Rockstar Video games’ former VP of artistic, Dan Houser, left the corporate in 2020, however he is nonetheless a wellspring of information about Grand Theft Auto and Pink Useless Redemption, each of which he was a lead author on. Houser not too long ago shared his insights into each recreation collection in addition to just a few of Rockstar’s unrealized tasks.
Throughout an almost three-hour interview with Lex Fridman on YouTube, Houser touched on GTA 5’s uncompleted DLC that may have featured Trevor as a undercover agent.
“It by no means fairly got here collectively, and it was by no means completed,” recalled Houser. “It was about half executed when it received deserted. However I believe if that had come out, [we] most likely would not have gotten to make Pink Useless 2. So, there’s at all times compromises … I like making the tales. For me, I really like the mannequin of GTA 4 if you had the additional tales coming afterwards or Pink Useless 1 if you had the zombie pack coming afterwards. I like simply doing these additional issues. So, I’d’ve personally appreciated to have executed extra of that in that firm.”
Houser associated {that a} James Bond-style recreation referred to as Agent was additionally in improvement, however the group could not get the concept to work in an open-world surroundings with out sacrificing the rising pressure of a spy thriller. He added that the group hadn’t even set a time interval or a narrative earlier than the mission was shut down. Equally, a Rockstar recreation about Knights in medieval instances did not make it out of improvement.
“[We were] kind of attempting to do a model of a mythological recreation that might have been enjoyable,” mentioned Houser. “And you understand, [I] nonetheless love that concept, however by no means went very far with it. Knights can be going actually far again in historical past … It by no means received to writing any of it. Simply did some backstory and performed round with just a few concepts. Nevertheless it was at all times one thing I assumed I’d by no means do, after which sort of fell in love with it somewhat bit.”
Fridman additionally requested about two of the enduring mysteries from the Pink Useless Redemption video games: The person on the lookout for his pal Gavin, and the shadowy particular person who knew John’s actions. Houser defined that the Gavin story wasn’t imagined to have a decision earlier than sharing this principle on the shadow man.
“He was meant to be a sort of manifestation of your shadow, your karma, the satan, someplace,” mentioned Houser. “And then we constructed out his backstory over time … And so in Pink Useless 2, you possibly can work together with him once more and. .. or probably not work together with him. However he was there and he was meant to be one thing I suppose any artistic is frightened of, an artist who’s sort of offered his soul to the satan. And that slowly revealed itself. He is aware of what you are as much as. What’s by no means actually made clear is, does he know this about everyone? Like, is he following you, or is he ready, due to the pact he is made with evil forces, ready to do that for everyone? I do not suppose we essentially ever make clear that. He is actually capable of do it for you.”
Though Houser wasn’t concerned within the creation of GTA 6, he has little doubt it can break information upon its debut.
“I’d assume it can as a result of it is so anticipated, and anticipation is the most effective driver of early gross sales, as we noticed with GTA 4 versus Pink Useless Redemption 1,” added Houser. “You understand, GTA 4 way more anticipated, offered a lot better early on. So I’d assume [GTA 6] will promote very well. That was by no means my definition of success, however you actually needed to become profitable. “
Houser not too long ago launched a novel, A Higher Paradise Quantity One: An Aftermath, which is now obtainable on Amazon.