The History of the Grand Theft Auto Video Game Series

Grand Theft Auto has been a very popular title on next-gen video game consoles for the past few years, and is developed and published by Rockstar Games. However, many newer fans might not realize that the Grand Theft Auto series has been around for over 10 years when it made its debut as a little-known, very controversial game for the original Playstation, as well as the PC. Since its inception into the gaming world it has had nine standalone games with another one on the way, as well as two expansion packs to the original.

The first Grand Theft Auto game started as a strictly bird's eye view of the action, as your character runs around the city undertaking various missions, committing crimes the most common of which is of course, stealing cars. Over the course of the game players work their way up through the world of organized crime in three different cities: Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City. This version was later made available on the Game Boy Color. There are also two expansion packs available for this game, which are both set in a 1960's era London.

In 1999 Grand Theft Auto 2 was released for Microsoft Windows, Playstation, and the Dreamcast. The setting of this game is Anywhere City, and the exact date in which the game is supposed to take place is undetermined.

Grand Theft Auto 3 is when the franchise really took off. This version was originally released for the Playstation 2 in October of 2001, for Microsoft Windows in May of 2002 and finally, for the original Xbox in November of 2003. This is the first GTA game that wasn't forced to stick with a overhead, bird's eye view, instead featuring a fully 3D environment for you to explore and interact with in third person. Because of the realistic graphic and crimes portrayed in this game, it was met with heavy opposition by game critics and censors, but it still made its way onto store shelves all over the world and eventually into the hands of eager fans all around the globe.

Next in the franchise is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, set in none other than Vice City, Rockstar Games' version of Miami, Florida. The game takes place in the 1980's, which is more than apparent by the game's soundtrack and fashion styles. Here you play the role of Tommy Vercetti, in an homage of sorts to Al Pacino's version of the notorious gangster Scarface.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released in 2004, though it was set in the early 1990's. This game focuses heavily on the gang life of the California ghettos, as it took place in a fictional state called San Andreas. There are three cities featured in San Andreas; Los Santos which is inspired after Los Angeles, San Fierro which is inspired from San Francisco, and Las Venturas, which is meant to mimic the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

October of 2005 would see Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the Playstation 2 and Playstation Portable, which features extended missions based on the storyline of Grand Theft Auto 3. In 2006, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was released, also for the Playstation 2 and the Playstation Portable.

And at the end of April 2008, Grand Theft Auto 4 was finally released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 simultaneously. This game once again brings gamers back to Liberty City; and this one resembles New York City more than ever before. The graphics and game play aspects have been improved upon for this installment, which has kept fans pleased since its delayed release.

Since the release of the fourth and final installment of the blockbuster video game series Grand Theft Auto series, Rockstar Games has announced the release of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the Nintendo DS with a date of sometime in the year 2009.