NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series and the third original title overall. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based personal computers, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. The game was preceded by Grand Theft Auto 2 and succeeded by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. North American redirects here. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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PS2 redirects here. ... Game console redirects here. ... Windows redirects here. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... Grand Theft Auto 2, otherwise known as GTA2, is a video game released worldwide on October 22, 1999, by developers DMA Designs (now Rockstar North); initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ...

The game centres on a nameless criminal^[1] who was betrayed by his girlfriend in a bank heist, and is required to work his way up the crime ladder of the city before confronting her. Like its predecessors, GTA III implements sandbox-like gameplay, where the player is given the freedom to explore a large city, complete missions, commit criminal acts, or complete side missions. Claude refers to a set of fictional characters in the Grand Theft Auto video game series by Rockstar Games. ...

The game's concept and gameplay, coupled with the use of a three dimensional game engine for the first time in the series, contributed to Grand Theft Auto III's positive reception upon its release; it quickly became 2001's top selling video game^[6] and is cited as a landmark in video games for its far-reaching influence within the industry.^[7] GTA III's success was a significant factor in the series' subsequent popularity; as of 2008, five GTA prequels set before events in GTA III have been released. GTA III's violent and sexual content has also been the source of moral panic and controversy. A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... Moral panic is a sociological term, coined by Stanley Cohen, meaning a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ... Video games have been the subject of controversy and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes, consumption of illegal drugs, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, or profanity in some games. ...

Setting

Grand Theft Auto III takes place in Liberty City, a fictional city on the East Coast based on New York City. The timeline of the game was set at around the autumn of 2001, the present time around the first release of GTA III, October 22, 2001; this was indicated by the Liberty Tree website, which included plot points that connect to events in the beginning of the game, in its last existing monthly entry, dated October 18, 2001.^[8] Liberty City also refers to a real-life neighborhood in Miami, Florida. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Throughout the story, the protagonist is never named and never utters a single word, though he is often referred to as "Kid" and sometimes "Fido"^[1]. Claude refers to a set of fictional characters in the Grand Theft Auto video game series by Rockstar Games. ...

Plot

The player character has robbed the Liberty City Bank with his girlfriend, Catalina, and a male accomplice. While running from the scene, Catalina turns to him and utters, "Sorry, babe, I'm an ambitious girl and you ... you're just small-time". She shoots him and leaves him to die in an alley; the accomplice is also seen lying nearby. It soon becomes apparent that the player character has survived but has been arrested and subsequently found guilty and sentenced to jail. While he is being transferred, an attack on the police convoy aimed at kidnapping an unrelated prisoner sets him free. A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ...

With the help of a fellow escaped prisoner, the player character then takes on work as a local thug and rises in power as he works for multiple rival crime gangs, a corrupt police officer and a media mogul. In the process, Maria, the wife of a local Mafia boss, begins to take a liking to him. The Mafia leader, Salvatore, grows suspicious and lures the player to a death trap; but Maria saves him, remaining close to him throughout the storyline. He later goes to work for others, including the Liberty City Yakuza and media mogul Donald Love. Eventually, his exploits attract the attention of Catalina, now affiliated with a Colombian drug cartel, resulting in the kidnapping of Maria. This gives him the opportunity to face Catalina once more, which results in a large firefight and Catalina's death. A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... Mara Salvatrucha suspect bearing gang tattoos is handcuffed. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ...

Characters

In addition to the exploits of the game's player character, the storyline, while not as integral to the game as its sequels, depicts the character development of several non-player individuals and bosses, through cut scenes before the start of each mission, as the player progresses though the game. Most of the characters encountered revolve around corruption, crime and a fictional drug called "Spank," which is a growing menace in the city. A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... A cut scene or cutscene (sometimes also referred to as a cinematic) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no control. ... 19th century Heroin bottle This article is about the drug classification. ...

With the success of GTA III and its sequels, several of these characters or their relatives reappear in future GTA titles with major or minor roles, and their personal background expanded, particularly Leone family Don Salvatore Leone, media mogul Donald Love, Phil, the One-Armed Bandit, 8-Ball and Catalina. The Grand Theft Auto series of video games features a myriad of fictional gangs and criminal organizations of various ethnicities, histories and activities, which have served as both primary and secondly vehicles in the games plot points, as well as allies or foes of the games characters. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... A media proprietor is a person who controls, either through personal ownership or a dominant position in a public company, a significant part of the mass media. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ... A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ...

The voice cast for the game's characters features several established celebrities. Notable voice actors include Frank Vincent, Michael Madsen, Michael Rapaport, Joe Pantoliano, Debi Mazar, Kyle MacLachlan, and rapper Guru. Frank Vincent (born Frank Vincent Gattuso on August 4, 1939) is an Italian-American actor. ... For other uses, see Michael Madsen (disambiguation). ... Michael David Rapaport (born March 20, 1970) is an American actor and a comedian. ... Joseph Peter Joe Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American actor. ... Debi Mazar, on cover of Deborah Mazar (born August 15, 1964 in Queens, New York), better known as Debi Mazar, is an American actress, best known for her trademark Jersey Girl-type appearances, and as edgy, sharp-tongued women in independent films. ... Kyle MacLachlan (born February 22, 1959, in Yakima, Washington) is a Golden Globe award winning American actor. ... Born July 17, 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts, Guru (and occasionally Baldhead Slick), is an American rapper, and the lyrical half of Gang Starr, together with DJ Premier. ...

