Rockstar Is Already Removing The GTA Trilogy From Digital Stores

Rockstar is finally coming through with the long-rumoured GTA Trilogy, racing to the latest generation of consoles and bringing some of the franchise’s classic titles with it. Safe to say, fans are ecstatic.

So many of us have waited so long for remasters of the iconic titles, with Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas standing as the choice for many in the “which GTA is better” debate. But, Rockstar is getting a bit money-grabbing already.

Rockstar Delists Old Games From GTA Trilogy

Click to enlarge

Rockstar is already making moves on previous builds on the games featured in the remastered trilogy, as it starts taking GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas off of online stores this week. It’s a questionable move, especially as fans haven’t been offered an actual look at the games themselves. The trilogy's teaser trailer only offered some new key art to ogle at.

Many fans are disappointed that the original builds of these games are no longer available for some, in a bid to ensure that Rockstar makes money from the remakes while scrubbing away the importance of video game preservation in the meantime.

But, these issues don’t just extend to consumer unfriendliness - it could spell trouble for the games themselves.

GTA’s Music Could Be In Trouble

This move from Rockstar is frustrating for players, as not having seen the remakes is bad enough before having their classic versions stripped away. We're also worried for the game’s original soundtrack - the game has had to remove a few songs due to extended licencing issues, and now, players are concerned the remakes won’t be able to make good on the classic title’s music.

There’s every chance that Rockstar has had to remake the soundtrack, and with the classic versions being removed from online stores, some are anxious about what might be cut from the modern revamps. 

Sadly, this practice isn’t all that rare. Other companies have their own ways of deterring players from playing older versions of games.

This is a move that has upset a lot of fans, but it’s one that we sadly could've seen coming from Rockstar. After all, they might be one of the wealthiest developers in the world - so there’s no reason not to milk these games for all they’re worth.