The Grand Theft Auto series, also known as GTA, is among the most monumental and successful franchises in the history of video games. With a staggering 420 million units sold globally, the series has left an indelible mark on gaming culture. GTA's inception dates back to 1997, with its creators David Jones and Mike Dailly at DMA Design, later known as Rockstar North. Initially, BMG Interactive published the groundbreaking title. However, recent revelations have suggested that Sega—once a powerhouse in the console market—could have been the name gracing the game's packaging instead.
This surprising piece of history emerged from Swiss collector and preservationist Comby Laurent, who discovered that Sega was in the running to acquire the rights to publish GTA. The deal broke down because Sega, prevalent in the PC market, was incapable of releasing the game on the PlayStation platform. The PlayStation was becoming increasingly popular, and the ability to publish on both PC and PlayStation was a lucrative prospect for publishers. Consequently, another publisher, capable of launching the game on PC and PlayStation, offered more to secure the publishing rights, which led to Sega missing out on the opportunity.
The implications of this twist in history are significant. At the time, Sega was mainly identified with its own hardware and had not ventured into publishing games on rival platforms like Sony's PlayStation. If Sega had managed to procure the rights to publish GTA and found a way to overcome the platform barrier, video gaming history might look very different today. GTA's success could have propelled Sega's fortunes, potentially influencing its subsequent decisions in hardware development and game publishing.
However, it wasn't entirely unheard of for a game to be released across competing platforms. For example, the racing game WipEout appeared on the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64, besides being associated with the PlayStation brand. If Sega had taken inspiration from such instances and transcended the platform exclusivity, the company might have reaped significant benefits from the mass appeal of GTA.
Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of the rights later in 1998 further complicated matters, as they reissued GTA for PC and eventually released it on PlayStation in summer 1998. This move ensured that Take-Two, and subsequently Rockstar Games, would continue to build the GTA franchise into the colossus it is today. Reflecting on this scenario reveals how close we were to a dramatically different power dynamic in the industry, with Sega possibly at the helm of one of the most lucrative gaming franchises rather than Take-Two and Rockstar.
The story also sheds light on Sam Houser's critical role in the success of GTA. Houser worked at BMG before joining Take-Two, and his involvement was pivotal to the franchise's explosive growth. Had Sega become the publisher, Houser's connection to GTA might have been severed, affecting the series' direction and success.
While the full details and the potential long-term repercussions of Sega's near-miss with GTA's publishing rights are not entirely clear, what is obvious is that subtle shifts in decision-making can have far-reaching impacts in the gaming industry.
Laurent's claim has piqued the interest of the gaming community and historians alike, prompting further investigation into this intriguing alternate reality of the gaming world. Attempts to verify the source of this information are ongoing, and the story has sparked conversations about the many "what-if" scenarios that might have been.
Looking back at the early days of GTA, what stands out is the incredible transformation of the series from a top-down, pixelated action game to a cultural phenomenon, filled with cinematic storytelling, open-world exploration, and a reflection of real-world society—in all its vices and virtues.
While the notion that Sega could have been the mastermind behind the GTA series is a fascinating prospect, we now see Take-Two and Rockstar continuing to ride the crest of the series' phenomenal success. With GTA VI on the horizon, fans eagerly await the next evolution of the franchise, ready to embrace the advancements in gameplay, graphics, and narrative that have become the series' hallmark.
This piece of gaming history serves not only as a glimpse into the industry's decision-making process but also as a reminder of how different the landscape of gaming could have looked with just a few twists of fate. As the GTA series moves forward, the legacy it has built remains a testament to its enduring appeal, no matter who might have published it originally.
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