About

GTA SUB-VERSIONS is a technical and theoretical guide dedicated to the subversion of GTA V following a research project initiated by the research program Édition - Media Design: Expanded Publishing, when data becomes forms (EMD) of the ESAD Orléans in September 2025. This project will develop over three years and focuses on the practices of modding and machinima, which involve transforming an existing video game to modify its narrative, mechanics, or meaning. Starting with the game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) created in 1997 by David Jones and Mike Dailly, we propose to explore how these practices reveal the narrative and video game principles of this medium.

Divided into three parts, Tutorials, Articles, Glossary, this guide serves as a research support and traces our initial experiments and reflections. It is aimed at teachers and students of the program and is intended to be shared and open to any form of contribution beyond its members. The goal is to enable anyone wishing to venture into modding GTA V, creating an interactive installation, a machinima, or simply experimenting differently with this universe by providing them with tools and subversion techniques, while supporting a critical and theoretical approach to these practices.

Who are we?

The team of the research program Édition Media-Design consists of four teacher-researchers, two students in DSRD, and a group of nineteen first and second year DNSEP students.

Teacher-researchers: Emmanuel Cyriaque, Sophie Monville, Robin Moretti, Nicolas Tilly

DSRD students: Margaux Deroite and Élise Voët

Students: Lou Berthon (M2), Léo Bonnot (M2), Julien Cuisiat (M2), Anne-Sophie Fofana (M1), Lina Ghamrawi (M2), Julika Hother (M1), Ameni Hajji (M1), Ming Yuan Hsu (M2), Jolaine Kanda (M1), Émile Le Bihan (M2), Youen Le Scoul (M2), Rufaro Mabuto (M1), Sydney Mazé (M2), Juan Millois (M1), Romain Nivelle (M1), Clément Paris (M2), Michaël Ranary (M2), Yoann Schmitt (M2), Eda Tinmaz (M1)

Sub-Versions the project

In the manner of a fablab, we discover the practices of mod and machinima and question the integration of new forms of artificial creativity in the creative process and the forms of agency specific to video games. Publishing allows us to document our experimental and collaborative approach and to address the first technical issues arising from the following research axes: subversion and insertion of assets, censorship and visibility, interface and user environment.

Translated by AI from the French version.