A Guardian feature traces Grand Theft Auto's rise from DMA Design's 1997 top-down original to the cultural colossus awaiting GTA VI this November, chronicling each era's cinematic touchstones from Goodfellas to Scarface and the simulation-heavy Los Santos of GTA V, which has sold more than 230m copies. It gathers praise from figures like Christopher Byrd and Geoff Manaugh, notes GTA VI's reported $1bn budget, and calls it likely the biggest game release ever.