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto III inherits and modifies much of the gameplay mechanics from its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, combining elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game in a new 3D game engine. The idea of using a 3D game engine in such a genre however is not new; the first game to combine elements of action, shooting, and multiple-vehicle driving in a 3D package was Body Harvest (1998), also developed by DMA Design, for the Nintendo 64. Publicly debuted in 1995 at Nintendo's SpaceWorld video game trade show, it was revolutionary for its time, but despite above average reviews,^[9] the game sold poorly.^[10] GTA III takes the gameplay elements of Body Harvest and combines them with the GTA series' open-ended game design to create a level of freedom and detail that was unprecedented in 2001.^[11] Gameplay includes all player experiences during the interaction with game systems, especially formal games. ... This article is about the videogame. ... Grand Theft Auto 2, otherwise known as GTA2, is a video game released worldwide on October 22, 1999, by developers DMA Designs (now Rockstar North); initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation. ... Third-person shooter (TPS or 3PS) is a genre of 3D computer and video games in which the player character is seen at a distance from a number of different possible perspective angles, as opposed to the first-person model in which the player views everything in the game world... A racing game is any game that involves competing in races through a surrogate playing piece or vehicle, either getting it from one point to another or completing a number of circuits in the shortest time. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... The Nintendo 64, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... SpaceWorld is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo. ...

On foot, the player's character has the additional ability to sprint (but is incapable of swimming), as well as use weapons and perform basic hand to hand combat; he is also capable of driving a variety of vehicles, (with the addition of watercraft and a fixed-wing aircraft). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Close Quarters Combat. ... A watercraft is a vehicle designed to float on and move across (or through) water for pleasure, physical exercise (in the case of many small boats), transporting people and/or goods, or military missions. ... Airplane and Aeroplane redirect here. ...

Criminal offences, such as carjacking, murder and theft will result in increasing levels of resistance from the authorities. If the player's "wanted" level reaches certain levels, the police, FBI, and army will respond accordingly. When the player character collapses from his injuries or is arrested, he will re-spawn at a local hospital or police station respectively, at the expense of losing all weapons and armor and an amount of money for medical expenses or bribes. While this is similar to previous Grand Theft Auto games, the player character is essentially offered unlimited "lives," as opposed to the limited number of lives in GTA1 and GTA2. This allows the player character to "die" as many times as he pleases, and render it impossible to indefinitely lose in the game. GTA 3 Screenshot, walking (PC) Fair use for Grand_Theft_Auto_3 Demonstrates the game and its graphics. ... GTA 3 Screenshot, walking (PC) Fair use for Grand_Theft_Auto_3 Demonstrates the game and its graphics. ... Carjacking is the crime of stealing a motor vehicle when the vehicle is occupied. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... For other uses, see Game Over (disambiguation). ...

A major feature in GTA III's predecessors that allowed the player to obtain cash by committing petty crimes has been downplayed in GTA III, encompassing only car ramming, vehicle destruction and pedestrian killing. The amount of money in the player's possession is no longer a requirement to unlock new areas in GTA III. Instead, the completion of missions and unfolding of the game's storyline are now responsible for this role. Additionally, the player is allowed to return to all unlocked areas of the city. However, as new areas open up, access to other, previously available areas becomes more dangerous or less accessible, due to hostilities from enemy gangs.

The interface of the game has been significantly overhauled. The player-centred compass is replaced with a separate mini-map that also displays a map of the city and key locations (safe houses and contact points) or targets. Armour and health levels are now indicated in numbers, and a 24-hour clock is added. Gang behaviour is no longer dictated by "respect" meters used in GTA2; instead, the player character's progress through the story affects his view in the "eyes" of gang members. As the player completes missions for different gangs, rival gang members will come to recognize the character and subsequently shoot on sight. The HUD, short for Head-Up Display, is the method by which information is visually relayed to the player in computer and video games. ...

Multiplayer modes from previous GTA titles were dropped, favouring single player gameplay only. However, third-party multiplayer modifications developed by members of the community are available.^[2] A multiplayer game is a video game in which more than one person can play the same game at the same time. ...

Missions, non-linearity and narration

A common trait GTA III shares with the rest of the GTA series is the considerably non-linear gameplay. Missions that are offered to the player primarily fall into two categories: storyline-based and side missions. While the game's linear set of storyline-based missions (e.g. shaking down a local business for "protection money," clearing the streets of drug dealers, or assassinating leaders of rival gangs) are required to advance the plot and unlock certain areas of the map, the player can choose to complete them at his or her own leisure. Additionally, many of them are not mandatory. Alternatively, it is possible to ignore the main missions and only play side missions. If the player acquires a taxicab, he can pick up designated non-player characters as fares and drop them off at different parts of the city for cash payments; obtaining an ambulance allows the player to pick up injured non-player characters and drive them to the hospital for a cash reward. Fire fighting and vigilante police missions are similarly available. However, if the player wishes, he or she may avoid all missions and instead choose to explore the city, stealing cars, running over pedestrians, and avoiding (or opposing) the police. Image File history File links Gta3casino. ... Image File history File links Gta3casino. ... For specific countries see Taxicabs around the world. ... An NPC from the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. ... An ambulance in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico A Helicopter used as an Ambulance. ...

