Rockstar began distributing a special
freeware version of
Grand Theft Auto in March 2003 via their website at
http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/. This free version has been upgraded and rejiggered to run on modern PCs with a recent version of
Microsoft Windows. The game does require
DirectX and in order to download the 300+ megabyte install file users must fill out a
registration form to sign up for the
Rockstar newsletter. Users are then sent a confirmation e-mail that includes the download link. The announcement of the free release spread around the Internet like wildfire, prompting the registration server to become swamped.
It's encouraging to see a game company release one of their old products as freeware. It helps ensure that a classic game will live on for a while longer and prompts players who have never experienced GTA to sample the game, possibly leading them to purchase the sequels. And speaking of sequels, in December 2004 the company released Grand Theft Auto 2 for free as well.