GTA on Wii "didn't really feel natural"

By Kristan Reed Published 22 September, 2008

Says Rockstar's Dan Houser.

Rockstar Games' co-founder Dan Houser has revealed why the company has so far shied away from releasing a Grand Theft Auto title on the Wii.

"It didn't feel natural to us, I guess," he told Nintendo Power in a recent interview, and went on to explain why Rockstar chose the DS for its upcoming handheld title, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

"It really was that the DS felt like it had a lot of interesting challenges that would be totally different from what we'd done in the past," Houser explained.

"The stylus and the chance to use minigames in that way was really interesting and exciting to us, and we thought we could integrate seamlessly between those two modes. And it would be the chance to make something really good on a handheld with our handheld-focused team. That was really why we went that way," he added.

But Houser hasn't ruled out making a Grand Theft Auto game on the Wii eventually: "We haven't really done any concrete, major thinking about the Wii, one way or another. They're sort of separate issues."

Never say never. Thanks, Nintendo Everything.

In the meantime, Rockstar is gearing up for the release of the highly anticipated GTA: Chinatown Wars on DS in the "winter".

The first magazine scans of screenshots have appeared on Gamekyo. Expect a barrage of official screens shortly.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • IronCladChicken #1 3 years ago

    Didn't Bully demonstrate that the GTA style games would sit very comfortably on the Wii?

  • Darren #2 3 years ago

    Speaking of the Wii... I was looking through the full release list on Gameplay and was shocked to discover that it's the only system out of the three I own (PS3 and 360 being the other two) that has absolutely NO games coming out in the run up to Christmas that interest me. Sure it has the usual third-party stuff from EA and such like but why would I play inferior versions of those games when I can play them on my PS3 or 360? Where's all the first-party stuff from Nintendo... I bought my Wii to play those but I can't see any in the release list? (And, no, stuff like Wii Music really doesn't count...)

  • oceanmotion #3 3 years ago

    Maybe they are just sick to death of making the same GTA on weak systems. They have been crow barring it into the PS2 and PSP for years, I doubt they want to do it again for the Wii. What can they really do with it apart from strip it down and add waggle. Needs a serious rethink on the Wii. DS for now was a good idea.

  • electrolite #4 3 years ago

    I can see why they would think of the Wii as low priority but I wouldn't be surprised if they do something eventually. The controls in Bully/Driver/Scarface are pretty solid and it could work, but it might be a lot of effort for questionable return. Simply porting one of the PS2 games wouldn't be worthwhile....except maybe financially, which is why I expect something to happen.

    Good to see, 2nd post, one of the regulars getting in on a Wii thread....

  • schnide #5 3 years ago

    Heavily reading etween the lines, I'd say that any GTA game to come out on the Wii would look embarrassing next to the PS3 and 360 versions so not really do anyone a favour.

  • bigbadbeasty #6 3 years ago

    Sooooo.... they can release Bully and Manhunt 2 on the Wii, but it feels 'weird' to release something from the GTA series? I'm sorry but that is crazy talk.

  • aldo_14 #7 3 years ago

    I don't think they could make GTA on the Wii without compromising the direction they want to take the series in. It'd be a step back towards the PS2 games, and they clearly wanted to 'break' with them when they upped the number to 4.

  • DFawkes #8 3 years ago

    Balls, the best GTAs (I should say my favourite ones) have been on PS2, so the Wii could handle them without much fuss. I appreciate he'd rather do something new instead of a port, but San Andreas really was the biggest and best so far. I'd usually be against this, but port it and tack on pointing! Please.

  • kinky_mong #9 3 years ago

    The stylus and the chance to use minigames in that way was really interesting and exciting to us, and we thought we could integrate seamlessly between those two modes.

    Great, so Chinatown is basically going to be more bowling. Fantastic.

  • Cadence #10 3 years ago

    The screens for the DS version look pretty cool, I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays.

  • electrolite #11 3 years ago

    Prediction : new GTA on PSP at some point, gets ported to Wii with waggle and pointing.

    YHIHF.

