Rockstar apologise for GTA Definitive Edition issues, will start selling originals again
Owners of the remasters will get the originals for free
Rockstar have apologised for "the unexpected technical issues" in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition, saying the remastered versions of GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas did not launch in a state with meets their standards of quality. Probably shouldn't have released them in that state, then. They say they plan to improve them, and did release a bug-fixing patch over the weekend. They will also put the original versions back on sale, and will give them to people who buy the remastered trilogy.
The company posted a note on Friday to address the unexpected technical issues", saying they "want to sincerely apologise to everyone who has encountered issues playing these games." That's only a comment on the technical issues, mind.
"The updated versions of these classic games did not launch in a state that meets our own standards of quality, or the standards our fans have come to expect," Rockstar admitted.
"We have ongoing plans to address the technical issues and to improve each game going forward. With each planned update, the games will reach the level of quality that they deserve to be."
Following this, Rockstar released update 1.02 over the weekend. It fixes many issues across the three games, ranging from incorrect textures and holes in the map to Tommy T-posing and that ludicrous San Andreas rain.
I personally wouldn't expect future updates to bring a different art style, restored radio songs, or anything else expansive or expensive.
The state of the remasters has been particularly frustrating because Rockstar stopped selling the original versions ahead of launch, meaning the only way to get the games now was with this jankfest. Well, Rockstar have listened to this complaint, and announced that they plan to bring the originals back on sale on PC with a bundle sold on the Rockstar Store (sadly, yes, they will be tied to this other jankfest). That's due "shortly".
People who have bought the Trilogy Definitive Edition by the 30th of June, 2022, will receive this bundle for free. That's something.
As damage control goes, the response is okay. But it's damage Rockstar caused, by releasing the games in such an obviously shoddy state and by pulling the originals so people had no other choice. Then while people were memeing on all that, Rockstar temporarily pulling the remasters from sale to remove some files turned the mess into a circus. The company caused all this and don't deserve much credit for fixing it afterwards.
This doesn't justify the harrassment that Rockstar say some developers are suffering on social media, of course. Don't do that. Why would you do that.
While Rockstar and Grove Street Games work on fixing some aspects, you might want to try out the GTA Trilogy fix mods fans are making to correct their mistakes. Those target everything from typos on shop signs to the ha-ha-hilarious HDfication which turned the hexagonal nut on the Tuff Nut Donuts shop sign into, like, a big metal donut.
Disclosure: I obviously have pals who work at Rockstar because it's a known fact that in Edinburgh, you're never more than six foot away from a Rockstar employee.