Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design), and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series references the term "grand theft auto", used in the United States for motor vehicle theft.

Gameplay focuses on an open world where the player can complete missions to progress an overall story, as well as engage in various side activities. Most of the gameplay revolves around driving and shooting, with occasional role-playing and stealth elements. The series also has elements of the earlier beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era. The games in the Grand Theft Auto series are set in fictional locales modelled after real-life cities, at various points in time from the early 1960s to the 2010s. The original game's map encompassed three cities—Liberty City (based on New York City), San Andreas (based on San Francisco), and Vice City (based on Miami)—but later titles tend to focus on a single setting; usually one of the original three locales, albeit remodelled and significantly expanded. The series centres on different protagonists who attempt to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld, although their motives for doing so vary in each title. The antagonists are commonly characters who have betrayed the protagonist or their organisation, or characters who have the most impact impeding the protagonist's progress. Several film and music veterans have voiced characters in the games, including Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, William Fichtner, James Woods, Debbie Harry, Axl Rose and Peter Fonda.

DMA Design began the series in 1997, with the release of the Grand Theft Auto. , the series consists of seven standalone titles and four expansion packs. The third main title, Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, is considered a landmark game, as it brought the series to a three-dimensional (3D) setting and more immersive experience. Subsequent titles have followed and built upon the concept established in Grand Theft Auto III, and received significant acclaim. They have influenced other open-world action games, and led to the label Grand Theft Auto clone on similar titles.

The series has been critically acclaimed, with all the main 3D entries in the franchise frequently ranked among the greatest and best-selling video games; it has shipped more than 385 million units, making it one of the best-selling video game franchise. In 2006, Grand Theft Auto was featured in a list of British design icons in the Great British Design Quest organised by the BBC and the Design Museum. In 2013, The Telegraph ranked Grand Theft Auto among Britain's most successful exports. The series has also been controversial for its adult nature and violent themes.

 List of titles 
+List of titlesTitleDeveloperPlatformsFirst releasedGrand Theft AutoDMA Design, Tarantula StudiosDOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Game Boy ColorNovember 28, 1997Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969DMA Design, Tarantula Studios, Rockstar Canada, RunecraftDOS, PlayStation, Microsoft WindowsApril 29, 1999Grand Theft Auto: London, 1961DMA Design, Tarantula Studios, Rockstar Canada, RunecraftMicrosoft WindowsJune 1, 1999Grand Theft Auto 2DMA Design, Tarantula StudiosDreamcast, Game Boy Color, PlayStation, Microsoft WindowsOctober 22, 1999Grand Theft Auto IIIDMA DesignPlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Android, iOSOctober 22, 2001Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityRockstar NorthPlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Android, iOSOctober 27, 2002Grand Theft Auto AdvanceDigital EclipseGame Boy AdvanceOctober 25, 2004Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasRockstar NorthPlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Android, iOSOctober 26, 2004Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City StoriesRockstar North, Rockstar LeedsPlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Android, iOSOctober 25, 2005Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesRockstar North, Rockstar LeedsPlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2October 31, 2006Grand Theft Auto IVRockstar NorthPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft WindowsApril 29, 2008Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and DamnedRockstar NorthPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows February 17, 2009 (Xbox 360)April 13, 2010 (PlayStation 3 and Windows)Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsRockstar NorthNintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Android, iOSMarch 17, 2009 (Nintendo DS)October 20, 2009 (PSP)January 17, 2010 (iOS)December 18, 2014 (Android) Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay TonyRockstar NorthPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows October 29, 2009 (Xbox 360)April 13, 2010 (PlayStation 3 and Windows)Grand Theft Auto VRockstar NorthPlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, Microsoft WindowsSeptember 17, 2013Grand Theft Auto OnlineRockstar NorthPlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, Microsoft WindowsOctober 1, 2013Grand Theft Auto VITBAPlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S19 November 2026

There has been a lot of controversy about these games. Many people do not like how the player can murder random people, and sleep with prostitutes. Because of this, all 3D GTA games have been rated Mature so far.

Related pages
Racing game

Notes

References

 Other websites 
Official Site
Grand Theft Wiki


Category:Action-adventure games
Category:Obscenity controversies
Category:Open-world video games
Category:Rockstar Games games
Category:Video game series