A new inclusion into GTA III's storyline is the use of cut scenes, which are triggered after entering a contact point, or during certain missions. The cut scenes exist for multiple purposes: as a visual narration of the storyline, as formal directives of a mission, and as a visual assessment of a scene and objective. During gameplay, mission updates and messages are relayed through text-based instructions given in the form of on-screen subtitles, or on a few occasions, the player character's pager. GTA III also includes one-time tutorial directives to familiarize the player with the game's controls and features. A cut scene or cutscene (sometimes also referred to as a cinematic) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no control. ... For terminal pagers, see more (Unix) or less (Unix). ... // Academia In British academic parlance, a tutorial is a small class of one, or only a few, students, in which the tutor (a professor or other academic staff member) gives individual attention to the students. ...

Weapons

The selection of weapons provided in the game consists of firearms and explosives, with the addition of two forms of mêlée attacks (hand to hand combat and baseball bat). The weapons themselves are largely similar to the selection of weapons from GTA1 and GTA2, such as the pistol (Colt M1911), the machine gun (which has been expanded to include an Uzi submachine gun (Micro Uzi), an AK-47 rifle and an M16 in Grand Theft Auto III), the rocket launcher and the flamethrower from GTA1, and the shotgun and thrown weapons (Molotov cocktails and grenades) from GTA2. The porting of GTA III into a three dimensional environment also allows access to first-person view, making the inclusion of the sniper rifle and first-person aiming using the M16 rifle and rocket launcher possible. In addition, it becomes possible in the game to perform drive-by shooting using the Uzi, while the inclusion of magazine-based weapons introduces the need to reload weapons after a magazine of ammunition is depleted. Additionally, wielding certain weapons would now restrict movement of the player. Weapons may be purchased from local firearms dealers and businesses, retrieved for free from certain dead gang members, mission-specific characters and law enforcers, or picked up in certain spots in the city. Image File history File links GTAIII_PS2_Beta_Drive-by. ... Image File history File links GTAIII_PS2_Beta_Drive-by. ... A drive-by shooting (or drive-by for short) is a personal attack carried out by someone from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle. ... Firearms redirects here. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... Codex Manesse: a picture of mÃªlÃ©e at a tournament (from the French, IPA: .) generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Close Quarters Combat. ... Four historically significant baseball bats showcased in the National Baseball Hall of Fames traveling exhibit Baseball As America. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... The M1911 is a single action, semi-automatic handgun, chambered for the . ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Look up uzi in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Uzi is a compact, boxy, light-weight submachine gun. ... Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 g. ... M16 or M-16 may be: M16 rifle M16 (connector) M16 (knife) M16 (pitrilysin family), a peptidase M16 plotting board M-16 scow Eagle Nebula, a Messier object and open cluster in the Serpens constellation John Bell Williams Airport (M16 IATA airport code), in Raymond, Mississippi NOTE: M16 is sometimes... Shoulder-launched weapons avoid the problem of recoil by directing all exhaust out the rear of the launch tube A shoulder-launched missile weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile at a target, yet is small enough to be carried by one person, and fired while held on one... Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ... Molotov cocktail is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. ... Grenade redirects here. ... This article is about video games. ... The M40, United States Marine Corps standard-issue sniper rifle. ... A drive-by shooting (or drive-by for short) is a personal attack carried out by someone from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ...

All versions of GTA III allow the player to auto-aim using a gamepad with the push of a button, holding human targets at gun point using most firearms, with the exception of first-person aiming for the sniper rifle, M16 and rocket launcher, which are aimed using the analog stick or mouse as the player presses the same auto aim button. The Microsoft Windows version includes the additional ability to look around and aim freely with a mouse while on foot; this control difference is seen in the console and Microsoft Windows ports of Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. An aimbot, sometimes called auto-aim, is software used in online multiplayer first-person shooter games that assists the player in aiming at the target. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An analog stick from the Nintendo GameCube game controller An analog stick, sometimes called thumbstick, often mistakenly referred to as a joystick, is an input device for a controller (often a game controller) that is used for two-dimensional input. ... A contemporary computer mouse, with the most common standard features: two buttons and a scroll wheel. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ...

Radio stations and other media

One of the game's subtler inclusions was a variety of radio stations. The stations feature music specially written for the game (as well as many songs originating from the first two GTAs), but also includes licensed music, some of which were excerpts of several actual music albums; this combination differs from those of the game's predecessors, which featured entirely original soundtracks. One of the stations is a full-length talk show, and many of the callers are actually characters from the story missions, often demonstrating the same views and eccentricities that become apparent to the player during the missions. The soundtrack of the game Grand Theft Auto III is popular not only with fans of the game, but also with lovers of mid- to late-1990s music. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 438 KB)A screenshot Grand Theft Auto III (PC version), stealing a car and beating up da owner File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 438 KB)A screenshot Grand Theft Auto III (PC version), stealing a car and beating up da owner File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Additionally, an online format of the fictional Liberty Tree newspaper, dedicated to events that took place within and outside Liberty City between February 2001 and October 2001, was made available months ahead of GTA III's release. The website, working in tandem with the official map-based website and sub-pages, also served to provide a back-story to GTA III, while evoking a sense that the reported events had actually taken place in real time, releasing monthly issues in its nine months of activity. The site also includes articles on criminal activities in the city and city development (i.e. delayed tunnel completion and the growth of Love Media in the city), and various advertising to fictional products. Pre-released screenshots of gameplay, the city's environment and characters were used as photographs for certain news articles. In narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story. ...

