Mark your calendars, throw a party, and maybe apologize to your boss in advance. Grand Theft Auto V officially launched on September 17, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Yes, that was over a decade ago. If you were alive then, you probably had a flip phone and thought “YOLO” was peak comedy.
On launch day, the game obliterated records faster than Trevor Phillips obliterates his own liver. It earned $800 million in its first 24 hours and over $1 billion in three days. That’s more money than most small countries make in a year, and it was all spent on pretend cars and hooker refunds.
But let’s get real: this launch was a cultural event. People lined up outside GameStop like it was a Black Friday sale for oxygen. I saw a guy cry real tears because his pre-order disc was scratched. We were all a little insane.
