GTA's exclusive deal with PS2 reportedly explained by ex-Sony exec

Modified Dec 06, 2024 16:22 GMT

GTA San Andreas is one of the best selling games on the PS2 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Each title in Grand Theft Auto's 3D Universe trilogy, GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, launched exclusively on the PlayStation 2 first and became available on other platforms a while later. As per a report by GamesIndustry.biz, former Sony exec, Chris Deering, recently talked about this, reportedly stating that they were "worried" when they saw Xbox coming, and were in talks with a few third-party publishers and developers about exclusivity deals.

One of the deals made from this venture was with Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company. Here is this bit from GamesIndustry.biz's report:

"We were worried when we saw Xbox coming," Deering remembered. "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, it wasn't clear that Grand Theft Auto 3 was going to be as huge as it was, because it used to be a top down game."

"It was very lucky for us. And actually lucky for them, because they got a discount on the royalty they paid. Those deals aren't uncommon in industries with platforms. Including today with things like social media."

Today, Grand Theft Auto is one of, if not the biggest brand in gaming. Its next installment, GTA 6, is arguably the most anticipated title of all time and is currently set for a Fall 2025 launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Former Sony exec reportedly talks about the beginning of the GTA PS2 exclusivity deal

Rockstar Games and PlayStation seem to share a good relationship, the beginning of which was reportedly talked about by a former Sony exec at the recent EGX event in London.

Although GTA 4 and 5 were not exclusive to PlayStation at their respective launches, an example of this relationship is the announcement of the latter's Expanded and Enhanced Edition during a PlayStation 5 digital event in June 2020. In fact, former Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO, Jim Ryan, mentioned during the event that their partnership with Rockstar would continue with the PS5.

Interestingly, it is rumored that GTA 6 marketing rights reportedly belong to PlayStation. However, there is no official confirmation on that, as of this writing.

About the author

Suyash is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in Rockstar Games' GTA franchise. Suyash uses in-depth research and knowledge of his immense experience with the game series to ensure readers have access to the most reliable information. His insightful content pieces have raked in more than 5 million views in just a little over a year's time.

Suyash holds a B.Tech degree and ventured into the world of gaming at a young age through the Prince of Persia Sands of Time trilogy. However, upon encountering GTA Vice City’s 1980s aesthetic, music, and vintage cars, he became enamored with the game, leading him to explore the rest of the franchise.

Suyash prefers solo titles to multiplayer, especially ones with a well-crafted story and character arcs. He admires journalist Jason Schreier for the respect he commands in the industry and the reliability of his news pieces. To ensure the accuracy of his own pieces, he checks multiple reputable sources and insiders.

If he were to recommend a game to a skeptic, it would be Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. When he’s not roaming the streets of Los Santos in GTA V, you can find him playing football, watching movies, or working out.

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Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul