A college professor who uses Rockstar games specifically to teach history says the GTA developer is in its own league when it comes to making detail-oriented games.
University of Tennessee professor Tore Olsson taught the world's first Red Dead Redemption history course in 2021, and in the Spring, he'll welcome students to the first ever GTA history class, titled Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games.
IGN had the chance to ask Olsson what it is about Rockstar games, specifically, that make for a good reference point to teach American history, and he said it's the developers unparalleled attention detail and unique commentary on the American experience.
"Few developers rival Rockstar in terms of the granular detail that goes into their games. But I also think Rockstar is rather rare in their eagerness to comment on the social fabric of American life," said Olsson.
"Their games – from L.A. Noire through Red Dead through GTA – are all interested in saying something about the unique strangeness of the American experiment. What they say is sometimes thoughtful, sometimes not – but that they're trying is fascinating."
Indeed, it's hard to think of another high-profile studio whose games are as synonymous with the U. S. of A. as Rockstar, and I for one would love to sit in on a class using Red Dead Redemption and GTA as the blueprint. Unfortunately, I am not a University of Tennessee student, and you probably aren't either, but we can all follow Professor Olsson on Twitter for regular updates on the class.
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