Grand Theft Autohas been around for a long time, and plenty of games are released at prices that aren’t heard of today. While games may seem expensive now, andGTA 6’s rumored $100 pricecould feel alarming, it’s often surprising to see how much they cost in the past when adjusting for inflation. If you were growing up during those days and your parents bought you games, you can see how much was really going into them.
Unfortunately, I’ve looked, and there are not many places that can 100% verify the prices of the earlyGTAgames. Even SteamDB doesn’t go back past 2012, and regional pricing variants and discounts can make combing through site archives less than conclusive. Luckily, we’re in an industry where games try to compete with each other, so prices tend to be similar across the board. So,we’ll go by the average price of a game around the time those games were releasedto be sure of pricing.
11Grand Theft Auto First Released in 1997
The First GTA In The Franchise
Despite what many think, the original GTA was released on PC and DOS in 1997. It was ported a year later to PlayStation, so we can’t go by the PlayStation price. It’s easy to adjust the price ofGrand Theft Autofor inflation.
According toAyran Olckerson Medium,the price of new PC games at the time was generally $49.99, following the standard set in the 90s. Inflation brings this price to almost $100. This meant that buying a game was a real investment, and players needed to expect a lot for their money.
The 12 Best Grand Theft Auto Games, Ranked By Metacritic
The Grand Theft Auto series has grown into arguably the biggest in all gaming. The ratings on Metacritic prove that it’s as great as it is popular.
I was too young to play these games as a kid, but I have tried the original. It’s not my cup of tea, but it’s clear thatthe game was a lot more like an arcade game and where the mayhem missions came from. It’s nice to see where everything started, and how this could have been a completely different series if Rockstar had stuck to the top-down aspect.
10Grand Theft Auto 2 Came Out In 1999
The Second Game Improved On So Much
Grand Theft Auto 2was released only two years later, but that does lower the inflation rate a bit. Even that small difference shows howstudios will start to make a lot less money from each sale as time goes on. While the idea of charging $100 per game might seem intense, it starts to make a bit more sense thanks to the adjustment in inflation.
This game wasan improvement on the original. There were different criminal groups with a bit of a story. The signature humor is here, and clear changes were made. Even still, this game feels a lot like the original, and it may have been seen as a repeat of what came before. However, this would be the last time anyone could think about that.
9Grand Theft Auto 3 In 2001 Brought The Games To 3D
All Three Dimensions Are Open To You
Grand Theft Auto 3changed everything for Rockstar. The game was so unique and successful that clones started to pop up. It may seem like the studio would be hurt by the lowered price on inflation, butGTA 3sold really well.This was arguably where the franchise really took off, and it never came down.
This was the firstGrand Theft Automy parents got for me as a kid. I had only played games that were comically violent before, but this really let me try new things out. I can’t say it made me more violent as a person; in fact, I joined law enforcement when I came of age to protect people. Either way,Rockstar kept with this style for the next few games.
8Grand Theft Auto: Vice City In 2002 Bought Us To The 80s
It Was A Wild Time To Run An Empire
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citycame out at $49.99, which is really hard to believe. However, MSRPs were lower back then, andit was still a pretty $88.67 when adjusted for inflation. This game introduced better cars and let you jump out of them. The first thing I did was aim the car at people and jump out. Unfortunately, the police still knew I had committed crimes despite not being in the car.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citywas obviously a success, and the series continued full steam ahead from here. In fact,Grand Theft Auto 6is returning to Vice City, whichsome would say is a risk.Vice Citywas set in the 1980s, sothe series could touch on older types of crimes that would remind players ofScarface, whileGTA 6will be a modern take.
7Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Ventured To The 90s In 2004
Ah Brother, Here We Go Again
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreasis my favorite game in the series,the best game in the 3D trilogy, and the first one I ever beat. This introduced CJ and the Grove Street Families.It highlighted police brutality and the hardships of the day, and it followed the prices that games normally had. This was right before it all changed, as the next year would see game prices in the series rise to $59.99.
