We all fondly remember Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas as unforgettable gems of the PS2 era. But, did you ever wonder why these iconic games were PlayStation exclusives at a time when Xbox was about to make its debut?
GTA, famously known today for gracing multiple platforms, initially carved its legacy with Sony. Rockstar struck gold with the PS2 titles GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas. And this wasn’t a stroke of luck or just a comfortable partnership. It was a strategic play by PlayStation in response to the looming threat of Microsoft’s original Xbox. Chris Deering, who once held the reins at PlayStation Europe (yes, the same guy who controversially suggested laid-off developers should take a year’s break by the beach), recently shared this intriguing tale with GamesIndustry.biz. He reflected on three decades of PlayStation history and dove into why they secured exclusivity for GTA 3 and its sequels.
Deering candidly remarked, “We were anxious about Xbox’s arrival.” Back then, exclusivity was a big deal. Look at Sky TV cornering the market on sports. As Christmas approached and Xbox’s launch loomed, a handful of us reached out to our favorite third-party publishers and developers. We proposed special deals to keep their next-gen games exclusive to PlayStation for two years.
Among these deals was an agreement with Take-Two for what would be the next three Grand Theft Auto games. At the time, the massive potential of GTA 3 was unforeseen, especially given its roots as a top-down game.
Looking back, Deering acknowledged how fortuitous it was for PlayStation, given the monumental success the series achieved. It’s hard to imagine how different things might be today. Would fans still obsess over Rockstar’s every move for hints about GTA 6 if GTA 3 had kicked off on Xbox instead? Remember, the Xbox only shipped 24 million units, dwarfed by the PS2’s astounding 160 million. Had Rockstar gone for both platforms from the start, GTA likely would’ve still thrived. But PlayStation? Its story might have been very different. Funny how these “what if” scenarios play out, isn’t it?
