The complete history of open-world games (part 2)

CVG writes:

Perhaps the gaming series that has coped with the development cycle problems best and done most for sandbox gameplay is Grand Theft Auto.

Launched in 1997 in a whirlwind of Max Clifford-generated controversy, the original developers DMA Design (who became Rockstar North) defined the free-roaming violent and vehicular action template with GTA.

"Up until that point, with very few exceptions, the game world was passive, or at least offered only minimal interaction with the player such as falling blocks, rising spikes or, if you were very lucky, swinging ropes," says Brian Baglow, CEO of Indoctrimat PR, who worked for DMA Design.

"GTA turned this on its head and made the player just another character in a whole world going about its daily business..."