Race'n'Chase
The early design focused on driving, police and urban space. During development, the emphasis shifted towards an open crime sandbox.
History: Grand Theft Auto
The project began as a game about police chases. Its open city, chaos and criminal protagonist eventually turned it into Grand Theft Auto.
The first Grand Theft Auto was created in Dundee, Scotland, by DMA Design, the studio previously made famous by Lemmings. The working title Race'n'Chase promised a game about police chases — but during development, it became clear that players had more fun on the other side of the law. According to the developers, a bug also played a part: it caused police cars to ram the player aggressively, and instead of being fixed, it became the idea behind the entire game.
GTA was released for MS-DOS and Windows in 1997, followed by PlayStation a year later. Publisher BMG Interactive built its marketing around scandal — British publicist Max Clifford helped stir up a debate about violence in games, giving GTA attention that advertising could not have bought. But it was not controversy that sustained the game; it was freedom: three cities where players choose which job to take and how much chaos to cause along the way.
DMA Design later became part of Take-Two Interactive and was renamed Rockstar North in 2002 — the team also behind GTA V and GTA 6. In 2004, Rockstar made the first GTA available as a free download; the original Rockstar Classics page no longer works.
Development
DMA Design
The Scottish studio combined arcade driving physics, gunfights, telephone jobs and cities viewed from above.
1997
The release introduced the names Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City. The series later reused them in new universes.
Legacy
Controversy and attention
The provocative subject attracted attention. The freedom of the city and systemic gameplay proved more important in the long term.
London
The 1969 and 1961 Mission Packs showed that the same technical foundation could support another era, different vehicles, dialogue and an atmosphere of its own.
WebAssembly
Carnage3D now demonstrates an open reimplementation of the engine, but it still requires suitable original data.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the main questions about this subject
When was the first GTA released?
In 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows. The PlayStation version followed in 1998, and the Game Boy Color version was released in 1999.
Who created the first GTA?
DMA Design, a Scottish studio from Dundee known for Lemmings. It is now called Rockstar North and also develops GTA 6.
Why was the game originally called Race'n'Chase?
The original concept centred on police chases. When it became clear that players had more fun playing as criminals, the game changed direction and name.
Are Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City from GTA 1 the same as in the later games?
No. The names returned, but the 2D cities from 1997 are different maps in a different universe from their 3D successors.