As the gaming world eagerly consumes every frame of GTA 6's marketing reveals in the days leading up to its November 19 launch, there is one person who has deliberately chosen to avoid watching: Dan Houser, the co-founder of Rockstar Games and head writer for nearly every major GTA entry from GTA 3 to Red Dead Redemption 2.
Speaking on Variety's Strictly Business podcast, Houser opened up about his decision to avoid watching GTA 6's marketing reveals and the game itself upon release, explaining that it has nothing to do with him feeling "resentful" of his former company.
Protecting the Headspace at Absurd Ventures
Having left Rockstar Games in 2020, Houser has since launched an open-world development studio called Absurd Ventures in 2021, where he is currently working on multiple unannounced IPs including an open-world comedy and a sci-fi dystopian series.
"When I left Rockstar, I started working on my own projects, so seeing what Rockstar is doing would distract or disrupt what I'm trying to do," said Houser.
The "Creative Deconstruction" Curse
Houser cited a reason for avoiding the game that most game developers and journalists could relate to: the "creative deconstruction" of open-world games.
"If I play another open world game, it's like I'm doing a report on it. If I watch a trailer, it's like I'm breaking it down and evaluating what they did right or wrong. It's not that I want to steal ideas, but as a writer, it's hard not to put that into context of what you're making," said Houser.
This is particularly relatable for any writer or creative director in the gaming industry. Most who work on grand open-world projects find themselves analyzing other similar projects when they come across them, whether it's playing a game or watching a movie.
The clearest precedent comes from Houser's own past practices during his decades at Rockstar. When developing Red Dead Redemption, he famously avoided watching Western movies to keep his creative instincts unfiltered. In fact, he revealed he had not watched The Sopranos until after he had stepped away from the studio.
The Post-Houser Era at Rockstar
GTA 6 will be the first major entry in the Grand Theft Auto series not directed by Dan Houser, though longtime Rockstar writer and co-writer of the last three GTAs Rupert Humphries continues to take the lead role in the writers' room.
Regardless of whether Houser remains in a creative capacity at Rockstar, the fact that he has chosen to let this generation of open-world developers build the game without his interference is a signal that the future of this storied series is bright enough to shine through even the clouds of GTA Online's influence.