The Grand Theft Auto games will officially turn 25 this month, with the maiden release having come out in 1997. As more games celebrate milestone anniversaries, such as BioShock celebrating 15 years and Fallout also turning 25 recently, some older players may find it difficult to imagine that the games they loved as a child are still going after several decades. It also shows that the industry itself is getting older and that certain releases have really stood the test of time.
Take Grand Theft Auto as a classic example. Over the years, Rockstar's flagship series has gone down as one of the most successful franchises in all of gaming, selling hundreds of millions of copies over the years. GTA 5, which came out in 2013 and is still being played to this day, is not only one of the highest-grossing releases of all time, but has won multiple awards. For many, the series is a staple of gaming, and it only seems to be getting more and more popular as time moves on, with fans anticipating the next installment.
As mentioned above, the Grand Theft Auto games began in the heady days of 1997, November 28 to be exact. Originally 2D and much more cartoon-y than the 3D releases that would eventually follow, the first game was marred by media controversy for its supposed glorification of crime and violence. What was interesting about the controversy was that it was Rockstar itself, then called DMA Design, that got the ball rolling by having stories about the upcoming game printed in newspapers, thereby drumming up interest and eventually sales. Of course, GTA has always been contested by some, but it evidently hasn't stopped the franchise and its developer from rocketing to the top.
It's also not the only game in the series to be celebrating a milestone, either. In October, GTA: Vice City turned 20 years old, and while it wasn't the first installment to make the switch to 3D, it was definitely a landmark entry, with its 80s aesthetic and protagonist Tommy Vercetti, who was voiced by the late Ray Liotta.
With Rockstar now working on Grand Theft Auto 6, things are once again moving forward for the open-world games. Many fans had been patiently waiting to hear about a follow-up for some time, with the studio only officially announcing it was in development earlier this year. It may be some time before GTA 6 launches, but it's almost certainly going to be just as successful as its predecessors, if not more.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently in development.