“We are building Absurd Ventures to create new universes and to tell great stories, wherever and however we can,” said Houser in the press release announcing the company’s establishment.

According to the company’s announcement, it will work on projects regardless of what medium it exists in, be it live-action, animation, video games, and other medium, like books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.

Houser had officially left Rockstar Games and his position as VP of Creative at publisher Take-Two Interactive back in February, 2020 after serving an extended leave since Spring 2019. Ahead of Houser’s departure, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick stated that “the label has really never been stronger“, while thanking Houser “for his contributions” and wishing him well.

Talking to The Sunday Times, Houser stated that, “Even though we’ve done this for quite a long time, I still have to pinch myself and think, ‘How did I get on this train at the right time?’. Nothing else can claim to have the same infinite expansiveness ahead of it that this medium does. The train is still running.”

When the case came to the company’s philosophy of releasing one new game a year at least, “It comes back to something at the root of the whole company, which is that if you’re going to take £40 out of someone’s wallet, that’s a lot of money for a piece of entertainment – and you’ve got to justify that.

“We’re definitely in that realm of excitement and misery at the same time. It’s not supposed to be easy. Each time, we push everything to its limit. I don’t think it’s conscious, but it’s sort of how it has to be. It has to hurt more. You want to find Kurtz every time.”

As for the controversies that the franchise has met over the years, Houser stated that, “Gamers are growing up, though we are still 10-20 years from all people in governance or authority understanding that it’s the same as any other art form and should not be singled out. We’re evolving. These kinds of things don’t happen overnight.”

Grand Theft Auto V releases on September 17th for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Dan Houser one of the leading people behind Rockstar Games was slightly vocal about 3D and its implementation in games. He questions whether 3D is beneficial for games when it comes to gameplay aspect, because we all know it adds depth to the graphics.

It’s interesting to see him back gameplay so much ahead of graphics, as if  it’s the most integral part of the games they make. He wants someone to be able solve the riddle of making 3D impact the gameplay in a meaningful way.

“Is it really able to impact gameplay in a meaningful way? That is something that we haven’t solved. You know, I don’t think any of us have come close to solving it yet, and I don’t think they’ve solving it in cinema,” he said in an interview with Gamasutra.

“There are a lot of powerful people in movies who are passionate believers in it. In games it’s got a little bit less attention, because games are about gameplay, and no one has yet found a way that it enhances this gameplay.”

I have to agree with him here, because it really doesn’t add much to the gameplay for me, and while it can improve the graphical depth, which is quite nice but overall, right now it really isn’t that must have feature.

He also said that 3D hasn’t made a huge impact like some other things like Television or PC graphics cards, which will make people go gaga over it.

“Every other technological innovation, that either television, or console makers, or PC graphics card makers has had a tangible impact on either the ability to make mechanics more interesting at the core level or the ability to make the characters better.

“And you can’t point to anything that makes you go, “Once you play this on 3D, then you know why you want to play 3D”.”

Do you agree with him? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.