The game that shocked the world

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2023

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Grand Theft Auto changed gaming forever. In this programme we find out how.

Chris Warburton meets the creative team from Dundee in Scotland who came up with the concept for Grand Theft Auto 25 years ago. We look into how it was picked up, marketed and ultimately sold to millions and millions of us.

Grand Theft Auto was revolutionary, but it was also controversial with its depictions of shocking, graphic violence. This is the story of how the game and its makers overcame moral panic, political opposition and naysayers to become one of the most successful entertainment brands of a generation.

Presenter: Chris Warburton Producer: Ciaran Tracey Image: GTA: Credit: Getty Images

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Fukushima, an original audio drama series from the BBC World Service,
0:06.6	telling the story of the 2011 disaster at Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
0:11.8	There is no greater threat we face at this time than the one unfolding in Fukushima Daiichi.
0:18.3	Search for Fukushima wherever you get your BBC podcasts. It's the video game
0:22.8	that was so controversial and so gripping, it became an entertainment titan. Welcome to Business
0:31.1	Daily from the BBC World Service. I'm Chris Warburton, and I'm talking about Grand Theft Auto.
0:38.7	It's just turned 25 years old.
0:41.2	The latest version of the game, the fifth in the series, has earned $8 billion since its release in 2013.
0:49.9	The story of the game's rise to dominance is quite a roller coaster.
0:55.2	And one I'm telling in a new BBC podcast, alongside British rapper Bugsy Malone.
1:00.7	It's called Bugsy Malone's grandest game.
1:03.2	And it all starts by laying out just what's so special about playing it.
1:10.0	So, you know that feeling when you just want to unleash?
1:15.6	You know what I mean?
1:16.8	You just want to shut the door on everyone that's annoying you.
1:20.6	Get the console on and just lose it for a bit.
1:27.2	And have a laugh while you're doing it.
1:31.3	Like, everybody has stress.
1:33.8	Everybody has rage.
1:35.1	Everybody has those negative emotions that we sit there
1:38.8	and we try to tamp down with toxic positivity.
1:43.2	And sometimes you just need to let it out.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.