Dan Houser says comparisons between his new Absurd Ventures games and the Grand Theft Auto titles he helped create could be flattering—but he also hopes the new work succeeds on its own terms. In interview coverage by GamesRadar+, which attributes the remarks to a Variety interview, Houser frames creative integrity and freshness as more meaningful measures than whether a game becomes the biggest hit.
What Dan Houser said about comparing his new games to GTA
Houser acknowledged that people may judge his future work against the Grand Theft Auto games he worked on. “I mean, hopefully, on some level there could be no greater compliment. On another level, I hope some of the stuff we make is going to be successful in its own right,” he said, as quoted in GamesRadar+’s report of the Variety interview.
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| 1 |
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Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition (Xbox One) | $24.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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IRIPLEZO Grand Theft Auto V | $24.33 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Grand Theft Auto V - PlayStation 4 (Renewed) | $16.08 | Buy on Amazon |
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Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox 360 | $34.27 | Buy on Amazon |
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Grand Theft Auto V | $47.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Those ideas are not contradictory: he can value the comparison as recognition of his past work while still wanting Absurd Ventures’ projects to establish their own identities. Houser also said it would be disappointing if the new work proved less impactful, while describing the chance to make anything as a privilege.
How Houser measures success
Houser said making GTA games involved substantial pressure. His reported approach to new work is to make it with integrity, ask whether it feels fresh and new, and let the results follow. He cautioned against treating a game’s failure to become “the biggest thing ever” as a personal failure.
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- Includes the complete grand Theft Auto V story experience
That puts the emphasis on creative standards rather than a guarantee of commercial scale. He wants the new games to succeed independently, but the interview coverage does not set a sales target or promise that they will match GTA’s reach.
What games Absurd Ventures is developing
Related GamesRadar+ coverage reports two games in development at Absurd Ventures. Houser described one as an open-world comedy focused on comedy and “character memory.” The other is a dystopian science-fiction story about a game development going wrong and a rogue AI becoming sentient.
Rank #2
- STUNNING VISUALS — Enhanced levels of fidelity and performance with new graphics modes featuring up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, HDR options, ray tracing, improved texture quality, and more
- FASTER LOADING — Quicker access to the action as the world of Los Santos and Blaine County load in faster than ever before.
- ADAPTIVE TRIGGERS AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK — Feel every moment through the DualSense controller, from directional damage to weather effects, rough road surfaces to explosions, and more.
- TEMPEST 3D AUDIO — Hear the sounds of the world with pinpoint precision: the throttle of a stolen supercar, the rattle of neighbouring gunfire, the roar of a helicopter overhead, and more.
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the European version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
| Project | What has been described | Known status |
|---|---|---|
| Open-world comedy | A comedy that leans into character memory; no further gameplay systems are established in the report. | In development, according to the interview coverage. |
| Dystopian science-fiction game | A story about a game development going wrong and a rogue AI becoming sentient. | In development, according to the interview coverage. |
At the time of the interview, Houser said more information about the comedy would come in “the next few months.” That was relative to the interview, not a current reveal schedule. The cited coverage supplies no confirmed release dates, platforms, budgets, or release windows for either game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Houser says he is avoiding GTA 6
In a related interview report, Houser said he had not watched GTA 6 and intended to avoid it, along with other open-world games, while working. “I will try and avoid it because I always try and avoid stuff that’s going to distract or disrupt me creatively,” he said, referring to GTA 6.
Rank #3
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.;Number of Players: Multiplayer; ESRB Content: Blood and gore|Intense violence|Mature humor|Nudity|Strong language|Strong sexual content|Use of drugs and alcohol; Genre: Action and Adventure
He also described trying to find new ways to make and market open-world games. His explanation is about protecting his creative process, not a criticism of GTA 6 or a claim about its quality.
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Rank #4
- The biggest, most Dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story
- Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the Dynamic and ever evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players
What is—and is not—known from the interviews
- Houser sees comparison with his GTA work as potentially flattering, while hoping the new games will be successful in their own right.
- The projects are described at a high level as an open-world comedy and a dystopian science-fiction story; the reports do not establish detailed mechanics or platforms.
- The quoted comments are attributed to Houser in a Variety interview as reported by GamesRadar+. The original Variety interview was not available through the route used for that coverage, so the quotations here are attributed to the reporting, not independently verified against a transcript.
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