Episode 6 - Grand Theft Auto
Imagine you are driving through an American city. The sun is shining, the radio is playing some fantastic music, and you've just stolen a very expensive sports car.
Behind you, the police are getting closer. You've already driven through three red lights, crashed into a taxi and knocked over a mailbox. And somehow, you're having a wonderful time.
That is a common occurrence in the world of Grand Theft Auto. With Grand Theft Auto VI scheduled for release on the 19th of November, I thought this would be a good opportunity to look at how a Scottish video game became a worldwide phenomenon.
It's one of the biggest video game franchises in history. It's famous for its violence, its humour, its unforgettable characters and the freedom it gives players to do almost whatever they want.
But this very American game was actually created in Scotland. The story begins in Dundee, a city on the east coast of Scotland. Not exactly the first place you'd associate with American gangsters, palm trees and high speed police chases. But in the 1990s, a small video game company was working on something unusual.
Instead of playing as a hero who saves the world, what if you played as a criminal?
And instead of following a very strict set of instructions, what if you could explore an entire city? The result was Grand Theft Auto, released in 1997.
The original game looked very different from the GTA games we know today. You viewed the city from above, the graphics were relatively simple, and the characters were tiny.
But the basic idea was already there. You could steal vehicles, complete criminal missions, run away from the police and generally cause chaos.
And the game certainly caused a stir.
That's our first expression
When something “causes a stir”, it attracts a lot of attention, often because it's surprising or controversial.
You might say: "The player’s comments caused a stir in the media."
GTA caused a stir because it allowed players to do things that most other games would not.
Some newspapers were furious. Politicians criticised it. People debated whether violent video games were dangerous. But the controversy also helped make GTA famous. But that was just the beginning.
In 2001, Grand Theft Auto III arrived and it was a huge moment for video games.
Instead of looking down on a little cartoon map, players could now explore a three-dimensional city. You could drive around Liberty City, listen to the radio, meet strange characters and discover things that had nothing to do with your main mission.
You didn't always need to follow the story. Sometimes, simply exploring the city was entertaining enough. GTA III helped to push the boundaries of what video games could do.
To “push the boundaries” means to go beyond what people normally expect or accept.
David Bowie pushed the boundaries of music as a form of entertainment.
A comedian might push the boundaries of what people consider acceptable humour.
And GTA pushed the boundaries of video game design by giving players an extraordinary sense of freedom.
Then came Vice City in 2002, the sequel to GTA III. It was inspired by Miami in the 1980s. There were colourful clothes, fast cars, outrageous hairstyles and some truly brilliant music.
Two years after that, San Andreas took players to a fictional version of the American West Coast in the early 1990s.
By this point, GTA was becoming far more than just a successful video game. The series had taken the gaming world by storm.
If something “takes the world by storm”, it becomes extremely popular and attracts enormous attention, often very quickly.
For example: "That new television series has taken the world by storm. Everyone seems to be watching it."
GTA had done exactly that.
And one of the most interesting things about its success was the way it presented American culture. If you've played GTA, you'll know that the games do not offer a polite or flattering picture of the United States. The cities are full of criminals, dishonest politicians, ridiculous advertisements, greedy businessmen and people who are completely obsessed with money, fame and power.
And that's part of the joke. The Grand Theft Auto series doesn't simply recreate America. It makes fun of America.
When you “make fun of” something, you joke about it, often by showing how silly or ridiculous it is.
For example: "My friends always make fun of me because my dancing is so bad."
But Grand Theft Auto uses humour in a more deliberate way. In English, it's what we call satire. Satire uses humour, irony and exaggeration to criticise individual people or a society.
Think about the advertisements on GTA's fictional radio stations. They often promote silly products or suggest that buying something expensive will instantly make your life better.
It's funny because it exaggerates something that already exists in the real world.
GTA also makes fun of celebrity culture, television, politics and the idea that becoming rich will magically solve all your problems.
This is particularly interesting because so much of that humour comes from people working in a British games company. It's like they are looking at American culture from the outside and find it difficult to take seriously.
Of course, not everybody appreciates that kind of humour. Over the years, Rockstar has faced criticism for the violence, language and controversial content in its games. Which brings us to another useful expression.
To get away with.
If you “get away with” something, you do something wrong or unacceptable without being punished or facing serious consequences.
Imagine somebody arrives an hour late for work, but the boss doesn't notice. You could say: "He got away with being late."
And with GTA, you might ask: "How does Rockstar get away with some of these outrageous jokes?"
The answer isn't simple. Some people see GTA as clever social commentary. Others think it sometimes goes too far. But that argument has been part of the series almost from the beginning.
There's another reason Grand Theft Auto became so successful. Its worlds feel alive. Consider the radio stations. You might be driving through the countryside at night, listening to classic rock, or travelling through a busy city while an absurd radio presenter complains about modern society. The music isn't just background noise. It helps create the atmosphere. In fact, some players have discovered their favourite bands through Grand Theft Auto.
And then there's the freedom. You could spend an evening completing missions, racing cars, exploring unfamiliar neighbourhoods or simply driving around and listening to music. For some people, that freedom or “open world gameplay” is the best part of the experience.
GTA V, released in 2013, took this idea even further with its enormous world and three main characters.
And remarkably, GTA V has remained hugely popular for more than a decade. Which brings us to the next chapter. After years of waiting, Grand Theft Auto VI is currently scheduled to arrive on the 19th of November 2026.
The trailers have already shown a colourful world of beaches, nightlife, strange personalities and, naturally, plenty of trouble. But the biggest question is whether the new game can live up to the hype.
“Hype” means the excitement and publicity surrounding something, especially before it's released. If something “lives up to the hype”, it turns out to be as good as everybody expected.
For example: "Everyone told me that restaurant was amazing, but the food did not live up to the hype."
Or perhaps, in a positive sense: "I had heard so much about that film, and surprisingly, it really did live up to the hype."
GTA VI has enormous expectations to meet. People have been waiting 13 years for it. Technology has changed dramatically since GTA V was released, and fans are hoping for something truly special.
Think about where this all started. A small Scottish video games company, working on a strange idea about stealing cars in a virtual city. Almost thirty years later, that idea has become one of the most recognisable names in entertainment.
It's a story about creativity, controversy, technology and the sometimes bizarre nature of modern culture. There is something wonderfully ironic about a Scottish company becoming famous for making fun of America.
