How long has GTA V been in development?

[canadian_wakenbacon]

Just to make it clear, I am talking about the very beginning, when Sam and Dan had a meeting with all senior staff and announced R* is starting the long and tedious process of going about creating the "most ambitious game ever"?

 

 

My wild guess, 3-4 years, probably 6 months after GTA IV was released, they started R&D.

 

 

Take a guess and let the fine people of our community know what you think!

 

 

 

Regards,

 

e.

 

 

 

Yes people I'm bringing it back

Edited October 25, 2012 by canadian_wakenbacon

[Johan]

I say 2-3 years

[Adriaan]

I say four years, but not four years "full development" obviously. There was Agent and all that.

[Frantz Fuchs]

3-4 years. I think after IV, they started slow development and after RDR, they went into full development.

[MrYoungGun]

I'm thinking they gave the team a 2 month vacation after they wrapped up undead nightmare, and when they came back to work the plan to move forward on GTAV was announced. How the developers manage to resist the urge to leak a note that they are working on the biggest game ever created is beyond me.

[Shoumaker]

2-3 years for me, 4 years since IV, so ill subtract 1-2 years becasue of other games.

[N17]

4 Years.....

[meson1]

Can I lay a side bet that Zee will pop into this thread specifying either 0-1 year or 1-2 years?

[N17]

Can I lay a side bet that Zee will pop into this thread specifying either 0-1 year or 1-2 years?

 

 

No you can't

[Nun0567]

2-3 Years.

[wwinterj]

3-4 Years seems about right.

[Spider-Vice]

2 to 3 years I say, it's not like they need to make a whole new engine.

[BishopBritain]

1-2 years.

[Staten]

 

2 to 3 years I say, it's not like they need to make a whole new engine.

Maybe, but they'd need to optimise it or whatever in order to be able to deal with higher resolution textures without slowing down the PS360 consoles. Considering they're aiming at an RDR level of detail with a GTA level of activity on screen, that must have taken a bit of work to achieve.

 

Also, designing missions and making the art assets (the models and the textures) still take ages to do anyway.

[jogy]

Four years, ever since IV came out.

[Freezer89]

late 2008 or early 2009 after the episodes of IV

[Andre PT]

2008 after IV

[faizanali]

They did told us about it.......in a way like "We are done making the movement" (Not actual words)

so i'd say Since 2008 or Earlier.

[GetThefuckAoutGTA]

I say 2-3 years

and i say 4-5

[j.hunt]

2008 - 2012

[Zroovy]

2008 - end 2012 - relase on 2013 (4-5 years)

[JoeJoeMcTwist]

I think production started late 2008. That's already more than 4 years

[Mr_Leone]

Most likely after EFLC was completed.

[matt_be]

I think GTA V has been in development since shortly after the release of GTA IV.

[TheGodDamnMaster]

Development cycles for sequels usually start only a few months after the last game. The first year is almost completely planning, script-writing, licensing, brand-making and research and all of that sh*t. So I think it's safe to say actual development started in late 2009, probably immediately after the Ballad of Gay Tony.

 

The game itself is finished, but there's a lot of testing and polishing to be done. Sometimes adding AA can be time consuming. The map was probably done at the end of 2010, they had that first year to plan it out and do research and maps are usually the least resource-consuming (in terms of disc space) in a game. Then we heard about project RUSH in March 2011, which was the beginning of voice-over and mo-cap development. Music licensing is a very time-consuming and tricky process, but they most likely got the songs and radio started on sometime in 2010.

 

I say May 2013 if the next GI isn't GTA V. Like they said, GTA V is the largest game they've ever created so it makes sense for it to take so long and them being so quiet about it.

 

So if you count the start of the planning phase, it will be a 4 year development cycle which is insane for a sequel, since most nowadays are made in less than 2 years.

 

Right now I'd say they're still in the process of finishing up mocap and missions. Then it takes a few months of testing.

Edited September 19, 2012 by whatsstrength

[H. León]

3 years of active (not full) development, but I think they officially announced it to the IT like a year before, 4 years would be my call.

 

*avobe me*

I actually think it was officially announced before TBOGT, since there are GTA V hints in it (Jerry Kapowitz, Packie getting on a plane and the V figure when the plane starts flight)

 

Edited September 19, 2012 by HUGOHL

[tjerome]

I bet they were just beginning the earliest stage of development before IV was released.

[Jewstinian]

I'm sure it was after they did EFLC. I do recall reading an article in 2009 about how they were still deciding the characters and whatnot.

 

As a joke though, I put 5-6 years

[TheGodDamnMaster]

3 years of active (not full) development, but I think they officially announced it to the IT like a year before, 4 years would be my call.

 

*avobe me*

I actually think it was officially announced before TBOGT, since there are GTA V hints in it (Jerry Kapowitz, Packie getting on a plane and the V figure when the plane starts flight)

1. Jerry Kapowitz said he was going to open up a gun shop in Vice City.

2. Packie leaving on the plane is the only a tiny hint about a future installment.

3. The runway has always had the "V". This theory needs to stop.

 

So no, it wasn't announced back then.

[H. León]

 

3 years of active (not full) development, but I think they officially announced it to the IT like a year before, 4 years would be my call.

 

*avobe me*

I actually think it was officially announced before TBOGT, since there are GTA V hints in it (Jerry Kapowitz, Packie getting on a plane and the V figure when the plane starts flight)

1. Jerry Kapowitz said he was going to open up a gun shop in Vice City.

2. Packie leaving on the plane is the only a tiny hint about a future installment.

3. The runway has always had the "V". This theory needs to stop.

 

So no, it wasn't announced back then.

Okay, about Packie and the plane V, it's not that important, but Jerry Kapowitz WAS SEEN in the trailer.

 

EDIT

And please, those are spoilers.