GTAIII Turns 10

[Dreakon139]

On October 22, 2001, everything we ever thought we understood about videogames changed.

...

GTA III was a showcase for the powerhouse PS2. Earlier games in the series were fun, prankishly rude ditties; you played a criminal, and observed the gridlike world from an omniscient, top-down perspective. GTA III created an entire three-dimensional world, setting you at ground level in a city that could be freely explored. It wasn’t the first game to combine different genres into one, but the component parts of GTA III‘s gameplay were well integrated: it was a driving game, a third-person shooter, an RPG-inflected adventure, a crime thriller. The Casual Gamer — a primordial notion, five years pre-Wii — probably thought that GTA III was less a single videogame than an entire entertainment system unto itself.

GTA III kickstarted whole host of changes in the videogame industry. Along with Halo: Combat Evolved, released in November 2001 as an Xbox launch title, it’s a central to the paradigm shift in the early ’00s that transformed videogames either into “a legitimately cool and important cultural force” or “that annoyingly fashionable Hot New Thing that meant Lindsay Lohan attended the launch party of Saints Row The Third” — depending on your perspective.

Source: http://popwatch.ew.c...ary-dan-houser/

I personally can't believe it was 10 years ago already. Love this series and even if you hate it, it's easily one of the most notable franchises in recent gaming history.

Happy anniversary everyone.

[FurryMcMemes]

During the anniversary every GTA game was on sale for a total of $12.49 on Steam.

[Dreakon139]

During the anniversary every GTA game was on sale for a total of $12.49 on Steam.

Yeah, I noticed that. Hell of a deal, if only I had a PC capable of playing any of the PS2 era+ games.

[FurryMcMemes]

Yeah, I noticed that. Hell of a deal, if only I had a PC capable of playing any of the PS2 era+ games.

Hell I don't have a PC capable but I still would have bought them, then I'd have them.

[Dreakon139]

I did that with GTA San Andreas actually one time they had it for like $4. Steam has ridiculous deals, enough so it almost makes me want to shell out for a good PC.

Then I just go play some PS3 and forget about it.

[Spark-N]

During the anniversary every GTA game was on sale for a total of $12.49 on Steam.

yeah it was £5 for all 7 games including GTA4 and it's DLC wooop bought it right there and then, GTA 1 - San Andreas works fine, still yet to try #4 im still DLing it, lol, also got my 360 controller to work with it so im sorted

Now if you excuse me i'm off to play more GTA3

[Gotakibono]

I still remember the hoopla surrounding GTAIII like it was yesterday; it was all we talked about in school back in the day. Whilst GTA: Vice City will always be the definite game in the series for me, there's no denying the quality and creative cloud GTAIII created in the games industry. I doubt we'll ever see a game changer quite like GTAIII again, it literally took the games industry and crafted it to its will.

I sincerely feel sorry for younger gamers out there because they never had the chance to have their perceptions of what a video game is capable of so strongly changed by one single game. Every single time I turned on the game, I'd have the biggest grin on my face, as I wondered what new feature or mission I was about to stumble upon. To experience that glorious bliss of seeing something so radical and so historic happening right in front of you is something I always smile at when reminiscing about my teen years. Games have progressed greatly from when GTAIII first hit the shelves, but it was Rockstar's little beauty that held proceeding games by the hand and took them on the path they're on now.

I'm rambling like an old man at this stage, but fuck it - it's Grand Theft Auto 3's birthday. I was lucky to be old enough to enjoy it, and young enough to have time to play it when it was released. All I'll say on the time I spent playing it is: no regrets.