Sony Reverses Course, 'Grand Taking Ages' Returns to Steam

The creators of the controversial Grand Theft Auto 6 parody, Grand Taking Ages, have successfully launched it on Steam after Sony removed it from the PlayStation Store. This management simulator, where players run a game development studio, initially raised eyebrows with its AI-generated art and satirical take on the long-awaited GTA 6.

Following its removal from the PlayStation Store, the developers, Violarte, made significant changes to secure Steam approval. These included removing the "VI" from the title, redesigning the logo, and revising descriptions to clearly distinguish it from Rockstar's GTA 6. While the art still bears a resemblance to GTA's style, it's subtly different. The game continues to utilize AI, specifically for voiceovers, a fact disclosed on the Steam page in accordance with Valve's AI policies. The updated Steam page description reads:

Coming Soon Since Forever! Start your game dev journey in mom's garage! Battle angry fans, dodge ruthless journalists, and perfect the art of "creative" deadlines. Survive on pizza and energy drinks while building your dream studio into... a slightly better garage!

Violarte adopted a proactive approach with Valve, discussing the game's concept before submission, ensuring alignment with their guidelines. They cite other projects, such as Grand Theft Hamlet, as examples of acceptable GTA parodies.

Despite the Steam success, Violarte aims to reinstate Grand Taking Ages on the PlayStation Store, submitting a request highlighting the changes made and Valve's approval. The contrasting experiences with Sony and Valve highlight the differing approaches to content curation. While Steam's more open policy is well-known, Sony's stricter approach remains a point of discussion. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated GTA 6 is slated for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2025.