Various commercials are featured on both the radio stations and the Liberty Tree website. Certain ads often referred to their advertisers' official websites, such as Petsovernight.com. All of these sites actually existed; they were set up to tie in with the game. However, although looking very much like genuine online stores, all links to purchase or order the products actually led to Rockstargames.com.

Game engine

Grand Theft Auto III's new game engine and graphics are significant departures from its predecessors, most notably for its use of a forward viewing perspective as the default view, similar to a majority of third-person shooters and driving games, and improved street-level graphics. The game also includes several additional camera views, including top-down perspective similar to that of GTA 2, and a cinematic view. The game is the last major title in the GTA series, with the exception of Grand Theft Auto Advance, to include top-down camera views. For console versions of GTA III, the game runs under a lower display resolution dictated by the console, while the Microsoft Windows version permits resolutions of up to 1600 by 1200 pixels.^[12] A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Third-person shooter (TPS or 3PS) is a genre of 3D computer and video games in which the player character is seen at a distance from a number of different possible perspective angles, as opposed to the first-person model in which the player views everything in the game world... Many board games can be said to be racing games, such as Snakes and Ladders, Cribbage, or Formula DÃ©. (see race game) There are also toys made for racing, like slot cars and radio controlled cars. ... Grand Theft Auto has a top-down perspective Top-down perspective, also sometimes referred to as birds-eye view, overhead view or helicopter view, is a camera angle used in computer and video games that shows the player and the area around him or her from above. ... Grand Theft Auto 2, otherwise known as GTA2, is a video game released worldwide on October 22, 1999, by developers Rockstar North; initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation (which version is toned-down), and subsequently for the Dreamcast console, and another toned-down version for Game Boy... Grand Theft Auto Advance is a handheld console game developed by Digital Eclipse, published by Rockstar Games, and released on October 26, 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. ... Display standards comparison The display resolution of a digital television or computer display typically refers to the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. ... Windows redirects here. ...

The environment in-game is primarily displayed through the use of level of detail (LOD), applied by allowing only areas directly surrounding the player to display objects in higher polygon counts (including vehicles, buildings and terrain) or minor props (e.g. street furniture), while areas far from the player are displayed with lower polygons and the lack of details. As such, LODs aid GTA III in displaying a large environment with a further draw distance, while ensuring that the game's performance remains optimum. When travelling within an island in the city, the game consistently swaps models of varied detail as the player moves from one area to another. As the player travels into another island, the game is required to load detailed models files of the entire destination island while also loading low detailed models for the islands the player is leaving, requiring substantially more processing time; in the process, the game displays a "Welcome to..." screen for a short amount of time, before gameplay can resume. In computer programming, level of detail involves decreasing the detail of a model or object as it moves away from the viewer. ... Polygons are used in computer graphics to compose images that are three-dimensional in appearance. ... Draw distance is a computer graphics term, defined as the distance in a 3 dimensional scene that is still drawn by the rendering engine. ...

As is the environment, vehicles and pedestrians are depicted in full three dimensional models, compared to flat top-down sprites in previous games. Both vehicles and pedestrians are constructed from individual polygon parts with a central "core" (the wheels, engine, chassis and body of vehicles, and the torso of pedestrians). The damage system of vehicles consists of representing the minor vehicle parts (doors, frontal quarter panels and bumpers) as undamaged, damaged or missing, based on the types of collisions detected on the vehicle; the core of each vehicle, remains visually unchanged despite heavy damage. As pedestrians in GTA III are made out of separate polygon parts (limbs, a head and a torso), it is possible to detach the limbs of a pedestrian or effectively "popping" the head of the pedestrian (through heavy firearms or explosives). This feature is evident in the Microsoft Windows version, but is not included by default in the PlayStation 2 version, It is unlocked through a cheat implemented into the game.^[3] In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ... The human torso Torso is an anatomical term for the greater part of the human body without the head and limbs. ... On an automobile, a quarter panel is a body panel that covers the section between the door and the hood (for the front quarter panels), or the door and the trunk (for the rear quarter panels). ... In physical simulations, video games and computational geometry, collision detection includes algorithms from checking for intersection between two given solids, to calculating trajectories, impact times and impact points in a physical simulation. ... A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed, or prehensile (as octopus tentacles or new world monkey tails), appendage of the human or animal body; a large or main branch of a tree; a representative, branch or member of a group or organization. ... Windows redirects here. ...

As the game runs in a 24 hour cycle and includes changing weather, the game engine is also required to simulate day and night periods, as well as weather effects. This is possible by adjusting surrounding visual effects and details in accordance to the time of the day and present weather. Other minor details, like a rainbow after a rain, and the sun, which moves from the northeast of the city in the morning to the southwest in the evening, are also present.

The game is the first in the series to use motion blurring (dubbed "Trails" in the Microsoft Windows and Xbox versions of the game), semi-transparently rendering the last in-game video frame to the current frame; the feature could be toggled on and off. This amusement ride moved during the exposure. ... Windows redirects here. ... In film, video production, animation, and related fields, a frame is one of the many still images which compose the complete moving picture. ...

