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Sony Wanted GTA Exclusivity for PlayStation 2 Because It Was Worried About Xbox

Sony Wanted GTA Exclusivity for PlayStation 2 Because It Was Worried About Xbox

Sony was determined to secure exclusive rights for Grand Theft Auto (GTA) on PlayStation 2 at all costs. The reason? To gain a competitive edge over Xbox, which was quickly becoming a serious threat. It was the early 2000s, and Sony’s concern led them to heavily invest in securing exclusive titles.

This wasn’t just speculation; Chris Deering, the former president of PlayStation Europe, revealed this in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, where he discussed why PlayStation pursued an exclusivity deal for GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas.

Sony’s Strategic Focus on Exclusivity

“We were worried when we saw Xbox coming,” Deering explained. “We knew exclusivity was the name of the game in a lot of fields, like Sky TV with sports. Just as Christmas was approaching when Xbox would launch, a few of us went out to our favourite third-party publishers and developers, and we asked them, ‘How would you like a special deal if you keep your next generation game on PlayStation exclusive for a two-year period?’ And one of the deals we made was with Take-Two for the next three Grand Theft Auto games.”

At the time, the success of Grand Theft Auto 3 wasn’t guaranteed. The series had previously been viewed from a top-down perspective, and its shift to a 3D open-world format was uncharted territory. Despite the uncertainty, Deering acknowledged that the deal paid off massively for Sony.

The Payoff for PlayStation

Sony Wanted GTA Exclusivity for PlayStation 2 Because It Was Worried About Xbox

“It was very lucky for us,” Deering admitted. “And actually lucky for them, because they got a discount on the royalty they paid.”

While the GTA games eventually made their way to Xbox, they had already become some of the best-selling titles in PlayStation 2 history. San Andreas, in particular, went on to become the console’s best-seller. Vice City ranked third, and GTA 3 was fifth. GTA 3 and Vice City launched on Xbox in 2003, while San Andreas made its Xbox debut in 2005.

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