The game would have been worth a price boost asit showed off Rockstar’s best strengths. I bought theDefinitive Trilogyto play this game again. you’re able to imagine my disappointment, but it doesn’t take away from how great the original was. I can’t recommend the game enough, and it would be the first one I’d want to see remade if that happens.
6Grand Theft Auto Advance Came To Game Boys In 2004
This Feels Like The Worst One In The Franchise
If you look at theSear’s Christmas Book for 2004, you will see that handheld games at that time went for $29.99 to $34.99. The adjustment for inflation is almost the cost of modern-day games. I had a Game Boy a year later and can confirm games were very cheap for this system.I went with the higher price because it wasGrand Theft Auto Advance, which was already a big name at the time.
This is the only one on this list for the Game Boy becauseGTA 2on Game Boy Color is technically a port. This gamemay look like the older ones, but it’s got a story that focuses on Mike, a gangster trying to escape Liberty City’s criminal life.
Every Grand Theft Auto Game Map, Ranked
One of the reasons why gamers play the GTA games is because they love to explore the different maps. But which one would they say is their favorite?
I didn’t thinkGrand Theft Auto Advancewas very good, but a lot of people have nostalgia for it. Either way, I’d consider it overpriced at $34.99 compared to the value of the other games.
5Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Brought The Series To PSP In 2005
Grand Theft Auto Was Mobile In 3D
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Storieswas released for the PSP, so we can go by the prices of PSP games at the time.TechRaptorconfirmed thatthe price of the average game for the PSP was $49.99. The series returned to the present day, which was great, proving thatGTA 6bringing Vice City to the present daymay be nothing to be worried about.
Liberty City Storieswas the first move to the PSP, which was a very successful handheld console. This game was great, and Liberty City is a staple for the franchise. I’m glad Rockstar has stayed away for a bit because so many games take place in the area, but I’ll be glad to see it return when it does.
4Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Ended The PSP Era In 2006
We Should Have Gotten Another Sequel
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Storieswas the best handheldGTAin my opinion. It revisited a classic city andhad way more ways to buy businesses and manage a drug empire. The game had many technical advances from the original, and Victor Vance was an easily lovable character. While it packed in a lot of value for a handheld experience, the adjustment to inflation makes the game effectively more expensive than a game today.
If the PSPGTAgames wereremastered for current consoles, this game would probably lead the list. Rockstar Australia could handle this since they did such a good job fixing theGTA Definitive Trilogy. Either way, selling more games seems to be making up for the price changes in inflation, because the series did not slow down.
3Grand Theft Auto 4 Brought Back The Modern Day In 2008
It Was A Great Time To Be Alive
According to the Techrapter article mentioned above, when PSP games became $49.99,the prices of regular games went up to $59.99. So by the timeGrand Theft Auto 4came out, it was guaranteed to be at the price that was considered standard until the relatively recent introduction of $69.99 pricing. Game prices resisted inflation for a long time, so the bump to $69.99 was ultimately inevitable.
GTA 4had the best physics engine in my opinion. I still remember jumping out of the car and watching Niko fly around bumping into things. I want to play this game for nostalgic purposes; not for game nostalgia, but for the period it represents.It is a bit wild to consider thatthis game would be almost $90 in today’s money.
2Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Released To The DS In 2009
The Nintendo DS Pushed The Limit of Cartoon Violence
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Warswas released for Nintendo DS. Nintendo DS pricing stuck to $29.99 for many new games and $34.99 for premium titles like first-party Nintendo games, so its price would have been similar toGTA Advance. The inflation rate didn’t bring this one up that high, but it was still significant.
Thisgame was good enough to get ports to other consoles eventually, but it tends to get lost in the shuffle and isn’t as widely loved as the PSP era ofGTAgames. Still, since it was a game from Rockstar, it would have been seen as worth the price, even for a DS game.
