Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that can help answer the question.
Query: When was Grand Theft Auto the video game first released?
Grand Theft Auto, the first game in the series, was released for Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS in October 1997, ported to the PlayStation in 1998 and the Game Boy Color in 1999. Grand Theft Auto 2 was released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows, later receiving ports on the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color.[12]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is an action-adventure video game developed in a collaboration between Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 31 October 2006 for PlayStation Portable and later for PlayStation 2 on 5 March 2007. The game is the tenth instalment in the "Grand Theft Auto" series and the sixth and last game in the 3D universe. This was also the last game in the series to use well-known and Hollywood voice talent; "Grand Theft Auto IV" onward would instead use lesser-known and unknown voice actors. It is a prequel to "" and the successor to previous PSP release, "". Vice City is a representation of Miami, Florida.
Rockstar North's 2013 open world action-adventure video game "Grand Theft Auto V", published by Rockstar Games, deals with a trio of criminals and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency. The game's use of three protagonists is a break from series tradition. Three days after its release, "Grand Theft Auto V" had earned more than US $1 billion in sales, making it the fastest selling video game in history. Additionally, "Grand Theft Auto V" was voted Game of the Year from several gaming publications. The game's characters were created by writers Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries. The use of multiple protagonists, as well as the cast in general, has received generally positive reviews from gaming magazines and websites.
While "", "" and "Grand Theft Auto 2" would use different locations, these three cities have been individually revisited as the settings in later Grand Theft Auto games, with differing layouts - for example, Liberty City was the sole city in "Grand Theft Auto III", "Grand Theft Auto Advance", "", and "Grand Theft Auto IV", Vice City was the city in "" and "", and San Andreas, becoming a state based on regions of California and Nevada, was the setting for "" and "Grand Theft Auto V".
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 26 October 2004 for PlayStation 2, and on 7 June 2005 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. A high definition remastered version received a physical release for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on 30 June 2015 and 1 December 2015, respectively. It is the seventh title in the "Grand Theft Auto" series, and the first main entry since 2002's "". It was released on the same day as the handheld game "Grand Theft Auto Advance" for Game Boy Advance. On 8 June 2018, the game was added to the Xbox One Backward Compatible library.
In 2009, the profits of Britain's video game industry exceeded those from its film industry for the first time. Many major video game franchises are developed in the UK, including "Grand Theft Auto", "Tomb Raider", "Burnout", "LittleBigPlanet", "Wipeout" and "", making UK the third largest producer of video game series behind Japan and United States. The best-selling video game series made in the UK is "Grand Theft Auto" (primary developed by Rockstar North in Edinburgh, Scotland) which the series has sold over 150 million copies as of September 2013, the recent instalment "Grand Theft Auto V" became the fastest-selling video game of all time by making $815.7 million (£511.8 million) in sales worldwide during the first 24 hours of the game's sale. "Grand Theft Auto V" went on to break several other records such as Best-selling action-adventure video game in 24 hours, Fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion, Fastest video game to gross $1 billion, Highest grossing video game in 24 hours, Highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours and Most viewed trailer for an action-adventure video game.
Grand Theft Auto Advance, marketed as Grand Theft Auto, is an action-adventure video game developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Rockstar Games for the Game Boy Advance, released on 26 October 2004.
The series has broken several records, resulting in Guinness World Records awarding the series 10 world records in the Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include Most Guest Stars in a Video Game Series, Largest Voice Cast in a Video Game (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), Largest In-Game Soundtrack (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) as well as Most Successful Entertainment Launch of All Time (Grand Theft Auto V). Guinness World Records also ranked Grand Theft Auto in third place on their list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.[170] Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is listed as the most successful game on the PlayStation 2 according to The Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition.
On 17 September 2013, the studio released "Grand Theft Auto V" on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which became one of the most critically acclaimed games ever. The game was a return to the fictional city of Los Santos, last seen in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas". The game also introduced multiple playable characters for the first time in the series, allowing players to switch between Franklin, Michael and Trevor. It quickly became the studio's most commercially successful release, as well as one of the highest-grossing video games of all time, surpassing the total gross of "Grand Theft Auto IV" within its first week and breaking the one-day gross record for video games.
Grand Theft Auto has spawned numerous additional games and expansion packs. In 1999, the original game received two expansion packs: Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961.[12] Grand Theft Auto Advance, released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, featured a top-down perspective. Three games were released for the PlayStation Portable. The 2005 game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III, while the 2006 game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a prequel to Vice City; both games were later ported to the PlayStation 2. In 2009, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was released for the Nintendo DS, and later ported to the PlayStation Portable.[21] In 2009, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony were released for the Xbox 360 as expansion packs to Grand Theft Auto IV; a "strategic alliance" between Rockstar and Microsoft resulted in the timed exclusivity. They were later released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows as part of a compilation, titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.[22]
"Grand Theft Auto" was to be released on the Sega Saturn, but due to the console's rapid decline in popularity before development was finished, the project was halted and the game was never released. After the PlayStation's successful release, development began on "Grand Theft Auto 64", a port of the game for the Nintendo 64, rumoured to have graphical enhancements and new missions. However, development was cancelled without ever having a public appearance.
