The GTA series has been selected to feature in an exhibition of British Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum

The “British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age” exhibition is a “celebration of UK contributions to the world of art and design in the post-war era”, and covers the period from London’s 1948 ‘Austerity Olympics’ to the present day. The series’ inclusion is not the first time video games have appeared in a major museum. The National Media Museum in Bradford keep an archive of major video game releases, and America’s Smithsonian Museum in Washington is currently running ‘The Art of Video Games’. 


Grand Theft Auto was originally created as an open world game for PC and Sony PlayStation by Edinburgh based DMA Design in 1997. However, the series breakthrough came with Grand Theft Auto III for PlayStation 2 which garnered critical acclaim for its rich and detailed setting Liberty City. GTA III arguably popularised the open-world template, and Rockstar have continued to build on this legacy with subsequent Grand Theft Auto games, and titles such as Old West adventure Red Dead Redemption. 


The last game in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, was the fastest selling game in the UK at the time of its release and the series as a whole has sold over 114 million copies worldwide. In a statement, developers Rockstar said “We're honoured to announce that the Grand Theft Auto series has been selected for inclusion in the Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibition - Representing each Grand Theft Auto title in the franchise and showcasing the innovation of living metropolises and open world gameplay, the exhibit features a commemorative video chronicling the history of the Grand Theft Auto series”.