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Grand Theft Autois perhaps one of the biggest gaming franchises of all time, and Rockstar is redefining the open-world genre. At a time when games are becoming more prevalent, Xbox nearly cost the world theGTAseries if it weren’t for PlayStation.
Rockstar made a leap from 2D games to 3D withGTA 3and had a vision of developing the franchise, but a certain publisher was doubtful of it becoming a success. Fortunately, there are those who’ve faith in what it’ll become and how it can shape the industry.
Grand Theft Auto 3 Nearly Didn’t See the Light of Day Because of Xbox
It is unsurprising for Microsoft to make such questionable decisions, especially with therecent shutdowns of several game studiosandsending out an awkward severance packageto employees who were just laid off. The publisher nearly cost the world one of the most ambitious games of the time because they couldn’t see the potential.
XBOX wtf is wrong with y’all??? 😂😂pic.twitter.com/3gJ7q7khIU
— Witty (@Joseph_Witty)August 04, 2025
Luckily, Microsoft was not the only publisher at the time, and Sony loves to bet on obscure and experimental projects. Similarly,the gaming company didn’t hesitate to trust Hideo Kojimaand offered to aid him inDeath Stranding.
Game development has evolved for the last two decades, and the developers of Rockstar didn’t falter after being doubted. The project was the best-selling game of 2001 and was beaten by its successor the following year. It was a clear indication that this type of game was the next big thing, and Microsoft could’ve been responsible for steering the developers away.
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The franchise has made a significant impact in the industry and has become the gold standard for an open-world sandbox game. Each entry featured major improvements from previous titles, like thedynamic muscle and hair growth systemsfromGTA: San AndreasandRed Dead Redemption 2,respectively, and fans are hopeful these features will be integrated later inGTA 6.
PlayStation Has a History With Rockstar, and Fans Are Excited for GTA 6
It’s insane to think that Microsoft rejected the franchise because it was blind to its success. Things have turned out for the better, and the developers gained support from others and improved throughout time. All eyes are set on the next installment, which couldpossibly be delayeddue to the nature of game development.
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Rockstar has proven plenty and built a respectable reputation. It’s not planning to fumble anytime soon and hasmandated all developers to work on siteto avoid security breaches and for quality assurance. The developers can feel the pressure, and if history has taught the community anything, they can deliver a great and innovative gaming experience.
Microsoft failed to see what the franchise could be, but there are others like Sony who’re true visionaries, and it paid off back then and deserves credit for what the franchise is today.
Do you think Microsoft made a mistake by rejecting the idea? Let us know in the comments!
Rouvin Josef Quirimit
Content Writer
Articles Published :1209
Piqued by his interest in superheroes during the early days of Marvel movies, Rouvin fell in a rabbit hole of pop culture. His passion for movies led to video games and he fell in love with God of War, The Last of Us, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption, and more great single-player games that paved the way for his career as a gaming writer.
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Grand Theft Auto IIIRockstar Games
