 years ago on 28th November 1997 in the UK for PC. The game was intended as a 2D crime simulator that lets the player commit various crimes as part of the gameplay, from stealing a car to running over a pedestrian.
The game was ported to PlayStation and Nintendo Game Boy a month later. In the era of games like Super Mario and Crash Bandicoot, GTA stands out with its unique crime-oriented gameplay and wanted system, and the idea got stuck.
However, the real deal for the Rockstar Games started with the release of GTA 3 in 2001 and subsequent releases of GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas; these games have shaped the childhoods of the gamers of the early 2000s.
The change from a 2D world to a completely open-world approach with GTA 3 and classic cities like San Andreas and Vice City made the GTA franchise fan favorite all over the globe; Rockstar Games became a well-known and commercially successful gaming studio, pumping out revolutionary games.
However, after GTA 4 in 2008, fans waited for 5 years before getting a mainline Grand Theft Auto game. The patience paid well with the release of GTA 5 in September 2013, with the addition of GTA Online a month later.
It has been 9 years since the release of GTA 5, but the growth of the Grand Theft Auto franchise has kept up its pace. Not only is GTA 5 one of the most loved games of all time, but it has also generated a ton of money for the studio.
Other than that, a recent attempt to remaster GTA3, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition was a failed attempt by Rockstar Games in 2021.
Still, It would not be an exaggeration to tag Grand Theft Auto as one of the best, if not the best, franchises of all time, not only by the commercial aspect but the craze and love the long-standing fans have for the franchise is immeasurable.
According to the latest financial report of Take-Two Interactive, the Grand Theft Auto franchise has sold over 385 million copies worldwide, while GTA 5 is responsible for 44.2% of the total sales, with an impressive sales figure of 170 million since its release in 2013.
The next mainline entry in the franchise will be GTA 6, which has insane hype around it and has become the most anticipated game in recent times. Furthermore, over 90 gameplay videos and an allocated budget for GTA 6 were leaked a couple of months ago due to a data breach in Rockstar’s database.
Still, it served as a pivot point for the game’s hype which is increasing with time while some speculated that Rockstar would announce GTA 6 on the 25th Anniversary of the Grand Theft Auto franchise; Microsoft believes that it will be released in 2024.
So, what are your thoughts about this? When and which GTA game did you play for the first time? Let us know in the comment section below.
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