Grand Theft Auto III

Released in 2001, Grand Theft Auto III was developed by DMA Design before it rebranded into Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. The game was a pivotal title that transformed open-world gaming and set new standards for interactive entertainment.

Overview

Historical Context

Before GTA III, the first two Grand Theft Auto games were primarily top-down titles, released in 1997 and 1999.

Former technical director Obbe Vermeij recalled in an interview with GTA BOOM that Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut began work on GTA III before New York approved the project. After finishing Space Station Silicon Valley, developers at DMA Design had been making small prototypes; the rest of the team joined GTA III later. The game took players to Liberty City, a fictional metropolis inspired by New York City.

Development Process

Transitioning to 3D posed numerous technical challenges. The development team had to create a fully realized city with a complex traffic system and non-playable characters (NPCs) that interacted in realistic ways.

To achieve this, they utilized Criterion Software's RenderWare engine, which helped facilitate the rendering of large environments.

Aside from the shift to 3D, GTA III introduced a narrative-driven approach with a silent protagonist named Claude. The game's storyline revolves around themes of crime, betrayal, and revenge, effectively engaging players with its cinematic presentation. It also incorporated voice acting, radio stations, and an eclectic soundtrack for better immersion.

Post-9/11 review and cover art

In his IGN interview, Dan Houser recalled that the team believed in GTA III despite a muted response at E3 in early 2001. Following the September 11 attacks, Rockstar reviewed the game's content, removed some material and changed lines of dialogue before its October release.¹

Houser also recalled replacing cover artwork that the team considered inappropriate after the attacks with the character-panel layout that became associated with the series. His account of producing the replacement over a few evenings is a retrospective recollection, not a settled production timetable.¹

Release and Reception

After initial development for the SEGA Dreamcast, GTA 3 was released on October 22, 2001, for the PlayStation 2. It was later ported to PC and Xbox. It was a commercially successful and critically acclaimed title that cemented Rockstar as a leading developer in the industry. It also set a new standard for open-world titles, with its sandbox-style gameplay inspiring developers to create more interactive and expansive virtual worlds.

GTA 3 was followed by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

GTA 3 was later re-packaged and bundled with GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas as part of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, developed by Grove Street Games and Video Games Deluxe.

Houser described the game's rise after launch as sustained selling through Christmas 2001 and into 2002, rather than one single week when its popularity suddenly exploded.¹