Cuts, changes, and the 9/11 effect

Prior to the 2001 release of the final game, several modifications were made on Grand Theft Auto III. The changes were apparent as several promotional materials had previously displayed features that would be absent in the final version of the game. While cuts and changes are frequent during game development, the changes in GTA III were of note as they were made around the time when the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred; this led some gamers to speculate that at least some of the changes were motivated by the attacks. Although little was disclosed about the types of changes to be made and when they were conducted, Sam Houser, the president of Rockstar Games (based in Manhattan, New York City), was quoted September 19, 2001 in mentioning a review would to be undergone for GTA III, in addition to confirming the delay of the game's release by three weeks^[13]^[14]^[15] (the original, rough release date was suggested by Houser to be on October 2, 2001):^[16] Game development - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11â€”pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Sam Houser is the co-founder and president of Rockstar Games and one of the main people behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, being director and producer since the third game. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

The only change on the game that has been suggested to have been made shortly after 9/11 was of the police cars' paint scheme; the new colour scheme of the LCPD is modelled in a panda-like black-and-white design similar to the LAPD, while the old color scheme of blue with white stripes (seen in previews and the manual map) resembles that of the NYPD. Pre-release screenshots in the game's official website depicting police cars had also undergone modifications, around a week after September 11.^[17] The NYPD-like paint scheme would eventually be reintroduced in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, but uses black instead of NYPD's blue colour. Image File history File links GTAIII_LCPD_copcar_change. ... Image File history File links GTAIII_LCPD_copcar_change. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... NYPD redirects here. ... LAPD and L.A.P.D. redirect here. ... Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor of the United States Federal Protective Service. ... LAPD and L.A.P.D. redirect here. ... NYPD redirects here. ...

Another cut is that of Darkel [4][5], an in-game character, for the final version of the game. Mentioned in several early video game publications and websites, Darkel was to be a revolutionary urchin who vowed to bring down the city's economy. One mission involved stealing an ice cream van, using it to attract pedestrians, then blowing it up^[18] (this mission would eventually be given by El Burro instead in the final version of game to kill a group of gang members). Darkel was also originally expected to give out Rampage-like missions,^[19] and even had his voice recorded for this part.^[20] Rockstar later decided that they would like to go back to the original system of giving out rampages as featured in Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2. Although Darkel and his missions were removed indefinitely, the character remains listed in the manual's credits, as well as having a character texture retained in the game's data files.^[21] Another reminisce of Darkel's existence is an abandoned tunnel in the city, associated with the character in the official website, and includes four homeless people in a group wielding Molotov cocktails. Both the tunnel and the four homeless people are retained in the final version of the game. A number of recurring characters appear during the various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, set in 2001. ...

The Dodo airplane, the only flyable aircraft in the game, was also a point of discussion; the wings of the vehicle were significantly short, while an uncontrollable full-winged version has been seen flying around the city. However, the plane has, for months before 9/11, had a short wingspan, as evidenced from a preview in Game Informer (Issue #95), which indicated that the plane was to be used in a (now abandoned) mission to loft the plane high enough in its brief flight and reach new areas of the city.^[22] The Dodo is considerably difficult to control, usually resulting in short flights (although it is possible to fly the plane continuously around Liberty City when properly trained). Mods exist to give the Dodo a wider wing, though the outer sections are not solid. Otherwise, the aircraft would not be able to fit into the import/export garage at the docks in Portland Island. Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. ...

Other changes included stopping the selection of certain character models when using cheat codes in, removing the aforementioned ability to blow limbs off non-player characters in only the PlayStation 2 version of GTA III,^[3] elderly pedestrians with walkers, school children as pedestrians (from GameSpot UK's preview^{[citation needed]} and the Gouranga fansite^{[citation needed]}) and a school bus (seen in eight screenshots^[23]). A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed, or prehensile (as octopus tentacles or new world monkey tails), appendage of the human or animal body; a large or main branch of a tree; a representative, branch or member of a group or organization. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ...

Reception, awards, and sales

Upon its release, Grand Theft Auto III received very positive reviews; while minor problems and comments pertaining to graphics, performance and controls were noted, GTA III was touted as revolutionary by several game review websites and publications. With reviews of 9.6/10 from IGN^[30] and GameSpot,^[31] 8/10 from Edge, 10/10 from Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, 9.4 from GameSpy^[32] and an average score of 95%, according to Game Rankings,^[33]^[34] the game won several awards, such as GameSpot's Console Game of the Year, Game of the Year from GameSpy and Cheat Code Central, and Best Action Game of 2001 by IGN. The game's average review score of 97% on Metacritic^[35] ties it with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for the highest ranked game in PlayStation 2 history. It was also inducted into GameSpot's Greatest Games of All Time list.^[11] GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. ... Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (often abbreviated to OPM) is a U.S.-based video game magazine published by Ziff Davis Media focusing on PlayStation culture, including gaming on the original PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3, and the Sony PSP. Each issue comes with a demo disc (initially... GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. ... Game Rankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3, often called THPS3, is a video game in the Tony Hawks series. ...

