After a wait of nearly 13 years, multiple delays and several major leaks, the highly anticipated launch of is drawing closer. The upcoming title is the latest instalment in the nearly three-decade-old franchise, which has built a massive following through its open-world gameplay and crime-based storylines.
Despite the excitement surrounding the release, Rockstar Games has kept details of GTA 6 closely guarded. Its strict secrecy extends even to the people who helped create the original game, with GTA co-creator Dave Jones and original writer and publicist Brian Baglow yet to get an early look at the upcoming title.
In an interview with BBC, Jones said that even the original creators were waiting to find out what Rockstar Games had developed.
“We’re all waiting to see what they’ve done,” Jones said, while sitting alongside Baglow.
When asked whether either of them had managed to play GTA 6 before its official release, Baglow shook his head. However, he appeared unfazed by not receiving early access to the game.
“I’ve got the pre-order,” he said.
The first was launched in 1997 by Dundee-based DMA Design, a relatively small development studio compared with the teams behind today’s major gaming releases.
After finding success with its puzzle game Lemmings, the studio began exploring the possibility of developing a racing title, which was initially named Race’n’Chase.
However, the developers wanted to create something that would stand apart from conventional games. Recalling the early development process at Dundee’s Abertay University, Jones said the team was constantly looking for an original concept.
“At DMA, we always wanted to do something different,” he told BBC. “What was the unique spin we could put on it?”
One of the ideas that eventually shaped the franchise was allowing players to leave their vehicles and explore the game world on foot.
Jones explained that the ability to drive cars, switch between vehicles, steal them, and move around outside them brought together different elements of gameplay.
He said the developers initially considered giving players the option of playing as criminals as well as police officers. However, the team eventually decided against the latter because it would mean following established rules and procedures.
“At some point we just said, you know what, it’s way more fun playing the bad guy, so that’s what the game was about,” he added.
Although the original game introduced several fresh gameplay concepts, its commercial performance was initially slower than that of Lemmings.
Jones attributed this partly to the fact that players needed to experience the game themselves to understand its appeal.
He described GTA’s initial sales performance as a “slow burn”, explaining that it took time for audiences to discover what made the title different.
Baglow recalled that sales continued to grow throughout the year following its release, largely driven by recommendations from players.
“For the whole of the year that GTA came out, it just kept going and selling and selling,” he said.
“And we reckoned it was the word of mouth. The people who had played it going, oh my God, have you played this game?”
