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Prerelease:Grand Theft Auto III

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This page details prerelease information and/or media for Grand Theft Auto III.

Hmmm...
To do:
Lots more!

Development Timeline

circa. 1998

  • Dec. - Rockstar Games is established.

1999

  • circa. Jan. - Grand Theft Auto 3 begins development and pre-planning.
  • Oct. - Grand Theft Auto 3 fully begins development, after Grand Theft Auto 2 and Space Station Silicon Valley was released, where Leslie Benzies assembled the developmental team.[1]
  • Dec. 10 - Date of the handling.cfg file.

2000

  • Jul-Oct - Two wireframe test videos were leaked by an anonymous source to the fansite Gouranga in two different months.
  • Nov. 7 - Take-Two Interactive's plans reveal that a next-generation Grand Theft Auto title is slated for a "Summer 2001 release" on the PlayStation 2.[2]
  • Dec. 30/Jan. - Grand Theft Auto III is revealed in an issue of PlayStation 2 Official Magazine UK.

2001

  • Jan. 31/Feb - The fictitious website for the Liberty Tree Newspaper opens, showing screenshots of the game.
  • May 17-19 - Grand Theft Auto III is shown off at E3 2001.
  • May/June - Chatterbox FM is conceptualized after E3 2001, when Lazlow accidentally meets Dan Houser during E3.
  • Sep. 11 - The September 11th Attacks events happen, causing the game to be delayed to October. Small changes were made since then.
  • Oct 22-26 - Grand Theft Auto III is released in North America and Europe.

Development Timeline (Video footage)

Various early video footage from first wireframe leaks until release is available as a bundled development timeline video.

Sub-Pages

[[File:| center | | 60px]] Early Development
1998-2000. The beginnings of a new open-world revolution.
[[File:| center | | 60px]] Design Document
December 2000. The developers were very ambitious...
[[File:| center | | 60px]] Early Prerelease
Late 2000-Spring 2001.
[[File:| center | | 60px]] E3 2001
[[File:| center | | 60px]] Later Prerelease
June 2001-September 2001.
Grand Theft Auto III - Original LCPD Car Design.jpg
Post-September 11th Builds
Lots of minor changes were made following September 11th.

2000

June

Edge Magazine Leak

Hmmm...
To do:
Find the actual issue of the magazine.

Some 3D renders of what Grand Theft Auto game would look like were leaked in Edge Magazine.[3] These appear to show Chinatown, bearing the same banner signs as the final.

GTAIII Jun2000 RenderLeak1.jpg GTAIII Render2.jpg GTAIII Render3.jpg GTAIII Render4.jpg

July

Wireframe Test

An anonymous source sent a video of a wireframe animation test to the fansite Gouranga, dating to July 21, 2000. It shows the protagonist getting in and out of a car.


October

Second Wireframe Test

Another wireframe test was leaked, this time having a date of October 9, 2000. It shows the protagonist stealing a car and getting away from a gang member.

November

Financial Review

An interview dated November 7, 2000[4] confirms that GTA 3 is in development.

https://web.archive.org/web/20001205070500/http://ps2.ign.com/news/27203.html

December

PlayStation 2 Official Magazine UK Jan 2001

The world's first ever look at Grand Theft Auto III, a (presumably) December 2000 build shown in the January 2001 issue of PlayStation 2 Official Magazine-UK; these builds show a very different-looking game, alongside mentions of cut features.

Removed/Changed Content

There are a few things to note from the text in the magazine:

  • Pedestrians originally once walked their dogs. Animals would not appear all the way until Grand Theft Auto V.
  • Time originally ran on a 30-minute cycle, while the final game runs on a 24-minute cycle, where one minute represented one hour in the final.
  • There is mention of a ferry that allowed the player to travel between islands, which was seen in a conceptual map. It was later revived for Liberty City Stories.
  • Apparently, there was once a button that allowed the player to insult pedestrians. It was likely reworked into one of Claude's flipping the bird animation when he gets close to a car in the final.
  • Characters from the first game, second game, and London 1969 were meant to return, further tying into the 2D universe games, but none of them made an appearance. This could be either an earlier intention considering that the finalized story was fully planned in the December design document.

Screenshots

A handful of screenshots released in the article was shown off for the first time. Though, they would be released digitally later on.

December 2000 Final
GTAIII Dec2000Image.jpg Gta3alphahud-final-location.png

An image of the HUD; according to the magazine, from A to F, it would've displayed your wanted level, cash, time, weapons, health and radar. The image would be publicly released online in the February 2001 prerelease.

December 2000 Final
GTAIII Jan2001Image.jpg Gta3alpha-police2000.png

In the final version, the tall "New Building Industrial" (newbuildind in files) was placed here, so the exact same position as in the early screenshot would be inside the building in final.

2001

January

Liberty Tree Preview

On January 31, 2001, previews of the ficitious Liberty Tree newspaper were sent to various gaming sites, with two preview images. Both of them were released the following day.

Late January 2001 Final
GTAIII-armour prerelease.jpg Gta3alphachinatown-finallocation.png
  • The secondary newspaper graphics among the "Dead Elvis" ones are actually from a British newspaper called The Daily Star, where the cover dates back to October 16, 2000 and can be viewed in full here.
Late January 2001 Final
GTAIII male03-prerelease.jpg Gta3alphachinatown-finallocation2.png

February

Trailer

Grand Theft Auto III was unveiled for the first time on the internet on February 19, 2001, rather than via magazine previews.[5]

Trailer

  • At 0:17, the voice clip "Get out of the car!" can be heard, which is actually taken from Grand Theft Auto 2. It was once theorized that Claude talked in early builds, but in the 10th Anniversary Q&A, Rockstar responded with that they had no plans to implement a talking protagonist until Vice City. It's also likely that the voice clip was added in for effect.


