Rockstar Games’ former VP of creative, Dan Houser, left the company in 2020, but he’s still a wellspring of knowledge about Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, both of which he was a lead writer on. Houser recently shared his insights into both game series as well as a few of Rockstar’s unrealized projects.
During a nearly three-hour interview with Lex Fridman on YouTube, Houser touched GTA 5’s uncompleted DLC that would have featured Trevor as a secret agent.
“It never quite came together, and it was never finished,” recalled Houser. “It was about half done when it got abandoned. But I think if that had come out, [we] probably wouldn’t have gotten to make Red Dead 2. So, there’s always compromises … I like making the stories. For me, I love the model of GTA 4 when you had the extra stories coming afterwards or Red Dead 1 when you had the zombie pack coming afterwards. I like just doing these extra things. So, I would’ve personally liked to have done more of that in that company.”
It’s great to see insights from Dan Houser about his experiences and thoughts on the future of Rockstar Games. His perspective on the gaming industry is always intriguing, especially with such a beloved franchise like GTA. Looking forward to what comes next!
Absolutely! Dan Houser’s perspective is invaluable, especially given his significant role in shaping iconic titles. It’s fascinating to think about how his departure might influence the creative direction of upcoming games like GTA 6.