4. Rockstar Paid Max Clifford To Give Grand Theft Auto Poor Press & Generate Controversy To Boost Sales
Here's a fact that might actually blow your mind, given how notorious the
Grand Theft Auto franchise is with regards to its reputation in the press, even now. But according to several sources, many of which come from Rockstar themselves, the Scottish company actually paid infamous British public relations man Max Clifford to generate negative buzz and controversy prior to the release of the first
Grand Theft Auto game in 1997. This is pretty shocking, given that Rockstar are constantly being forced to rebute theories that their games are ruining the world and its children at large. That they did this kind of makes sense, though, because - let's face it - controversy sells. If somebody tells you that a game is sick and violent, you're probably more likely to go out and play it. That was Clifford's thinking, anyway. And it totally worked. Money well spent, I say.