5 things to know about first GTA game ever

The first-ever GTA game, officially known as Grand Theft Auto (some fans call it Grand Theft Auto 1), was one of the pioneers of modern gaming. DMA Design (now Rockstar Games) released it back on November 28, 1997. Since then, the game's name has become a bigger entity, eventually becoming a popular franchise.

While most players nowadays know Grand Theft Auto 5 and Grand Theft Auto 6 (upcoming), the first Grand Theft Auto game also has a rich history. This article lists five of the most interesting things about GTA 1.

---

5 interesting things to know about GTA 1

1) It had a different name

Many fans may not know this, but the Grand Theft Auto series games had a different name in the beginning. DMA Design initially considered Race 'n' Chase the name of the first GTA game. Even more surprising is that the course of the game was opposite to what it is today.

The developers initially decided to build a cop game where you play as law enforcement and chase criminals. However, the concept was considered dull, and DMA Design reversed it. Now, Grand Theft Auto is a widely popular crime-based open-world game series. The developers undoubtedly made the right decision before releasing the first game.

---

2) The currently popular cities debuted in the first game

The popular Grand Theft Auto game's map included many cities that later became their own open world. While the primary gameplay took place in Liberty City, DMA Design also included the State of New Guernsey, San Andreas, and Vice City. The latter two returned multiple times after debuting in GTA 1.

However, one should note that despite having the same name, the maps are not similar. Rockstar Games keeps its 2D, 3D, and HD Universes completely separate from each other. Therefore, the current State of Liberty in GTA 4 has no similarities with Grand Theft Auto or other 2D and 3D Universe titles.

---

3) It had eight protagonists

It may sound unbelievable, but there were eight main characters in GTA 1. However, there is a twist. DMA Design included four male and four female protagonists, and players had to choose anyone. The choice did not affect the outcome of the gameplay as all protagonists were silent and just visual models.

Still, it is fascinating to know that Grand Theft Auto offered eight playable characters, including women, which are as follows: Bubba, Kivlov, Travis, Troy, Katie, Divine, Mikki, and Ulrika. Therefore, the popular belief that Lucia will be the first female protagonist in the series is not completely true.

---

4) It had a multiplayer mode

Another unbelievable thing to know is that the popular game in the GTA series had a multiplayer mode in 1997. The game was first released for MS-DOS and later ported to Microsoft Windows and other platforms. Only the PC version had the option where you could compete against human opponents.

However, it was not as immersive and advanced as GTA 5 Online, with dedicated game modes, lobbies, and, most importantly, wireless connectivity. Grand Theft Auto used wired connectivity for its multiplayer mode, where players could connect using LAN connections.

---

5) It took two years to develop

Despite being a very low-scale game compared to the current ones, DMA Design took two years to develop and publish Grand Theft Auto. According to Wikipedia, the following are some of the most important milestone dates for the game:

• Development begins: April 4, 1995
• Look and feel: October 2, 1995
• First play: January 3, 1996
• Alpha: April 1, 1996
• End of production: July 1, 1996
• Release (PC): November 28, 1997

The community is now eagerly waiting for the release date of GTA 6, which has already taken a record period of 10 years. However, the entire journey dates back to Grand Theft Auto, which started the legacy.