The controversies surrounding the Grand Theft Auto franchise once escalated to the point where Rockstar was almost forced out of business. Dan Houser recalls how the studio suddenly became a national scapegoat, blamed by politicians for nearly every issue plaguing America – and how close the government came to crushing the company entirely.

It’s no secret that Grand Theft Auto has long been a lightning rod for moral panic. For decades, the series has been one of the preferred targets for critics outside the gaming world whenever violence in video games comes under scrutiny. It even found itself embroiled in major scandals such as the infamous Hot Coffee controversy, where a hidden sexual minigame in the files of GTA: San Andreas triggered an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. These relentless attacks eventually pushed Rockstar to the brink of collapse.

Dan Houser – former Rockstar head and now leading Absurd Ventures – spoke about this turbulent era on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio (via VGC). He recounted that Rockstar had a quiet, controversy-free start, but everything changed after GTA 3 became a phenomenon. “We used to say this industry was for kids, and then we said it was for teenagers and adults too. But we weren’t catering to children, and to us that didn’t seem outrageous – but to some people it was incredibly offensive.”

Success, however, came with a cost. “Success created a lot of problems. We were just having fun, doing what we wanted. And then suddenly the U.S. government came down on us. […] They decided we were the ones selling pornography on the internet, apparently, which was absurd. They almost shut us down; we received a huge fine. It was very damaging, and some of my team quit – it was a very tough period.”

A Manufactured Moral Panic

Houser is convinced that the political pressure and fines had nothing to do with genuine concern. He explained that the crusade was “primarily led by centrist Democrats looking for a media bogeyman.” According to him, politicians “couldn’t go after Hollywood because it funded them, and they couldn’t go after rap music because of its racial implications – so they went after video games, an easy target that didn’t understand the system.”

He summed up the political sentiment of the era with biting sarcasm: “We’ve finally figured out America’s problem: it’s these idiots.” And, as Houser added, “We were those idiots.” Even today, the franchise is sometimes blamed for real-world violence by people who show no intention of understanding games as a medium, nor addressing any actual societal issues.

No One Expected GTA 3 to Become a Global Phenomenon

The irony, of course, is that Grand Theft Auto went on to become one of the most successful entertainment franchises on the planet. Houser revealed in a previous interview that, before launch, hardly anyone outside Rockstar believed in GTA 3 – only the developers were excited. Everything changed once Claude’s adventure hit the market and propelled Rockstar to global stardom.

Source: 3djuegos