"The Introduction", an in-engine video, was provided on a DVD with the "", as well as the "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Special Edition" re-release for the PlayStation 2. The 26-minute video chronicles the events leading up to the events in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and provides insight on the development of the characters of the game, to the point when Carl learns of his mother's death in a phone call from Sean "Sweet" Johnson & returns to Los Santos to find his life is ruined. The film incorporates locations from the original "Grand Theft Auto III" game. The PS2 release also includes a live-action documentary on the custom car culture (featured prominently in the game) called "Sunday Driver".
Grand Theft Auto 2 is an action-adventure video game developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 22 October 1999 for Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation, followed by Dreamcast and Game Boy Color releases in 2000. It is the sequel to 1997's "Grand Theft Auto", part of the "Grand Theft Auto" series. The open world design lets players freely roam Anywhere City, the setting of the game.
Following the critical acclaim it received on its release, "Grand Theft Auto IV" has received various awards from various critics and publications. It received several Game of the Year awards, from gaming media outlets such as Spike TV, Giant Bomb, Kotaku, and GameTrailers, as well as mainstream publications, like "The New York Times", the "Los Angeles Times", and "Time" magazine. "Grand Theft Auto IV" also received seven nominations at the 5th British Academy Video Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards), and three nominations at the 9th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, but did not win any of them.
Within twenty-four hours of its release, "Grand Theft Auto IV" sold over 3.6 million copies, equating to approximately $310 million in revenue. Within a week, it generated more than $500 million in worldwide revenue, equating to approximately 6 million copies sold for Take Two. The numbers surpassed analysts' expectations for the title. After one month of availability, the game had sold over 8.5 million copies. It broke three Guinness World Records on 13 May 2008: highest grossing video game in 24 hours, highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours, and fastest-selling video game in 24 hours. On 11 March 2011, Take-Two announced that the game had sold over 20 million copies, with the "Grand Theft Auto" series surpassing a collective total of 100 million copies. As of July 2013, the game has sold over 25 million copies. All sales records broken by "Grand Theft Auto IV" were beaten by its successor, "Grand Theft Auto V", upon release.
Grand Theft Auto III is an action-adventure video game developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, in May 2002 for Microsoft Windows, and in October 2003 for the Xbox. An enhanced version of the game was released on mobile platforms in 2011, for the game's tenth anniversary. It is the fifth title in the "Grand Theft Auto" series, and the first main entry since 1999's "Grand Theft Auto 2". Set within the fictional Liberty City, based on New York City, the game follows Claude after he is left for dead and quickly becomes entangled in a world of gangs, crime and corruption.
Until the closure of CVG, their official YouTube channel provided a variety of video game related content, providing everything from walkthroughs of games to news regarding video game consoles and regarding gaming events. Their second longest running series, "GTA V O'clock" covered news and conspiracy theories regarding Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto V" and "Grand Theft Auto Online". It was also one of the only publications invited to see and play "Grand Theft Auto V" before its release to the public on 17 September 2013 and re-release for PC on 14 April 2015.
The Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division, Peter Moore, announced at E3 2006 that the game would appear on Xbox 360, by rolling up his sleeve to reveal a "Grand Theft Auto IV" temporary tattoo. Rockstar Games initially appeared to be committed to the original 16 October 2007 release date; however, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggested that Take-Two may choose to delay the release of the game in order to boost its financial results for 2008 and to avoid competing with the release of other highly anticipated titles, such as "Halo 3". Rockstar responded by saying that "Grand Theft Auto IV" was still on track for release in "late October". On 2 August 2007, Take-Two announced that "Grand Theft Auto IV" would miss its original release date of 16 October 2007 contrary to their previous statements, and would be delayed to their second fiscal quarter (February–April) of 2008. In a later conference call with investors, Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick attributed the delay to "almost strictly technological problems ... not problems, but challenges." It was later revealed that technical difficulties with the PlayStation 3 version of the game contributed to the delay, along with storage problems on the Xbox 360. On 24 January 2008, Take-Two announced that "Grand Theft Auto IV" would be released on 29 April 2008. As the release date approached, Rockstar Games and Take-Two marketed the game heavily through various forms, including television ads, Internet video, billboards, viral marketing, and a redesigned website. A special edition of the game was also released for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. At a Take-Two shareholder meeting on 18 April 2008, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder announced that "Grand Theft Auto IV" had already "gone gold" and was "in production and in trucks en route to retailers". The game was eventually released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles in Europe, North America, and Oceania on 29 April 2008, and in Japan on 30 October 2008. Overall, "Grand Theft Auto IV" took over 1000 people and more than three and a half years to complete, with a total cost estimated at approximately $100 million, making it, at the time, the most expensive video game ever developed.