  • Eraysor #12 3 years ago

    Those screenshots look excellent. I didn't expect this game to be much good until I saw those.

  • CallousB #13 3 years ago

    They should do a deal with Nintendo and make a "family" rated GTA using Nintendo characters...Grand Theft Wario - Mushroom City or something similar. The Simpsons GTA style game sold a bunch.

  • Skeletor #14 3 years ago

    GTA on the Wii? Imho the Wii simply lacks the audience for a GTA title. Bully and Manhunt 2 didn't exactly fly off the shelves, same goes for Scarface and No more Heroes (not Rockstar's, I know...).
    The DS on the other hand is a whole different story. People buy a handheld GTA to play it on the go and not to play it at home instead of GTA4 or San Andreas. Producing a DS title is also pretty much a low budget affair compared to the costs of a Wii title allowing Rockstar to take a risk and try new stuff (=oldschool 2D-GTA gameplay brought to a new level with the touch controls).
    Bottom line - unless they come up with a revolutionary idea I really don't think a Wii version would sell.

  • BadBoyBonner #15 3 years ago

    I can certainly echo Darren's sentiments - there isn;t much coming to my Wii before 2009.

    As for GTA - I expect that if the DS GTA does well we are likely to see that same style ported to the Wii.

    EDIT - with the style being the look rather than the top down view.
    Edited by 1 at 22/09/08 @ 11:28

  • Farzlepot #16 3 years ago

    I don't give a mushroom about the Wii. Where's our DLC?!

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #17 3 years ago

    @electrolyte

    Damn you beat me to it. I'd be surprised if we didn't see GTA: San Andreas Stories on PSP, Wii and (possibly) PS2 in time for Christmas 2009.

  • Dan234 #18 3 years ago

    Funny how they say it doesn't feel natural on the Wii but cite the chance to do minigames on the DS as a reason for the DS port.

    I thought there was some law that said that everything on the Wii had to have a minigame in it somewhere.

  • aldo_14 #19 3 years ago

    Surely they are doing exactly that by releasing a game on the DS?

    I'd say that's more of a step to the side. Which sounds like horrible semantics, actually.... but a DS game requires a whole different style of design to an on-the-big-telly type game, and methinks could allow them to have a bit of fun with programming and working out (perhaps) retro-ish arcade gameplay.

    I dunno, like the difference between a director moving from big budget cinema movies to a TV miniseries, versus a director moving from big-budget movies to lower budget cheese-flicks on limited release*.

    *worst analogy ever. Look, I know what i mean even if no-one else does.....

  • Z101 #20 3 years ago

    Don't need GTA. For the rest of 2008 there are so many good Wii-Games released.

    Exclusive games like Disaster: Day of Crisis, de Blob, Mushroom Men, Dead Rising, Clone Wars, Sam&Max, Wario Land Shake, Runaway: The Dream of the turtle, Animal Crossing etc.

    Multiplattform-Games like: Force Unleashed, Quantum of Solace and Cod5 (the last two with far superior controls AND good graphics AND extras, like local Multiplayer for Quantum)

    And for 2009 there are so many ambitious Wii-Games announced that 2009 will be obviously the best year of the Wii.

  • BobsUncle #21 3 years ago

    Maybe all the grannies and girlfriends that play the Wii aren't really interested in GTA?

  • Oh-Bollox #22 3 years ago

    2101, you are not towing the party line. Careful or you will be dragged off for 're-education'.

  • Skeletor #23 3 years ago

    @Z101
    Out of all the titles you mentioned only "de Blob" seems to be fresh and actually good. Warion Land Shake? Well, not bad but also one of those titles where you can see how safe Nintendo plays - nothing special.
    Disaster, Dead Rising, Mushroom Men? How do you know they're any good, played them already? Actually, Dead Rising looks awful so far...
    CoD 5 with superior controls? Ever heard of mouse and keyboard?
    I really hope that by the time this situation changes it won't be too late already...

  • DFawkes #24 3 years ago

    I for one appreciate Z101s enthusiasm, there are plenty of half-decent, proper games coming out in the lead up to Christmas. Of course I wouldn't have them all, but Animal Crossing, Dead Rising and Disaster all look good.

