Sony struck an exclusivity deal for Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas to protect its PlayStation 2 against the arrival of Microsoft’s Xbox, a former Sony executive has revealed.
Chris Deering, former PlayStation Europe boss, shared with GamesIndustry.biz that Sony secured the deal in late 2001 due to concerns over the Xbox launch.
“We were worried when Xbox was coming,” Deering explained. “We knew exclusivity was key, so we approached publishers for deals to keep their games on PlayStation.”
The agreement with Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two, ensured these three Grand Theft Auto titles were PlayStation exclusives for two years.
The move paid off, with San Andreas, Vice City, and GTA 3 ranking among the top-selling PS2 games ever.
A Strategic Gamble
At the time of the deal, GTA 3 had yet to prove itself, transitioning from a top-down view to an open-world format. Despite the risk, Sony’s move was a huge success. San Andreas became the best-selling PS2 game, with Vice City and GTA 3 following close behind.
These games were eventually released on Xbox, but only after the exclusivity period ended. By then, the PlayStation 2 had firmly established its dominance in the console market.
Impact on the Series
The deal helped cement Grand Theft Auto as a PlayStation-first franchise in the early 2000s. Even though later titles like GTA 4 and GTA 5 launched simultaneously on PlayStation and Xbox, the series is still closely tied to Sony’s consoles.
Looking ahead, Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for a simultaneous release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in fall 2025. However, no marketing partnerships with Sony or Microsoft have been announced yet.
Sony’s strategy highlights how crucial exclusive games were in the console wars—and how one bold move can change the industry forever.
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