How computer whizz from Dundee roped his friends into creating GTA

Since taking the gaming world by storm in 1997, Grand Theft Auto has found itself set in some of America's most iconic cities, from New York and San Francisco to Los Angeles - with its latest adventure being staged in a reimagined version of Miami.

But the true roots of the multi-billion pound phenomena are from the glitzy settings of the Hollywood Hills or Florida's sun-kissed beaches, with the series having in fact been created in Scottish coastal city of Dundee. 

More than 25 years after the first game was released, it has been confirmed that GTA VI will be released in 2025 after the official trailer was released this week following a social media leak. 

Pals David Jones, Russell Kay, Steve Hammond and Mike Dailly came together in 1995 to create the first Grand Theft Auto, slaving in a two-room office above a small shop in the city centre that sold baby clothes. 

Mr Dailly - who was behind the 1991 classic puzzler Lemmings - had been playing with the idea of creating a 'virtual 3D city' that would allow gamers to roam freely and do as they pleased. 

The initial idea was a far cry from the outrageous, debauched crime shooter that Grand Theft Auto has become famous for, filled with sex and unfettered violence.

At first, the team wanted their protagonist to be a police officer - before then flipping the idea on its head and making him a criminal instead. 

'You just can't go around running over people if you're a cop — nobody liked playing the cop,' Brian Baglow, an early team member and writer of the first game, told The New York Times. 

READ MORE: Grand Theft Auto trailer 'is on track' to be the most watched YouTube clip in 24 hours EVER after teaser for new GTA6 was released today 

The four, who ran a company called DMA Design, met in the 1980s and were fascinated by American gangster films like 'Goodfellas' and 'Scarface', and sought to base their game on a gritty version of the US. 

Mr Kay, who rewrote the game for consoles after it was initially released on the PC, said they wanted to set Grand Theft Auto in a more exotic location. 

'Dundee was a shadow of its former self -  it wasn't the nicest of places,' he added. 'We didn't think it would be exciting if the games were set in Dundee.'

DMA Design's formation also came after Mr Jones had lost his job following the closure of Dundee's Timex factory. He used his redundancy money to purchase an Amiga 100 computer. It was here that he started writing code for a video came called Menace.

He then met the others at the Kingsway Amateur Computer Club where they toyed with the idea of creating video games.

Under the name DMA Design - a nod to the Amiga programming guide, Direct Memory Access - they launched a new business.

The entrepreneurs started designing games in the small building in Dundee's Nethergate area, including the release of Lemmings on Valentine's Day 1991. It went on to be their most successful game, selling over 20 million copies.

Four years later, they embarked on a new video game called Race'n'Chase. A four-step plan was put in place to help the production move smoothly but none of the planned target dates were met.

During the development phase, Race'n'Chase would be renamed to Grand Theft Auto - and two-and-a-half years later, the blockbuster game would hit the shelves.

After facing a major backlash over the impact the violence could have on children, including in the UK, Australia and Brazil (where it was even banned), it was unclear whether the game would take off.

But in stark contrast, the controversy actually triggered a huge soar in sales, making the GTA series one of the highest selling games of all time. The game has sold more than 125 million units worldwide since 1997.

DMA Design was eventually sold to Rockstar Games following a series of complicated takeovers - and the Dundee connection was broken.

Rockstar Games now boasts eight studios, including the Edinburgh-based Rockstar North which is tasked with producing creative content for GTA.

The company is one of the biggest game developers in the UK, with 300 staff members. There are around 80 developers in and around Dundee now as Scotland has become one of the biggest areas for gaming companies in Europe.

Although the game centres around American culture, GTA has stayed true to its roots and included several Scottish references.

Fictional city San Fierro features a wealthy district called Calton Heights, named after the Carlton area in Glasgow, which is notorious for its high crime rate. 

The Hippy Shopper chain is also in San Fierro - a twist on the Happy Shopper grocery chain in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Elsewhere, the Scotland flag is seen draped over a building in another city called Saltire.

And a racehorse called Scotland Nil takes a cheeky swipe at the long history of goalless matches by Scotland's football team. 

Dundee itself has also had its legacy continued in the game. One of the city's landmarks was featured on a billboard in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, while an album called 'Let's go Dundee!!!' is advertised in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The Scottish references have been welcomed by some but condemned by others in the past.

'These little inside jokes are very clever,' Mr Baglow said. 'It makes me very happy.' 

But David Paterson, a councillor for the Scottish town of Hawick, said he was 'absolutely disgusted' by his town being used for a 'druggie hipster' district in GTA V.

'It is going to destroy the good reputation of the town,' he said in 2013. 

Mr Dailly - who joined the SNP in March - has blasted the animations in the latest GTA game.

He tweeted: 'Looks pretty, but the animations…bloody hell guys. Can't you animate things properly? No one moves like that!'

Although Grand Theft Auto may not be developed in Dundee anymore, it will always be known as a city where the critically acclaimed video game was first created.