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Rockstar veteran recalled the carefree release of GTA San Andreas 20 years ago: 'Most developers went on vacation'

Rockstar veteran recalled the carefree release of GTA San Andreas 20 years ago: 'Most developers went on vacation'
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Twenty years ago, the legendary game GTA San Andreas was released, and Obbe Vermeij, the former technical director of Rockstar Games, shared his memories of how relaxed the developers were about this significant event.

“Game releases were different back then,” he writes on X (Twitter). “It took six weeks to manufacture, package, and distribute the DVDs. Internet patches weren't common yet. All the stress for us happened at the handover stage, six weeks before the release. There were no major issues.”

Since developers didn’t need to work on a day-one patch, as that concept didn’t exist at the time, Vermeij notes:

“Most developers took time off, and we were already thinking about our next project.”

He adds that digital distribution was nonexistent. Games typically launched on Tuesdays or Wednesdays in the U.S. and on Fridays in the U.K. The internet was weak, and aside from a few trailers, gamers didn’t know much about the game. For major releases, stores would open at midnight the night before to allow customers to pick up their pre-orders. Vermeij admits that he only learned later that the publisher had to pay stores to facilitate these late openings.

The developer recounts attending the midnight release of San Andreas at the largest store near the Rockstar North office in Edinburgh — “it was HMV on Princes Street.” The line of customers stretched throughout the store and spilled onto the street. “It was amazing to see all those people, so excited to go home and play all night,” Vermeij reminisces.

  • GTA San Andreas, released in 2004, became a landmark in the Grand Theft Auto series and the gaming industry as a whole. The game is set in the fictional American state of San Andreas, inspired by California and Nevada. Players take on the role of Carl “CJ” Johnson, who returns home after his mother's death and gets caught up in a whirlwind of criminal activity.
  • San Andreas offered an open world filled with a variety of missions, mini-games, and exploration opportunities. The game also made significant improvements to gameplay, notably the ability to customize the character's appearance, a skill development system, and enhanced shooting mechanics.
  • Additionally, San Andreas was the first game in the series to introduce a multiplayer mode, allowing players to compete with each other online. GTA San Andreas received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling over 27 million copies.

Source: Gamesradar

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