Rockstar Games is often hailed as one of the most consistent developers in the industry, which isn't without its reasons. The studios' biggest franchises such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Ded Redemption have garnered massive critical and commercial acclaim with every release. Fans are often scouring the depths of the internet in search of clues for what the studio is on to next.
Two of Rockstar Games' founding members were the Houser brothers — Dan Houser and Sam Founder, the former of which departed from the studio last year. Dan Houser has recently begun a new company titled Absurd Ventures in Games, where he would be serving as the creative director for future projects. Taken purely on a surface level, the news might seem unimportant to some, but it could be a blessing for fans of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Dan Houser and Grand Theft Auto
Dan Houser has been an integral part of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, assuming the role of either producer and/or writer in almost every entry. While it isn't fair to credit him entirely for how great the games are, he has played a considerable role nevertheless. A lot of the personality within Rockstar's open-world games comes down to the writing, which can be subtle as seen in Grand Theft Auto 4, or mostly satirical as seen in Grand Theft Auto 5.
Regardless of the game, a consistent levity can be found within the writing, which lends a unique charm to the studio's work. Dan Houser being such an integral part of this aspect carries a lot of experience and expertise, which will probably be used to great extent with his new studio Absurd Ventures in Games. While reports suggest Houser is taking up a more directorial role within the new studio, it isn't so far-fetched to imagine him taking up writing, should the occasion call for it.
Grand Theft Auto, despite being incredibly popular, scratches a very particular itch that contemporaries have failed to do. Games like Mafia can take themselves too seriously, while others such as Saints Row are too self-aware to deliver a heartfelt narrative successfully. That being said, it's all the better for them since they aren't blindly following trends, but it leaves enough room for Dan Houser's studio to make a game in a similar vein to Grand Theft Auto.
Of course, there's always the point of budget to consider. Making AAA games isn't cheap to any extent, and Rockstar Games' open world titles are some of the most expensive that the medium has to offer. Games like Grand Theft Auto 5 have swaths of content and detail that took a span of several years across a number of studios to develop, and expecting something on the same scale might be a bit much. However, scale and ambition can always be pared back, and the studio could surely come up with something great along the same lines.
Rumors suggest that Grand Theft Auto 6 won't release until 2025, and it will be focused on a live-service model. If these rumors are indeed true, Dan Houser's studio has a great opportunity to capitalize on the void left by a purely singleplayer Rockstar open-world.
Revitalizing Forgotten Rockstar Franchises
Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar, which gives the former a lot of control over which projects are pursued in the latter's pantheon of studios. Longtime fans of the developer might remember the more experimental projects from the studios — including titles like Bully, Manhunt, Midnight Club, and many more.
Many of these franchises have been extinct or put on hold for almost a decade at this point, and a lot of it can be attributed to Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption overshadowing these smaller games by boasting sales figures in tens of millions. A recent rumor pertaining to Bully 2 states how the development was canned in favor of bigger and more lucrative projects like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.
Dan Houser didn't announce any particular reasons for his departure, but it's quite possible that it could be due to burnout on working on games within the same franchises that continue to get bigger and bigger. The sentiment is also backed by his departure taking place after an extended break that lasted six months. Thus, it's also plausible that his studio might work on IPs reminiscent of these forgotten franchises.
Fans of games like Max Payne 3 and Bully have been clamoring for years for sequels, sadly to no avail. As mentioned before, most of these games have a unique charm that hasn't quite been replicated since. Given that Dan's Absurd Ventures in Games is free to pursue whatever ventures they want, it might even bring back many of these experiences with new hats — since rights to Rockstar Games' franchises are reserved. There's some possibility of his studio developing a game for Rockstar by using these IPs, but the chances aren't worth banking on for now.
Games like Control signify how middling budgets can produce great results. Remedy took its signature storytelling techniques and gameplay ideas established while working on games like Max Payne and Quantum Break and realized it to a great extent within an entirely new universe. This provides a great lesson for Dan Houser's new studio to look up to, and hopefully, fans get to see many of their favorite franchises in an entirely new light or better yet, something completely unique.