As of now, following the acquisition of EA, Take-Two is the biggest independent publisher. However, at one time, it was struggling financially. The gaming giant, in 2001, had financial issues right before it released GTA 3.
According to Dan Houser, the Co-Founder of Rockstar Games, GTA 3 helped the publisher, Take-Two, in those hard times. He said that the move from 3D to GTA 3 wasn’t much appreciated back then, and the world didn’t agree with Rockstar.
However, once the third installment in the GTA series was released, everything changed. The game was such a big hit that Take-Two didn’t even have enough money to print it quickly enough.
GTA 3 Changed Take-Two And Rockstar
In a recent interview with IGN, Dan Houser, the co-founder, revealed some very interesting details about his journey throughout the years. He commented on the days when Take-Two almost went bankrupt. The publisher was delisted from the stock market in September or August 2001.
The company didn’t even have enough money to keep printing the game, as it was in high demand. Dan Houser further revealed that they thought back then that the game would eventually stop selling. However, it didn’t; it never stopped selling (until 2008, the game continued to sell and sold nearly 15 million copies), and thanks to that, the GTA franchise has now become so massive.
Take-Two, I think, had been delisted from the stock market in September or August of uh 2001. It was going broke. Yeah. They didn’t have even enough money to make enough copies of the game. We couldn’t make it quick enough, and the game just kept selling. We kept thinking it would stop, and it just never stopped.
-Dan Houser
Take Two had a rough start, but thanks to the massive success of GTA 3, the company was able to stand on its feet. Now, it is behind some of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry.
The Evolution of Take-Two
Take-Two, according to Dan Houser, was once on the brink of bankruptcy. However, now it has become the largest independent publisher. The publisher is behind two of the biggest franchises, GTA and Red Dead Redemption.
GTA 5 alone has sold over 215 million, making it the fifth best-selling game of all time. Another game from Rockstar, Red Dead Redemption 2, has sold over 77 million copies, making it the sixth best-selling title.
The company is now set to release GTA 6 on May 26, 2026, and is projected to sell at least 20 million copies during the first 24 hours.
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Obaid Ur Rehman is a lifelong gaming enthusiast with a deep passion for writing about video games. While he enjoys all genres, he specializes in RPGs and Soulslike titles. After tackling some of the toughest bosses, he often unwinds with a cozy game to relax. Outside of gaming, Obaid enjoys watching anime, bingeing TV series, or staying active at the gym.