GTA III unexpectedly emerged as a smash hit at its initial US$49.95 price and became the #1 selling video game of 2001 in the United States. Later discounted to $19.95 as part of Sony's "Greatest Hits" program, it continued to sell well and went on to become the second best-selling video game of 2002, behind only its sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. GTA III was bundled with Vice City for the Xbox Double Pack, which enjoyed strong sales in December 2003, even though GTA III was two years old. The Double Pack's success for Xbox was due to several factors; the critical acclaim and controversial game content for the games, the graphical improvements specifically for the Xbox, and having two games in one, which led to GameSpy giving it their Best Value Award.[6] A sleeper hit (often simply called a sleeper) refers to a film, book, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition. ... USD redirects here. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ...

As of September 25, 2007, Grand Theft Auto III is the ninth best-selling video game in the United States,^[36] behind its successors Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.^[36] As of September 26, 2007, Grand Theft Auto III has sold 12 million units,^[37] with 5.7 million of those units being sold in the US.^[36] As of March 26, 2008, Grand Theft Auto III has sold 14.5 million units according to Take-Two Interactive.^[38] is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... (NOTE: Some release dates listed are not global release dates. ... Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Take Two redirects here. ...

Although the Grand Theft Auto series had been an underground hit prior to the release of GTA III, it was this game that first brought the series mainstream success and widespread accolades. The success of GTA III resulted in two console and Microsoft Windows sequels (Vice City, San Andreas), both of which were able to build upon GTA III's success, as well as three additional titles for handheld consoles (Grand Theft Auto Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories). The next generation in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, is to be released on April 29, 2008. Windows redirects here. ... A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic machine for playing video games. ... Grand Theft Auto Advance is a handheld console game developed by Digital Eclipse, published by Rockstar Games, and released on October 26, 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. ... Grand Theft Auto IV (also known as GTA IV and GTA 4) is an upcoming sandbox-style action-adventure video game. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

GamePro recently called GTA III the most important video game of all-time, explaining that the game's open-ended gameplay elements have revolutionized the way all video games are made.^[7] Similarly, IGN ranked GTA III among the Top 10 Most Influential Games.^[39] GamePro is an American video game magazine published monthly. ...

Video game critics and players have used the term "GTA clone" to describe the slew of video games released which attempted to emulate the sandbox gameplay of GTA III. GTA clone is a term used by video game critics and players to refer to the many titles released following the massive success of Grand Theft Auto III (GTA III) in 2001, which emulated, or at least attempted to, the gameplay functions of GTA III or other later games from... GTA: San Andreas is a sandbox-style game with a huge free-roaming map. ...

Reviews of the game had been generally positive; while minor problems and comments pertaining to graphics, performance and controls were noted. There are some glitches such as clipping (when characters and objects get "half-stuck" in walls and the ground), a bug which caused vehicles to disappear, relatively poor AI for NPCs; many of these issues were not fixed in Vice City. Other complaints have come up when GTA clones have been released; GTA III and Vice City have comparatively fewer cars or pedestrians on screen, short view distances and "disappearing" cars, and very short-term street damage, when measured against Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven which featured many cars and pedestrians on screen at once, along with collateral damage lasting the length of a mission. AI redirects here. ... An NPC from the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. ... GTA clone is a term used by video game critics and players to refer to the many titles released following the massive success of Grand Theft Auto III (GTA III) in 2001, which emulated, or at least attempted to, the gameplay functions of GTA III or other later games from...

Controversy

Grand Theft Auto III was and remains very controversial because of its violent and sexual content, and it generated outrage from many upon its release. Various critics hypothesized that if children were to play the game, they might acquire sociopathic attitudes toward others. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 568 KB)GTA III screenshot, police trouble (PC) Fair use for Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto (series) Demonstrates the game and its graphics. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 568 KB)GTA III screenshot, police trouble (PC) Fair use for Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto (series) Demonstrates the game and its graphics. ... Windows redirects here. ... Video games have been the subject of controversy and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes, consumption of illegal drugs, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, or profanity in some games. ... Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by an individuals common disregard for social rules, norms, and cultural codes, as well as impulsive behavior, and indifference to the rights and feelings of others. ...

For examples of video game violence, many TV news channels often show a play session of GTA III where the main character is gunning down pedestrians and blowing up police cars. The player is rewarded with cash for various illegal and immoral actions. Frequently cited in the press is the opportunity for players to carjack a vehicle, pick up a prostitute, have (implied) sex with the prostitute, and then kill her and steal her money.^[40] This action, while permitted ("sex" restores the player's health, up to 125% of its normal maximum), is never actually required, nor is any particular suggestion made in the game that the prostitute should be killed. In addition, all in-game crimes incur the wrath of the police. Whore redirects here. ...

It was because of GTA III that the Wal-Mart chain of retail stores announced that, for games rated "M" by the ESRB, its stores would begin checking the identification of purchasers who appeared to be under 17.^{[citation needed]} Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... The ESRBs logo. ...

After its initial release in Australia, the game was banned for a period and a censored version of the game was to be released in its place.^[41] A key reason why this course of action was taken was that Rockstar did not submit GTA III to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), the body that, among other things, rates video games according to their content in Australia. Lacking a suitable R18+ rating (the highest rating being MA15+), the game was "Refused Classification" and banned for sale because they felt that the game was unsuitable for minors. Australia still does not have an R rating for video games like it does for movies. Among other things, the censored version had the gore (except for the “Gore Mode” cheat) and the ability to kill prostitutes immediately removed; however, it was later found that the uncensored version was also playable by changing the computer's time zone to that of the United States.^{[verification needed]} The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application...

