3 ms·

Development of San Andreas (2003-2004)

49 points by Philpax 3y ago

wkat4242 3y ago
I really really hope the GTA SA VR port for the meta quest (announced by Zuck in 2021) will still happen. But I guess not, since its announcement there has not been a single word :'(
FrostKiwi 3y ago
> Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist. Still up on archive.org though [1] [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20231122202759/https://insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com/2023/11/development-of-san-andreas-2003-2004.html https://web.archive.org/web/20231122202759/https://insideroc...
- tentacleuno 3y ago
  It was taken down because the Rockstar executives didn't want him talking about a 20 yr old game[0]. How very disappointing and droll. [0]: https://insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com/2023/11/sorry-you-missed-it.html https://insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com/2023/11/sorry-you-m...
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - Lammy 3y ago
    I mirrored the entire blog at 16:49 PST today because I totally predicted something like this would happen. Get it here: https://archive.org/details/insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com https://archive.org/details/insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com Fuck Rockstar/Take2 for constantly punishing their most loyal fans. Get the DMCAed reverse-engineered GTA3/VC here too: https://git.robbyzambito.me/mirror/re3.git/log/ https://git.robbyzambito.me/mirror/re3.git/log/
    - tentacleuno 3y ago
      Thanks for the good work! I saved all the pages to PDF after reading the article, just in case -- was going to do the same thing as you! I agree here: fuck Rockstar Games for this; I was so hyped for the Behind the Scenes of IV in particular. It could have shared, new undiscovered details and information. Cloning that Git repo now. (P.S. This may be the vodka talking, but I believe I've found a few articles in your dump that I can't see on the archived page. Thank you so much for preserving this info.)
  - stuaxo 3y ago
    FFS... "ruin the mystique" or just show that management didn't care about work / life balance and burned out their staff like every other games company of the time.
- Brajeshwar 3y ago
  I'm curious. How fast did WebArchive archived it or did someone did it in nick of time? The article was taken down in less than 24-hours.
- xivzgrev 3y ago
  idk what do they have to be upset about - It’s a few anecdotes from developing the game and not naming anyone. Sounds like it’s more about not sharing anything at all.
15457345234 3y ago
I always found that just firing up GTA-SA and driving around aimlessly listening to the radio was a very relaxing experience, therapeutic even. That little 'yacht' town just across the bridge to the NE of San Francisco was always a nice spot. I wonder how many others feel the same way.
- antoineMoPa 3y ago
  I really loved to drive a bus around the map, listening to K-DST.
- Lammy 3y ago
  I did too, and I still love to put on its soundtrack when driving actual SF–LV–LA
  - 15457345234 3y ago
    There really were some good songs in there One Step Forward is amazing
    - i_am_a_peasant 3y ago
      Heeey good lookin, Whaaaat you got cookin
- anon_cow1111 3y ago
  The most amusing strip of road I remember was a highway that went through the "country" areas. Random vehicle types changed depending on the area, so sometimes the game would spawn a tractor ahead of 70mph traffic and immediately cause a huge AI car pileup in front of you. It had to be something they saw in testing, but left in purposely because it never stopped being hilarious.
  - 15457345234 3y ago
    Yeah I think that happened near the oil patch west of 'Vegas'
issafram 3y ago
"For most of the time development was manageable. Certainly less stressful than Vice City. To finish it off a good stretch of crunch was required. The company got a chef to provide a good meal for those working late. That really helped." So it wasn't manageable at all. Trading in your time for food isn't worth it. Been there, done that. Work life balance is more important.
- extraduder_ire 3y ago
  I think it's more of an employee maintenance thing than a perk or to make them feel better about working there. It's like how I see workplace coffee machines: ah yes, the employer is providing free performance enhancing drugs.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

49 points by Philpax 3y ago

I really really hope the GTA SA VR port for the meta quest (announced by Zuck in 2021) will still happen. But I guess not, since its announcement there has not been a single word :'(

FrostKiwi 3y ago

> Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist. Still up on archive.org though [1] [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20231122202759/https://insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com/2023/11/development-of-san-andreas-2003-2004.html https://web.archive.org/web/20231122202759/https://insideroc...

tentacleuno 3y ago
It was taken down because the Rockstar executives didn't want him talking about a 20 yr old game[0]. How very disappointing and droll. [0]: https://insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com/2023/11/sorry-you-missed-it.html https://insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com/2023/11/sorry-you-m...
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- Lammy 3y ago
  I mirrored the entire blog at 16:49 PST today because I totally predicted something like this would happen. Get it here: https://archive.org/details/insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com https://archive.org/details/insiderockstarnorth.blogspot.com Fuck Rockstar/Take2 for constantly punishing their most loyal fans. Get the DMCAed reverse-engineered GTA3/VC here too: https://git.robbyzambito.me/mirror/re3.git/log/ https://git.robbyzambito.me/mirror/re3.git/log/
  - tentacleuno 3y ago
    Thanks for the good work! I saved all the pages to PDF after reading the article, just in case -- was going to do the same thing as you! I agree here: fuck Rockstar Games for this; I was so hyped for the Behind the Scenes of IV in particular. It could have shared, new undiscovered details and information. Cloning that Git repo now. (P.S. This may be the vodka talking, but I believe I've found a few articles in your dump that I can't see on the archived page. Thank you so much for preserving this info.)
- stuaxo 3y ago
  FFS... "ruin the mystique" or just show that management didn't care about work / life balance and burned out their staff like every other games company of the time.
Brajeshwar 3y ago
I'm curious. How fast did WebArchive archived it or did someone did it in nick of time? The article was taken down in less than 24-hours.
xivzgrev 3y ago
idk what do they have to be upset about - It’s a few anecdotes from developing the game and not naming anyone. Sounds like it’s more about not sharing anything at all.

15457345234 3y ago

I always found that just firing up GTA-SA and driving around aimlessly listening to the radio was a very relaxing experience, therapeutic even. That little 'yacht' town just across the bridge to the NE of San Francisco was always a nice spot. I wonder how many others feel the same way.

antoineMoPa 3y ago
I really loved to drive a bus around the map, listening to K-DST.
Lammy 3y ago
I did too, and I still love to put on its soundtrack when driving actual SF–LV–LA
- 15457345234 3y ago
  There really were some good songs in there One Step Forward is amazing
  - i_am_a_peasant 3y ago
    Heeey good lookin, Whaaaat you got cookin
anon_cow1111 3y ago
The most amusing strip of road I remember was a highway that went through the "country" areas. Random vehicle types changed depending on the area, so sometimes the game would spawn a tractor ahead of 70mph traffic and immediately cause a huge AI car pileup in front of you. It had to be something they saw in testing, but left in purposely because it never stopped being hilarious.
- 15457345234 3y ago
  Yeah I think that happened near the oil patch west of 'Vegas'

issafram 3y ago

"For most of the time development was manageable. Certainly less stressful than Vice City. To finish it off a good stretch of crunch was required. The company got a chef to provide a good meal for those working late. That really helped." So it wasn't manageable at all. Trading in your time for food isn't worth it. Been there, done that. Work life balance is more important.

extraduder_ire 3y ago
I think it's more of an employee maintenance thing than a perk or to make them feel better about working there. It's like how I see workplace coffee machines: ah yes, the employer is providing free performance enhancing drugs.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]