GTA San Andreas was released 20 years ago, The Untold Stories That Almost Changed Gaming History

Twenty years after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, one of its original developers, Obbe Vermeij, shared a remarkable revelation on X:

The game's iconic open world nearly didn't exist. "The original plan was for the 3 cities to be on separate maps," Vermeij revealed. "The player would travel between the cities using trains and planes. [... ] Just before the artists started working on the three maps," Vermeij wrote, "we changed our minds and decided to go for a big map after all."

This wasn't the only fascinating detail about how this legendary game nearly turned out completely different. Let's dive into these revelations that shaped one of gaming's most influential titles.

The Three Cities That Almost Weren't Connected #

The original plan for San Andreas was radically different, designed around PS2's technical limitations. Vermeij explained that with separate maps:

• Cities' skyline models wouldn't need to be in memory
• Each city could have unique emergency vehicles
• Different pickups and weather systems would be easier to implement
• Player progression could be better controlled
• DVD data organization would be more efficient

This approach would have followed GTA 1 and 2's multi-city design. However, that crucial final meeting at Rockstar North changed everything, creating the seamless world we know today.

Born from Vice City's Exhaustion #

The road to San Andreas began with an exhausted team. After Vice City's rushed development, Rockstar made two crucial decisions:

1. Extended development to two full years
2. Committed to innovation rather than another "re-skin"

This extra time allowed the team to be ambitious with new features - perhaps too ambitious, as some developers later admitted.

Technical Magic Tricks #

To create their massive world within PS2's limitations, developers employed clever techniques:

1. City-Specific Atmospheres:

   • Los Santos: Warm, orange haze
   • Las Venturas: Clear skies, sandstorms
   • San Fierro: Light palette, fog, and rain

2. Memory Management:

   • Each city had unique:
     • Police vehicles
     • Weather systems
     • Radio content
     • Pickup items

The Growing Pains #

The ambitious project required unprecedented resources:

• Team grew to 80 developers in Edinburgh
• Manhunt team joined mid-development
• Extensive research trips to LA, Vegas, and San Francisco
• Detailed study of gang cultures and walking animations

Strange Development Stories #

Some fascinating tidbits that emerged:

• The infamous "CJ gets fat" system caused unexpected mission failures
• Players mistook stomach rumbling sounds for Bigfoot
• Stealth mechanics were added despite no one being particularly passionate about them
• The map size (6x6 km) nearly "killed the map artists"

Features That Almost Weren't #

Several now-iconic elements were last-minute additions:

• The connected world design
• City-specific gang behaviors
• Unique walking animations for different gangs
• RPG elements like eating and exercise

The Launch Night Magic #

A developer shared a touching memory about launch night:

• Cold, rainy evening in Edinburgh
• 50-meter line outside Virgin store
• Watched excited players rushing home with their copies
• First time they realized the game's true impact

Legacy of Limitations #

Perhaps most interesting is how technical constraints created beloved features:

• Fog effects made cities feel distinct
• Limited draw distance created mystery
• Indirect routes between cities made the world feel larger
• Memory limitations forced creative solutions

The Price of Progress #

Modern remasters have ironically revealed how these "limitations" enhanced the game:

• Increased draw distance makes the world feel smaller
• Removed atmospheric effects reduce city identity
• High-resolution graphics expose map boundaries
• Lost radio tracks affect the authentic 90s atmosphere

"Happy birthday San Andreas. You turned out all right," Vermeij said in his tweet. Indeed, it did. The game stands as a testament to how technical limitations often drive creative solutions. Twenty years later, its development stories reveal that sometimes, what seems like a constraint can become a feature that defines a generation of gaming.