Microsoft Reportedly Didn't Want To Put 'GTA 3' On The OG Xbox

RJ Pierce, Tech Times 15 December 2021, 02:12 am

Microsoft released a series of documentaries on YouTube recently called "Power On," which chronicles the complete history of the Xbox franchise. And in it, it was learned that the company initially rejected having one of the most iconic games of all time on their console.

(Photo : Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Xbox logo is seen inside electronics store in Krakow, Poland on August 26, 2021

That game would be "Grand Theft Auto III," which would mark the first time that Rockstar Games' open-world crime spree sim went full 3D. According to Eurogamer, Microsoft initially rejected Rockstar's pitch to have the game launch on the then-newly introduced Xbox console.

If you want to watch this specific story unfold as told by people who were actually there, you'll need to watch the third episode. For now, here is the official trailer for the docuseries:

Back then, the "GTA" franchise was an entirely 2D, top-down experience. "GTA 3" would be the first game in the franchise to make the complete transition to 3D graphics, but apparently, Xbox wasn't as impressed.

For the uninitiated, here is a gameplay clip of "GTA 2":

Drew Angeloff, who previously served in the Xbox Advanced Technology Group from 1999 to 2004, even went as far as to say that "GTA 3" won't be able to make the transition from 2D.

As a result of the rejection, Sony snatched the game up and it led to the "GTA" franchise being exclusive to the legendary PlayStation 2-albeit a timed one.

In an article by GameSpot dated May 23rd, 2002, the announcement that succeeding "Grand Theft Auto" games before October 2004 would be exclusive to the PS2 was made during that year's E3.

The rest, they say, is history. Rockstar's open-world opus for that generation managed to sell 14.5 million units, making it 2001's best-selling game.

Microsoft's Rejection Of 'GTA 3' Was Only One Part

With the release of the documentary series "Power On," this story once again saw the light of day. It raised a lot of questions, such as whether the original Xbox might have been competitive with the PS2 in terms of sales if "GTA 3" was there.

Nevertheless, this story was all but one part of the history of the Xbox franchise as a whole.

(Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, speaks at the Xbox media briefing where new games were introduced on the eve of the annual E3 video game extravaganza in Los Angeles, California on June 9, 2014. Unveilings of blockbuster and enticing exclusive content came during the Xbox media briefing in Microsoft's opening salvo in the battle to dominate E3 and invigorate Xbox One sales, to be met with return fire from Sony later in the day with its own grand event touting PlayStation 4 titles.

The new documentary series, which is streaming for free right now on YouTube, Redbox, IMDbTV, and even Microsoft (via The Roku Channel), takes a deep look at the entire two-decade-long story of Xbox. The total runtime is four hours across a total of six episodes, according to Tom's Hardware.

There are a lot of interesting bits of history presented in the documentary series-all of it intended to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the gaming console. Among the stories include the Xbox 360's iconic Red Ring of Death, which plagued so many consoles during the seventh generation.

If you're an avid gamer regardless of which system you play on, the "Power On" docuseries might be worth checking out.

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Written by RJ Pierce