Ex-GTA boss Dan Houser has an explanation for why he believes the Grand Theft Auto franchise has been so successful for Rockstar Games, and it might not surprise you, but it's fascinating hearing him recall some history.
In a brief conversation with Channel 4's Sunday Brunch on November 23, the English producer and writer was asked if what led to GTA's mega-success had anything to do with the fact that the game is this sort of simulation for the version of ourselves that we can't actually live out.
"I think partly," Houser said. "I think it's partly that, partly it put you in this exaggerated cinematic world, and mostly I would argue because it was this sense of freedom. Before that, games were either a shooting game or a driving game or a simulation game, and [GTA] was all three smashed together in a way that felt very free. And just, also, you know, when people talk about the metaverse or this digital world, those were the first games that showed you this idea of living in this fake place."
Houser went on to say that it was really GTA 3 that skyrocketed the franchise's popularity. Although the game came out two months after the devastating attack against the Twin Towers in New York, Houser noted that the team (formerly DMA Designs, now Rockstar North) was still excited about the project because there was something "magical" about what GTA 3 was doing.
"I think all of the team felt, with GTA 3, which was the kind of big breakthrough one in 2001 and we were very much running out of money at the time as a company--I think all of the team thought, 'This could be amazing. There's something really magical about this,'" Houser continued. "It was very raw and put together, but as it began to come together, it had these sort of moments of real innovation and real, kind of--it felt like the future in a way. But then, until it came out, no one outside of our company was very excited by it. That came out just after 9/11 in late 2001, and as it came out, people started to get more excited about it."
While Houser reminisced about the GTA series during the chat, he also talked about the controversial technology everyone loves to talk about: AI. He's currently "dabbling" with it but believes it's overrated and "not as useful" as some would have you believe.
In other Grand Theft Auto news, Rockstar Games announced earlier this month that GTA VI has been delayed to November 2026. The company has a history of delaying its games, which we broke down in detail. There has also been some new information regarding the fired Rockstar employees that came to light, including the messages they allegedly shared before termination. It all paints a dour picture for GTA VI, which analysts believe won't save the struggles the games industry has faced lately, despite its almost-certain success.
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In a brief conversation with Channel 4's Sunday Brunch on November 23, the English producer and writer was asked if what led to GTA's mega-success had anything to do with the fact that the game is this sort of simulation for the version of ourselves that we can't actually live out.
"I think partly," Houser said. "I think it's partly that, partly it put you in this exaggerated cinematic world, and mostly I would argue because it was this sense of freedom. Before that, games were either a shooting game or a driving game or a simulation game, and [GTA] was all three smashed together in a way that felt very free. And just, also, you know, when people talk about the metaverse or this digital world, those were the first games that showed you this idea of living in this fake place."
Houser went on to say that it was really GTA 3 that skyrocketed the franchise's popularity. Although the game came out two months after the devastating attack against the Twin Towers in New York, Houser noted that the team (formerly DMA Designs, now Rockstar North) was still excited about the project because there was something "magical" about what GTA 3 was doing.
"I think all of the team felt, with GTA 3, which was the kind of big breakthrough one in 2001 and we were very much running out of money at the time as a company--I think all of the team thought, 'This could be amazing. There's something really magical about this,'" Houser continued. "It was very raw and put together, but as it began to come together, it had these sort of moments of real innovation and real, kind of--it felt like the future in a way. But then, until it came out, no one outside of our company was very excited by it. That came out just after 9/11 in late 2001, and as it came out, people started to get more excited about it."
While Houser reminisced about the GTA series during the chat, he also talked about the controversial technology everyone loves to talk about: AI. He's currently "dabbling" with it but believes it's overrated and "not as useful" as some would have you believe.
In other Grand Theft Auto news, Rockstar Games announced earlier this month that GTA VI has been delayed to November 2026. The company has a history of delaying its games, which we broke down in detail. There has also been some new information regarding the fired Rockstar employees that came to light, including the messages they allegedly shared before termination. It all paints a dour picture for GTA VI, which analysts believe won't save the struggles the games industry has faced lately, despite its almost-certain success.
Source