Rockstar Games has announced that it’s re-listing original versions of the three Grand Theft Auto games that were included in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.
The original versions of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will soon be purchasable on the Rockstar Store as a bundle. They will be provided to owners of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition at no additional cost.
Rockstar’s mea culpa comes after clips of sometimes-hilarious, sometimes experience-altering bugs circulated the internet. The company has promised that it’s working on fixes for the game.
“The updated versions of these classic games did not launch in a state that meets our own standards of quality, or the standards our fans have come to expect,” the company stated. “We have ongoing plans to address the technical issues and to improve each game going forward.”
It also took time to push back against fan harassment of developers on social media, stating that “It pains us to mention that we are hearing reports of members of the development teams being harassed on social media.”
“We would kindly ask our community to please maintain a respectful and civil discourse around this release as we work through these issues.
It’s notable to see Rockstar give a (still gentle) pushback against social media harassment of the development team. In an era where player outrage over game content or genuine bugs can quickly lead to online harassment of developers, not every studio stands by their employees when posting apologies for bugs.
It’s also notable that Rockstar is willing to restore the original versions of these three Grand Theft Auto games to sale, even if it’s only on PC. When The Definitive Edition launched, it replaced those listings.
Now whatever bugs may persist in The Definitive Edition, PC-owning players will still have the opportunity to experience Rockstar Games’ classic titles in their original forms.