While the Australian version of the sequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was censored by Rockstar, the next sequel Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was not, despite featuring more "mature" content (although, later, San Andreas was once given a Refused Classification rating amid the "Hot Coffee" controversy). Wikinews has news related to: Video games secret sex scenes spark outrage The Hot Coffee mod is a mod created for the 2005 personal computer port of the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas by Rockstar North. ...

On October 20, 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede, two young people shot by teens William and Josh Buckner (who in statements to investigators claimed their actions were inspired by GTA III) filed a US$246 million lawsuit against publishers Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive Software, retailer Wal-Mart, and PlayStation 2 manufacturer Sony Computer Entertainment America.^[42]^[43] Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two, filed for dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in U.S. District Court on October 29, 2003 that the "ideas and concepts as well as the 'purported psychological effects' on the Buckners are protected by the First Amendment's free-speech clause." The lawyer of the victims, Jack Thompson, denied that and is attempting to move the lawsuit into a state court and under Tennessee's consumer protection act.^[44] is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rockstar Games logo. ... Take Two redirects here. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Sony Computer Entertainment, Incorporated ) (SCEI) is a Japanese video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, mostly in video game consoles and is a full subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. ... Map of the boundaries of the United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... â€œFirst Amendmentâ€ redirects here. ... John Bruce â€œJackâ€ Thompson (born July 25, 1951) is an American attorney and activist, based in Coral Gables, Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ...

Ports and remakes

Two years following the initial PlayStation 2 release of Grand Theft Auto III, versions for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox had been made available. GTA III is notable for being the first game in the series to be released on a video game console before a PC version was available. Following GTA III, PlayStation 2 GTA games generally followed GTA III release pattern, in which the Microsoft Windows port is released within seven to eight months after the PlayStation 2 versions' release.^[45]^[46]^[47] Windows redirects here. ... Windows redirects here. ... Game console redirects here. ...

The Microsoft Windows version of the game, released on May 21, 2002, has been criticized for performance problems, especially in light of the much smoother performance of Vice City. This was due to technical issues; the game engine rendered everything within the draw distance, even things hidden behind buildings or trees, whereas Vice City only rendered what could actually be seen.^[48] The Microsoft Windows version does, however, support higher screen resolutions, has more detailed textures, a customizable player skin, and a custom option for MP3s playback in cars. is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Draw distance is a computer graphics term, defined as the distance in a 3 dimensional scene that is still drawn by the rendering engine. ... Display standards comparison The display resolution of a digital television or computer display typically refers to the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. ... For other uses, see MP3 (disambiguation). ...

The Xbox version was initially supposed to be released in spring 2002 but it was shelved when Sony signed an agreement with Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games' parent company), making the GTA series a PlayStation 2 exclusive until November 2004. However, the agreement was amended in 2003 and the Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack containing both GTA III and Vice City was released for PS2 and Xbox in December 2003. The Xbox version of the Double Pack has improved audio, polygon models, and reflections over the Microsoft Windows and PS2 versions of the game. The Double Pack was not released for the Microsoft Windows. In November 2005, GTA III was re-released again for the Xbox and PS2, this time bundled with Vice City and San Andreas in a trilogy compilation, dubbed Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. There were no new changes, though the set retained Double Pack's graphical improvements for GTA III and Vice City. A Nintendo GameCube port of GTA III was also planned to be released alongside the Xbox version,^[49] but was cancelled for unknown reasons. Sony Computer Entertainment, Incorporated ) (SCEI) is a Japanese video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, mostly in video game consoles and is a full subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. ... Take Two redirects here. ... A model is a fully-3D computer graphic, polygonal object or character used in computer games. ... The Nintendo GameCube (GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era. ...

Two handheld titles based on GTA III have also been released. Grand Theft Auto Advance was initially intended as a Game Boy Advance port of GTA III, but has since introduced a new storyline set in Liberty City, roughly one year before the events in GTA III. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2005 and later ported to the PS2. The game, which is also set in the same location as GTA III, takes place in 1998, three years before the events in GTA III. Grand Theft Auto Advance is a handheld console game developed by Digital Eclipse, published by Rockstar Games, and released on October 26, 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. ... â€œGBAâ€ redirects here. ... The PlayStation Portable , officially abbreviated as PSP) is a handheld game console released and currently manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. ...

Notes

^ ^a Despite being officially nameless in Grand Theft Auto III, the player character's name is later revealed to be "Claude" in a brief cameo in the series' later game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; because of this name he is theorized to be Claude Speed from Grand Theft Auto 2.
^ While the game lacks official support for multiplayer, user-made mods such as Multi Theft Auto enable players to play Grand Theft Auto III online against each other.
^ ^a In the PlayStation 2 version of Grand Theft Auto III, it is possible to enable detachment of limbs and "popping" heads using a "nasty limbs" cheat code. Though there is no on-screen confirmation when entered successfully like other cheat codes, the cheat is still activated.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... Claude refers to a set of fictional characters in the Grand Theft Auto video game series by Rockstar Games. ... Grand Theft Auto 2, otherwise known as GTA2, is a video game released worldwide on October 22, 1999, by developers DMA Designs (now Rockstar North); initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation. ... For other uses, see Mod. ... Multi Theft Auto (MTA) is a mod (modification) for the PC version of Rockstar North games Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that adds an otherwise absent online multi-player component. ...

