Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games and former chief writer, believes that being compared to the classic Grand Theft Auto titles he helped create is, to some extent, "the highest compliment." At the same time, he hopes that his new projects at Absurd Ventures can stand on their own merit.
In 2020, Dan Houser left this renowned open-world game developer and subsequently founded his own studio, Absurd Ventures. The studio is currently advancing multiple multimedia projects and developing several games—at least one of which is an open-world title. However, the shadow of GTA always lingers.
In an interview with Variety magazine, Houser stated, "Will I forever be compared to it? I'm not sure. On one hand, I hope this counts as the highest praise. But on the other hand, I also hope that some of the works we create can succeed on their own merits. It's certainly good to create excellent works, but if new projects don't have the same impact as previous ones, it's inevitably somewhat disappointing. However, the ability to create works is itself an honor; otherwise, you would remain forever stuck in past creative achievements, unable to move on."
Although comparisons are inevitable, Houser believes the core of his work is "creating projects I can be proud of," rather than pursuing commercial success. This may be a healthier creative mindset for his career after leaving GTA.
However, participating in the development of what is arguably the most influential game IP in history was far from an easy experience. He explained, "Of course, I faced immense pressure while working on every GTA title." He coped with this pressure by "doing Everythinggj possible to maintain the integrity of the work," ultimately creating projects he could be proud of. "The key question is whether the work feels fresh and innovative? If the answer is yes, then let the final outcome take its natural course. Even if a project developed at Rockstar received a lukewarm response, as long as we gave it our all, I would still be proud of it. The same logic applies here. We can't constantly think, 'If I don't create the biggest hit in history, I'm a failure.' Because that way, you'll only obsess over whether you're a success or a failure—but in reality, both feelings are quite similar. What matters is the act of creation itself, not market evaluation."