    So I could live without GTA Wii for now, but there is no reason for it really. Wii sells, GTA games sell, I'd have thought it was guarenteed eventually.

  • Skeletor #25 3 years ago

    "Wii sells, GTA games sell, I'd have thought it was guarenteed eventually."

    The only problem here is that both don't sell to the same audience. There are actually really good third party games on the horizon (mostly by Capcom, no surprise here...) but none of them has a western release date yet.
    1. The new game by the makers of Odin Sphere (forgot the name, sorry)
    2. Tatsunoko vs Capcom
    3. Monster Hunter 3
    4. Tenchu 4
    Nintendo's draconic region coding policies don't help either...

  • Ryze #26 3 years ago

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    San Andreas Stories!
    Edited by 1 at 22/09/08 @ 15:47

  • Ryze #27 3 years ago

    Try the following:

    - San Andreas Stories - all new storyline
    - Enhanced Xbox version engine
    - pointing to shoot (obviously), with Wiimotionplus support
    - GTA IV's save system + checkpoints
    - link / online play ala PSP / new gen versions (BUT WITH GTA III gen vehicle handling)
    - GTA IV's targetting system with cover and auto camera lock-on
    - New controls for riding motorbikes and flying aircraft

    - Interesting new character to play... Niko? Or maybe someone else from the world of GTA IV.

    It'd be a massive waste of San Andreas if this WASN'T done on the Wii (& PSP).
    Edited by 1 at 22/09/08 @ 16:07

  • smelly #28 3 years ago

    "Heavily reading etween the lines, I'd say that any GTA game to come out on the Wii would look embarrassing next to the PS3 and 360 versions so not really do anyone a favour."


    Lets face it.. gta4 played so damned badly and was so damn dull.. if you took away the graphics.. there would seriously be nothing left worthwhile in the game

  • Skeletor #29 3 years ago

    "It'd be a massive waste of San Andreas if this WASN'T done on the Wii (& PSP)."

    ...and sell it to the Wii-Fit, Wii-Sports, Wii-Music casual crowd. Yeah sure, right on!
    As for the PSP, it already has two GTAs which didn't even sell all that well. Perfect territory for a third one, I agree;-)

  • canIdoyabombsforya #30 3 years ago

    @Skeletor
    "CoD 5 with superior controls? Ever heard of mouse and keyboard? "

    Yeah I tried them and thought I was in Iraq, heavy going.

  • Totoriko #31 3 years ago

    Why's the RSS title in french?

    "GTA IV sur Wii, c'est pas vraiment naturel"

  • Browntracky #32 3 years ago

    Bully shows it can be done. Godfather and Scarface both use the wiimote really well. I think if Rockstar dont want to compromise on high end graphics they should go for cell shaded version of gta 4 on wii.

  • bad09 #33 3 years ago

    "San Andreas Stories! "

    + Infinity!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Oh and Smelly,

    "Lets face it.. gta4 played so damned badly and was so damn dull.. if you took away the graphics.. there would seriously be nothing left worthwhile in the game "

    Er...did we play the same game, GTA4 right?
    Edited by 1 at 22/09/08 @ 18:05

  • smelly #34 3 years ago

    @bad09: Yes.. the same one i was bored of after the first island.. and didnt even remotely compare to the previous games?

    Yes definately. Worst GTA EVER. I didnt like SA as much as i liked Vice City.. But even SA was vastly superior to GTA4 in nearly EVERY way.

    Unless you consider better graphics and lower framerates to be better than gameplay i guess?

  • bad09 #35 3 years ago

    Fair enough smelly mate, horses for courses I suppose. For me, while not best in the series for sure, it's nowhere near as bad as you make it sound! I think it's a great sequel to GTA3 (but will concede the mission variation needs improving in the next one)

  • bionutz #36 3 years ago

    Software companies have examples and showcases to help developers develop new stuff with their products. Take in this case the example of mario galaxy for how to control a character and GTA will feel natural on Wii. Easy.