"Grand Theft Auto III" is considered to have a leading role in the popularisation of sandbox games, inspiring those such as "True Crime" (2003–05), "Saints Row" (2006–present) and "Crackdown" (2007). The term ""Grand Theft Auto" clone" is frequently used to describe subsequent video games released with similar open-ended gameplay as "Grand Theft Auto III". While previous video games used open world design, including earlier "Grand Theft Auto" games, "Grand Theft Auto III" took this gameplay foundation and expanded it into a 3D world, offering an unprecedented variety of minigames and side-missions. Due to the greater success of the game over its predecessors, it is credited with popularising the open-world genre; Dan Houser felt that the game made it "one of the most vibrant genres today".
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is an action-adventure video game developed in a collaboration between Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 24 October 2005, for PlayStation Portable, it is the ninth game in the "Grand Theft Auto" series and was preceded by "" and succeeded by "". It is a prequel to "Grand Theft Auto III".
An approximate 1,000-person team developed "Grand Theft Auto V", an action-adventure video game, over several years. Rockstar Games released "Grand Theft Auto V" in September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in April 2015 for Microsoft Windows, as the fifteenth entry in the "Grand Theft Auto" series. Development began soon after "Grand Theft Auto IV"s release and was led by Rockstar North's core 360-person team, who collaborated with several other international Rockstar Games studios. The team considered the game a spiritual successor to many of their previous projects like "Red Dead Redemption" and "Max Payne 3". After its unexpected announcement in 2011, the game was fervently promoted with press showings, cinematic trailers, viral marketing strategies and special editions. Its release date, though subject to several delays, was widely anticipated.
In 1997, DMA released "Grand Theft Auto", which was a huge success; the game sparked a successful series. The company was soon acquired by Gremlin Interactive. Following the release of "Grand Theft Auto 2", Gremlin was acquired by Infogrames. DMA Design was sold to Take-Two Interactive, the owner of "Grand Theft Auto" publisher Rockstar Games. In 2001, after the release of "Grand Theft Auto III", DMA Design was ultimately renamed Rockstar North and became part of the Rockstar Games label. After the shift, the company worked on new titles, including "Manhunt", provided support to other Rockstar games such as "Red Dead Redemption" and "Max Payne 3", and continued the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise with "Grand Theft Auto IV" (2008) and "Grand Theft Auto V" (2013). Both games are considered one of the best video games made and "Grand Theft Auto V" became one of the best-selling games of all time. Leslie Benzies headed the studio since the Take-Two acquisition until his departure in 2016.
"Grand Theft Auto IV" is the first title in the third generation of the best-selling "Grand Theft Auto" video game franchise developed by Rockstar North which was released on 29 April 2008. As the release date approached, Rockstar had been marketing the game heavily. Rockstar's marketing has come in many forms, including television ads, internet video, viral marketing, and a redesigned web site. There was even a mural of a prostitute named Lola painted on the side of a building in SoHo, New York.
The release of "Grand Theft Auto III", a critically acclaimed sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North) represented the first 3D title in the "Grand Theft Auto" ("GTA") series. Despite its success, it was the first "Grand Theft Auto" game to ship without the network multiplayer gameplay features that were present in earlier titles, which allowed players to connect through a computer network and play the game with others.
With the arrival of the seventh generation of video game consoles, the first "next-gen" "Grand Theft Auto" clones were released in 2006, beginning with "Saints Row" from 2006 and "Crackdown" from 2007 both introduced online multiplayer to the genre, a feature that had been requested by many fans. "Crackdown" attracted attention for being created by David Jones, the developer of the original "Grand Theft Auto", and featured the ability to develop the player character's superpowers in a semi-futuristic setting. Meanwhile, "" and "" entered the market in 2006, and attempted to apply the "Grand Theft Auto" formula to popular movie franchises. Still, reviewers continued to measure these games against the standard set by the "Grand Theft Auto" series. "Grand Theft Auto IV" was released in April 2008 and featured a large, detailed environment, redefining gameplay and even adopted the GPS navigation system seen in "Saints Row". The game broke numerous sales records, including the record for the fastest selling game in its first 24 hours. Since its inception, this genre has evolved to include larger settings, more missions, and a wider range of vehicles. In 2010, Rockstar Games published "Red Dead Redemption", an open world Western themed game. On the day of "Grand Theft Auto V" 's release on September 17, 2013, Volition released a free downloadable content pack for "Saints Row IV" titled "GATV", purposely playing the similarity in the abbreviated titles to promote their game due to the confusion raised on various social networks.
Grand Theft Auto is an action-adventure video game developed by DMA Design and published by BMG Interactive. It was first released in Europe and North America in October 1997 for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. It was later re-released on 12 December 1997 in Europe and 30 June 1998 in North America for the PlayStation. It is the first instalment of the "Grand Theft Auto" series, to be followed by 1999's "Grand Theft Auto 2". The series, which has led to five main entries and several special edition games over 16 years, has sold more than 150 million units as of September 2013. The story follows a group of criminals in three fictionalised versions of US cities as they perform bank robberies, assassinations, and other illegal activities for their respective crime syndicates.