GRAND THEFT AUTO (GTA): “THE OG GAME FOR MILLENNIALS”
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Introduction
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design) and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The first game was launched in the year 1997. The storyline had three cities in its map: Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. In each game the main protagonist comes from the criminal underworld and completes his mission.
Titles
The game was released in different years with several different titles, namely:
| Year | Title |
| 1997 | Grand Theft Auto |
| 1999 | Grand Theft Auto 2 |
| 2001 | Grand Theft Auto III |
| 2002 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas |
| 2008 | Grand Theft Auto IV |
| 2013 | Grand Theft Auto V |
What made GTA different
- The game initially came up with the fresh concept of “Open World freedom.” Users had the access to explore different cities. The feature that set the game apart was that even if you don’t want to complete a mission, you have the freedom to do certain activities.
- The game adapted the then ongoing trends of cultures, hip hop, and gangster stuff. These few things caught millennials eyes, as why not? If such games have the type of stuff that users crave, then definitely the game will be one of the highest sellers.
- Another interesting concept was the use of cheat codes. People were highly fascinated by this idea. Millennials and even early Gen Z used to write the cheat codes down on a sheet of paper and used to learn them by heart.
Controversies
The game became the center of controversies for different reasons.
- It promoted violence. The game involved high use of guns and street fights, which influenced users in a bad way. Even Brazil banned this game outright for extreme violence.
- It involved committing illegal activities, even killing policemen.
- The game had prostitution and many such sexual activities, which were inappropriate for children.
GTA V’s Performance in the Market
This version of the game was released in the year 2013. And as soon as it came out, it broke multiple records for being one of the highest-selling games. The game had improved its graphics, and the storyline became more interesting. Many new features were added to the game. Over 195 million copies have been sold as of 2024, making it the second best-selling game of all time. The game was re-released on three console generations; still, it continues to dominate.
Competitors of GTA
The GTA game series has had multiple competitors over the years, that adapted the open-world concept. These games gave an edge to the competition. Here is the list of those games:
Major Competitors of GTA
- Saint Row series
- Watch Dogs series (Ubisoft)
- Sleeping Dogs
- Just Cause series
- Red Dead Redemption
Conclusion
This game had an immense impact on gaming, as for many users this was their initial game. Its storyline and concept gave very tough competition to its competitors. It is still played highly across the globe.
It has been a decade since the franchise released any sequel. The franchise last released the game in the year 2013 (GTA V). They released the trailer of GTA VI in December 2023 and still haven’t updated about the release date. The fans are eagerly waiting for it to be released. “Rockstar Games” has revealed that GTA VI will have next-level animation graphics with a broader map, which is going to break the internet.
