If there is one thing that the recent Grand Theft Auto franchise sale on the PlayStation Store taught us, it is that the PSOne versions of first two games in the series are mysteriously absent from the PSN. According to a new Entertainment Software Rating Board listing, this oversight may soon be corrected.
The ESRB notes that both Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2 were submitted by Sony Computer Entertainment America for ratings on the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and PSP — which indicates that the two founding GTA titles will soon appear on the PlayStation Store.
Grand Theft Auto received a “Mature” rating from the ESRB, while Grand Theft Auto 2 was granted a lower “Teen” rating. This one-step-lower rating for GTA 2 points towards it being a port from the toned down PSOne version (which is to be expected) of the game, as opposed to the “Mature” rated PC and Dreamcast versions.
Interestingly, there are rumors dating back to February 2008 which state that both GTA and GTA 2 were on their way to the PSN in order to prep fans for the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. We may never know what stopped the games from hitting the store five years ago, but it looks like Rockstar is bringing back ye old marketing plan for the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto V.
We will keep an eye out for any confirmation from Sony on the impending arrival of Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2 on the PlayStation Store, and let you know as soon as it is made official.