References

^ ^a ^b ^c PlayStation 2 release dates. GameSpot. Retrieved on August 8, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c Windows release dates. GameSpot. Retrieved on August 8, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c Xbox release dates. GameSpot. Retrieved on August 8, 2006.
^ OFLC (New Zealand) rating. New Zealand Customs Service. Retrieved on August 26, 2006.
^ Windows port system requirements. Take-Two Interactive. Retrieved on August 29, 2006.
^ NPD Press Release, February 7, 2002. NPD Group. Retrieved on 2007-08-06, 2006.
^ ^a ^b Feature: The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (page 8 of 8).
^ Liberty Tree, October 2001. "Rockstar News." URL accessed on May 28, 2006.
^ Body Harvest Reviews. Game Rankings. Retrieved on October 14, 2006.
^ Extreme M&A – Part One. www.gamesinvestor.com (first appeared in Develop) (June 2007). Retrieved on September 22, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Greatest Games of All Time: Grand Theft Auto III. uk.gamespot.com. Retrieved on September 22, 2007.
^ Grand Theft Auto III (PC) Review. IGN (2002-05-27). Retrieved on September 24, 2007.
^ Take-Two to revise and delay two PS2 games. GameSpot. Retrieved on May 13, 2006.
^ Release Delay Confirmed. GOURANGA!. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Playing the Sensitivity Game. Wired News. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ R* Clarifies Release Date Reports. GOURANGA!. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ GrandTheftAuto3.com & L-Tree Updated!. GOURANGA!. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto: How Smart is the AI?. IGN. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto 3 Information (based on early pre-release game publications). GOURANGA!. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Bill Fiore at The Internet Movie Database. URL accessed on May 13, 2006.
^ Frequently Asked Questions for GTA III. GTAForums.com. Retrieved on July 16, 2006.
^ New GTA3 Details In Game Informer. GOURANGA!. Retrieved on October 25, 2006.
^ Features, Vehicles & Weapons. GOURANGA!. Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
^ GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001: Special Achievement Awards - Most Innovative. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
^ GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001: Genre Awards - Best Action/Adventure Game. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
^ GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001: Platform Awards - Best PlayStation 2 Game. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
^ GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001: Top 10 Video Games of the Year. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
^ IGN: Best Action Game of 2001 - PlayStation 2. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
^ IGN: PS2 Game of the Year. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
^ Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) Review. IGN. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) Review. GameSpot. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto 3 review. PlanetPS2/GameSpy. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto III Reviews. Game Rankings. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto 3 Awards. Take 2 Interactive. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ PlayStation 2 games by score. Metacritic. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jonathan Sidener (2007-09-25). Microsoft pins Xbox 360 hopes on 'Halo 3' sales. Signonsandiego.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
^ Take-Two Interactive Software at Piper Jaffray Second Annual London Consumer Conference (Webcast: Windows Media Player, Real Player). Thomson Financial (2007-09-26). Retrieved on 2007-10-29. “Grand Theft Auto III launched in 2001 and sold over 12 million units. We then shipped another sequel in 2002 which sold over 15 million units, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. And then in 2004 we shipped Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which sold a remarkable 20 million units...”
^ Recommendation of the Board of Directors to Reject Electronic Arts Inc.'s Tender Offer (PDF) 12. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (2008-03-26). Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
^ Ryan Geddes and Daemon Hatfield (2007-12-10). IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
^ Comparative Media: Prostitution. Brett's Footnotes. Retrieved on December 11, 2006.
^ Australian GTAIII ban upheld. GameSpot. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Lawsuit filed against Sony, Wal-Mart over game linked to shootings. CNN. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Families sue over GTAIII-inspired shooting. GameSpot. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ Rockstar seeks to dismiss GTAIII lawsuit. GameSpot. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.
^ GTA III's release information at MobyGames. URL accessed on June 11, 2006.
^ GTA: Vice City's release information at MobyGames. URL accessed on June 11, 2006.
^ GTA: San Andreas's release information at MobyGames. URL accessed on June 11, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Graphics Q&A with Aaron Garbut. GameSpot. Retrieved on July 16, 2006.
^ Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City on Nintendo GameCube. GameCubicle. Retrieved on May 6, 2006.

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Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about actors, films, television shows, television stars, video games and production crew personnel. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The San Diego Union-Tribune is a daily newspaper published in San Diego, California by the Copley Press. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A webcast is a live media file distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents

Setting

Plot

Characters

Gameplay

Missions, non-linearity and narration

Weapons

Radio stations and other media

Game engine

Cuts, changes, and the 9/11 effect

Reception, awards, and sales

Controversy

Ports and remakes

Notes

References

See also

External links

Contents

Setting GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Plot

Characters

Gameplay

Missions, non-linearity and narration

Weapons

Radio stations and other media

Game engine

Cuts, changes, and the 9/11 effect

Reception, awards, and sales

Controversy

Ports and remakes

Notes

References

See also

External links

Setting