San Andreas’ Weird Moon Easter Egg Finally Explained

In 2001’s genre-defining PlayStation 2 smash Grand Theft Auto III, for those who pulled out a sniper rifle and shot on the moon, it might change measurement. For years, followers tried to clarify why this humorous little secret was included within the sport. Was it a reference to one thing? A smaller half of a bigger secret? Now, in 2023, due to new data from a former GTA developer, we all know the reality.

Earlier this month, former Rockstar North developer Obbe Vermeij posted some fascinating and attention-grabbing blogs chronicling the event of previous GTA video games and the unique Manhunt. These write-ups are stuffed with nuggets of knowledge on how a few of the most profitable video games ever launched had been truly made. However whereas Vermeij has since deleted the posts voluntarily, the web by no means forgets, and we will fortunately nonetheless dig into these missives and skim up on why that bizarre moon Easter egg was included in GTA III, Vice Metropolis, and San Andreas.

In response to a weblog publish titled: Why does the moon change measurement while you snipe it, Vermeij claims that this foolish secret was the results of artists being unable to agree on how huge the in-game moon must be in GTA III’s evening sky.

“The artists gave me a texture for the moon in [GTA III]. I positioned the moon within the sky, made certain it was seen at evening, and that it was an affordable measurement,” Vermeij defined within the publish.

A couple of days later, Vermeij says some Rockstar North artists confirmed up at this desk asking if he might change the moon’s measurement. Vermeij informed them he might and requested if the artists wished it greater or smaller. That’s when it turned clear that some people wished the moon bigger and extra “cinematic.” Nevertheless, different artists wished the other, a smaller “extra life like” moon. After this argument went on for a bit, Vermeij provided an answer.

“I recommended to make the scale of the moon changeable within the sport,” Vermeij mentioned. “This fashion they may determine in their very own time and let me know the conclusion. Since I used to be engaged on the sniper rifle, I made it in order that the moon toggled via three sizes (small, medium, massive) because the participant sniped it.”

That appeared to resolve the controversy and in line with Vermeij; the artists at Rockstar North by no means got here again to him concerning the size-changing moon so he simply left it within the sport. That code, as talked about already, would find yourself in Vice Metropolis and San Andreas. It’s even within the 2006 spin-off Vice Metropolis Tales. Maybe no person observed? Or extra possible, it turned a well-known secret and Rockstar left it in.

It’s humorous to me to lastly be taught the true story behind this well-known, bizarre secret. For years I keep in mind individuals theorizing that it was a reference to Bethesda’s 1995 DOS shooter The Terminator: Future Shock—which has its personal bizarre moon Easter egg—or that the key was a part of some greater, still-unsolved thriller involving aliens on the moon.

Nope! It seems that it was only a developer attempting to assist a few of his fellow co-workers remedy an issue whereas making one of the crucial influential PS2 video games of all time. You understand, simply a mean Tuesday.

   .