In 2013, Rockstar Games releasedGrand Theft Auto V, one of the most ambitiousopen-worldgames at the time. All the hard work paid off with a product that still generates revenue for the company today. Despite being over seven years old, the game is receiving yet another release in the future on the PlayStation 5 with numerous enhancements.
Related:10 Best Crime-Based Video Games
Getting the game into people’s hands was a mammoth effort, filled with trials and tribulation. The following details below point out several interesting facts behind the work that went into making Los Santos and the three characters' stories a virtual reality.
10Some Scenes Were Improvised
Many of the characters were further developed by the actors after they were cast, including improvisation which went into the game. One particularly memorable scene sees Franklin laugh at Trevor when he slips. Trevor blows up at this before Franklin calms him down with some wise words. Steven Ogg accidentally slipped during the scene, prompting Franklin’s actor to laugh, only for Ogg to continue in character.
9Shawn Fonteno Is Cousins With Young Maylay
Shawn Fonteno, who plays Franklin, has pointed out that Young Maylay, who plays CJ in the seminalGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas, is hiscousin. The two have also spent time in recording studios as rappers. The two characters have different goals in their respective games, though it is nice to know Rockstar kept it in the family when they returned to Los Santos.
8Influences On Trevor
Steven Ogg did not copy any one actor or performance when channeling Trevor, though he has voiced what characters influenced him. Particularly, Tom Hardy’s performance of the titular character in Nicolas Winding Refn’sBronsonhelped Steven Ogg find into the proper headspace.Bronsonis about a real British prisoner whose unrelenting violent outbursts earned him a life in prison, and Ogg pointed out the character’s theatrics as aninspiration.
7Over A Thousand People Worked On The Game
During development, Rockstar North alone consisted of aroundthree-hundred and sixty people. However, the game utilized resources from several other studios to craft the expansive world. All in all, well over a thousand people had a hand in makingGrand Theft Auto V. More than three hundred people alone is an impressively large staff for one game, but over one thousand is nearly unprecedented.
6Franklin Got The Role From DJ Pooh
In a small documentary chronicling Shawn Fonteno’s rise to obtaining the Franklin role, he mentions how he landed the part inGrand Theft Auto V.
Related:10 Best Characters In The GTA V Campaign, Ranked
He was always closely associated with producer and rapper DJ Pooh, who would often help Sean in the business. He recommended Shawn for Franklin, which ultimately got the actor involved with the project. DJ Pooh is also a DJ on the West Coast Classics station and wrote for 2004’sSan Andreas.
5Ned Luke Was Initially Apprehensive
Looking at Ned Luke in person feels like gazing upon a real-life Michael de Santa. With this in mind, it is difficult to believe the actor almost passed on the role without a second thought simply because it was a video game. After being encouraged to read the script, his attitude took a complete one-eighty and he did all he could to nab the part. It is a good thing, too, since it is easily his most iconic performance.
4It Made A Billion Dollars In Three Days
Grand Theft Auto Vis not the best-selling video game of all time, but it is the highest-grossing piece of entertainment ever created. In just three days the game made over a billion dollars. EvenAvengers: Endgametook about five days to break a billion. The game’s success did not stop there, however.Grand Theft Auto Onlinehas given the game even more legs.
3Development Cost Was Over One Hundred Million Dollars
Grand Theft Auto Vwas estimated to have cost about one hundred-thirty-seven million dollarsto produce, something which shows in every moment of gameplay. Video game budgets are rarely exact, but anything around this number is a staggeringly high cost. If marketing is included, then the developer and publisher spent well over two hundred million dollars on the product.
2First GTA Game With An Original Soundtrack
Numerous forces came together to bring the firstoriginal soundtrackto aGrand Theft Autogame. Woody Jackson, who worked onRed Dead Redemption, collaborated with iconic electronic music group Tangerine Dream, Oh No, and The Alchemist, to produce over twenty hours of original music, which significantly elevates the tone of every mission in which it is utilized.
1Grand Theft Auto IV Inspired The Three Protagonists
Grand Theft Auto IVstarsNiko Bellicas the sole player character. The two DLC expansions follow two different protagonists during the main game’s events, with certain missions having each of them cross paths. The positive reception to these intertwining stories inspired Rockstar to take things a step forward with the nextGTAproject. Instead of three separate campaigns, one single-player mode would follow three characters, allowing the player to switch between them at will and use them simultaneously duringstory missions.
Next:10 Improvements GTA V On The PS5 Needs To Justify Another Purchase
