Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
GTA 6
Action Games GTA 6: Everything we know so far
GTA 6 reveal trailer screenshot showing a young blonde woman standing near a sunny rooftop pool, wearing a white and gold bikini
FPS Games GTA 6 devs "must be quaking" over so much hype, Hell Let Loose lead says: "Is there too much that people are expecting?"
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto Some of GTA 6's big ideas are likely hiding in GTA 5, ex-Rockstar dev predicts – and you can look at GTA 4 to see why
A crop of the MindsEye key art for a review header
Action Games "Overwhelming evidence of organized espionage": MindsEye CEO blames launch on "corporate sabotage" amid more layoffs
The protagonist of GTA 4 holding his hand out in front of a Diner
Grand Theft Auto All GTA 4 cheats for weapons, cars, and more
GTA San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto GTA San Andreas cheats for unlimited money, health, armor, weapons, and more
GTA 5 new
Action Games 25 Best Rockstar Games of all time, ranked
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto GTA Vice City cheats for health, armor, weapons, and much more
Tony Hawk on the cover of the GBA edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Sports Games $1 million in debt, devs on handheld Tony Hawk's Pro Skater saved the company by pitching an impossible port
GTA 3
Grand Theft Auto GTA 3 cheats for unlimited money, weapons, armor, and much more
Fallout screenshots from Retro Gamer Magazine issue 186
Fallout Most of the original Fallout's humor was added just to make creator Tim Cain laugh: "We made this game for each other"
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto A free copy of GTA 6 could be yours, Norwegian retailer says, all you have to do is have a baby on release day
Three playable characters stand in a triangle wearing suits and holding guns in GTA 5
Grand Theft Auto Team behind GTA 5 multiplayer mod that rivalled Rockstar-owned FiveM says Take-Two is shutting the project down
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Red Dead Redemption 2's enigmatic spider web puzzle is the first thing that's gotten me genuinely excited for GTA 6
Fallout 4
Fallout Fallout co-creator showed the engine that would eventually power the RPG at a secret after-hours pizza party
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Grand Theft Auto

Original Grand Theft Auto pitch document surfaces

News
By Matt Bradford published 23 March 2011

Original design doc reveals early game modes and alternative name

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

The12-page pitch was posted by Mike Daily, an original member of Rockstar North's first incarnation, DMA Design Ltd. In it, Race 'n' Chase is described as a “fun, addictive, multi-player car racing and crashing game" which would allow players to commit illegal hijinx using a variety of land, sea and air vehicles throughout three different cities inspired by New York, Venice and Miami.

Even more intriguing are the proposed game modes, which include Cannonball Run, a straightforward race that (sadly) makes no mention of Burt Reynolds or Dom DeLuise; Demolition Derby, a free-roaming death match; and Bank Robbery, a cops-and-robbers mode which casts players on both sides of the law.

The document goes on to outline the proposed game's massive, multi-screen levels that would require the use of a pre-packaged map to navigate. It also included plans to populate said levels with smashable pedestrians including school children, dogs and so-called lollipop ladies.

You may like
  • GTA 2 We'll probably never see a Grand Theft Auto set in a futuristic city like GTA 2 because the team "hated it"
  • GTA 4 Former Rockstar technical director " didn’t like GTA 4 that much" at launch because "we had to sacrifice so much"
  • GTA San Andreas After 21 years, GTA: San Andreas speedrunners discover a wild 31-step skip for the open-world game's original PC port

Minus the Race 'N Chase moniker and the ability to outright murder children, it appears much of DMA's original vision made it into the 1997 release. The full design packet, along with familiar gameplay elements and modest mid-90s PC specs, can be read at Mike Daily's Flickr page.

Mar 22, 2011

Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@gamesradar.com

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Rockstar
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PlayStation Xbox Platforms
PRODUCTS
Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto IV
Matt Bradford
Social Links Navigation

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

Read more
GTA 2
We'll probably never see a Grand Theft Auto set in a futuristic city like GTA 2 because the team "hated it"
 
 
GTA 4
Former Rockstar technical director " didn’t like GTA 4 that much" at launch because "we had to sacrifice so much"
 
 
GTA San Andreas
After 21 years, GTA: San Andreas speedrunners discover a wild 31-step skip for the open-world game's original PC port
 
 
Bully
"Bully was chaotic from the day I started": Inside the making of Rockstar's 'GTA in boarding school'
 
 
Vice City
GTA Vice City was briefly playable in your web browser, until Rockstar owner Take-Two reportedly struck it down
 
 
GTA 6
GTA Tokyo nearly happened until the idea fizzled out: "It doesn't make sense to set it in some left-field location for novelty"
 
 
Latest in Grand Theft Auto
GTA 6
Some of GTA 6's big ideas are likely hiding in GTA 5, ex-Rockstar dev predicts – and you can look at GTA 4 to see why
 
 
GTA 6 Lucia
GTA 6's fall clash with Marvel's Wolverine is no worry for Logan's actor who'll "play so much" that "it'll be troubling"
 
 
The protagonist of GTA 4 holding his hand out in front of a Diner
GTA 4 was apparently "so ahead of its time" that its own tech lead didn't know helicopters could do this
 
 
GTA 6
A free copy of GTA 6 could be yours, Norwegian retailer says, all you have to do is have a baby on release day
 
 
Three playable characters stand in a triangle wearing suits and holding guns in GTA 5
Team behind GTA 5 multiplayer mod that rivalled Rockstar-owned FiveM says Take-Two is shutting the project down
 
 
GTA 6
Google's Project Genie is "not even in the same ballpark" as a real game engine according to Take-Two
 
 
Latest in News
Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs felt "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard
 
 
Palworld Pal with shocked expression
"I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation"
 
 
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would sell more
 
 
Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him
Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion will be "really f*cking hard" at its highest difficulty, dev threatens
 
 
Jin, Mugen, and Fuu standing in a row
Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action Netflix series from One Piece studio, and the original creator is on board
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
    1
    Marvel Rivals devs couldn't help but "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard: "It's not guaranteed"
  2. 2
    "It's going to be really f***ing hard": Diablo 4 is getting 8 new difficulty tiers in Lord of Hatred because Blizzard wants OP builds to actually have to try
  3. 3
    Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
  4. 4
    "I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation" with a "decade of continuous, massive updates"
  5. 5
    "Whoever sells more copies pays for the other's therapy": Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads, and ironically the friendslop collab that followed sold more than both games combined

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...