Screenshots
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-humvee-and-subway prerelease.jpg Gta3alpha-redlighttrain.png
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-astrovan-and-eldorado prerelease.jpg Gta3alphachinatown-finallocation3.png
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-chopper-and-transit prerelease.jpg Gta3alphachinatown-finallocation4.png

Again, in the final version, the New Building Industrial was placed here, so the same exact location would be inside of it.

February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 1.jpg Gta3alpha-callahan.png
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-riviera prerelease.jpg Gta3alpha-redlighttrain2.png
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 2.jpg Gta3alphachinatown-finallocation5.png
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 3.jpg Gta3alphachinatown-finallocation6.png
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 4.jpg Gta3alpha-docks.png

The ship in the final game does not have the proper collisions to walk around on it anymore.

February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 5.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 6.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 7.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 8.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 9.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 10.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 11.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 11.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 12.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 13.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-intrepid-and-reliant prerelease.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 14.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 15.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 16.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 17.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 18.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 19.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-cabbie prerelease.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-lionstatue prerelease.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 20.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 21.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 22.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII-nova prerelease.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 23.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 24.jpg
February 2001 Final
GTAIII Feb2001Image 25.jpg
Renders

An earlier view of Portland Island was posted.

GTAIII Feb2001 Render1.jpg
GTAIII Feb2001 Render2.jpg

March

Early Map Layout

Capital Autos

Rockstar Games opened up a mock website of Capital Autos in order to promote the game. It contains some interesting and early car renders!

May

E3 2001

Grand Theft Auto III was shown off at E3 2001.

Teaser Trailer


E3 2001 Demo

Demo Short Trailer
  • The HUD is starting to take its final form.

Screenshots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Ge_S5qblo

Unknown

Early Script

During Rockstar Games' Q&A from fans during the game's tenth anniversary, a excerpt of the early Grand Theft Auto III script was posted in comparison to the Grand Theft Auto IV script.

GTAIII EarlyScript.jpg
Intro A: Betrayal (A)
PLAYER gang burst out into alleyway from a bank job. Two of the gang run off, the PLAYER stays to let off both barrels to dissuade any hero's. PLAYER runs off after his gang members, he rounds the corner to find CATALINA standing over the body of the other.

CATALINA
Sorry babe. I'm an ambitious girl and you, you're just small time... (resounding ?????)

CATALINA then shoots the PLAYER twice. She grabs the case and then stands over the dying PLAYER. Just then MIGUEL pulls up in a sports car.

MIGUEL
Catalina! Move your ass!

CATALINA runs over and hops into the car as it pulls away.

Intro B: Jail Break (A)
8 BALL and PLAYER bust out on the bridge. 8 BALL nails the guard with a huge punch.

8 BALL
God Damn that hurt! Alright, we've got no time to waste, let's get the hell out here!

Give Me Liberty (D) @ Luigi's Club
Having just escaped 8 BALL and PLAYER are looking for refuge. 8 BALL is quite anxious to get some shelter.

8 BALL
I know a place on the edge of the Red Light District where we can lay low but my hands are badly burned so you'll have to drive.

8 BALL
This is the place! Let's get off the street and find a change of clothes!

They approach the hide out.

8 BALL
I know a guy, he's connected. Name's Luigi. Me an' him go back so I can probably get you some work. C'mon, let's drop by and I'll introduce you.


(Source: GTAForums)

Game On Exhibition

At the Game On Event in 2009, held in Taiwan, the mission drafts of Grand Theft Auto III were shown, persumably from a near-final build.[6]

  • Some of the mission names are different;
Early Final
Lips Forelli's Last Lunch Mike Lips' Last Lunch
Kill Chunky Lee Long Farewell 'Chunky' Lee Chong
Escort Town Cipriani's Chaffeur
The Bank Job The Getaway
Take Out The Laundry Taking Out The Laundry
Frankie's Limo Salvetore's Called a Meeting
BlowFish Blow Fish
Ice Cream You Scream I Scream, You Scream
(Crossed Out Name)/Disco Inferno Trial By Fire
Pulp Friction Chaperone
Bomb Da Base Bomb Da Base Act I
Big Day For Ray Payday For Ray
Gone in 60 Grand Theft Auto
Uzi Driver Uzi Rider
Gangcar Roundup Gangcar Round-up
The Hand-over & The SAM Marked Man
Espresso-2-Go Espresso-2-Go!
Plane to Sea S.A.M.
Wanted Man The Exchange
  • The El Burro Phone missions were originally able to be repeatable rather than classified as completed.
  • Paparazzi Purge came before Under Surveillance.
  • Marty Chonks' missions weren't present.

August?

Bradygames Strategy Guide

PS World Footage

On the PS World Volume 12, Grand Theft Auto III was covered. Despite the disc being released in December, the differences date the build to around August 2001.

  • The logo was orange.
  • The color of the weapons HUD is a bright yellow instead of a dull gray, which would end up being used in the Windows version of the game.
  • The sniper crosshair was different.
  • Pedestrians' limbs could be shot off unlike the final.

September

Pre-9/11 Builds

PlayZone Footage

Covered in PlayZone November 2001. The game almost plays exactly like the final, except with some aesthetical differences;

  • The HUD matches that of the final game.
  • This build marks the last appearance of the blue Police cars.
  • This is the last appearance of the Bobcat with the cushioned trunk.

Gamesmaster Nov. 01

https://twitter.com/retrogamegeeks/status/965265111735787523

2003

A port for Gamecube (Along with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City) was originally planned to release but was cancelled for unknown reason [7]

Resources

References

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