Dan Houser, the co-founder ofRockstar Gameswith his brother Sam, recently left the company and series he helped make so popular. True to his cagey nature, few are aware of why he left his position or what he will do next. The news has fans wondering what this means for the nextGrand Theft Autoand whatever projects the studio is working on next.
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The following list will detail ten ways his exit may affect the studio’s work. It is all speculation, but as the vice president of creativity Houser had to have a large influence within the company, so it is hard to imagine not feeling his absence in future titles.
10Bigger Emphasis On Multiplayer
Grand Theft Auto V’ssingle-player is an engrossing criminal epic. This is only one small aspect of the game’s success, however. What still keeps the game on the sales charts is the massive and ever-expanding multiplayer component,GTA Online.Red Dead Redemption 2also has its own online mode, giving Take-Two and the studio two sources of steady income. People pay sixty dollars once, and microtransactions keep the cash flowing in for years. Houser was a writer and impacted these games' narratives. If the company is more interested in creating multiplayer modes, then his exodus could mean future games have a bigger focus on online content. People shouldn’t expect single-player to disappear completely, however.
9Different Narratives
Even if single-player remains an important factor of Rockstar’s games, they certainly will play out differently with his direction gone. No game is written by one person, but his name was always there first, and he was an executive producer on many of Rock Star’s biggest games.
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Someone else taking the lead doesn’t have to be a bad thing, however. New ideas can always make a stories franchise feel fresh and alive. Besides, Houser himself said he wasstumped on how to continue the series. Maybe he was telling the truth.
8Less Inspired By Movies
Dan and Sam Houser wear their love of movies on their sleeves.Max Payne 3screams ofMan on Fire, and ViceCityfeels like playing an episode ofMiami Vice, only on the opposite end of the law. With Dan gone, these nods may be less apparent. To some who abhor references to movies, this is a good thing. However, likeSoviet-eradirector Andrei Tarkovsky recreating famous classical paintings with his cinematography to help get his themes across to the audience, so does loosely mimicking a movie’s story in a game help people realize the medium’s potential.
7No Bully 2
One of the most heavily-rumored projects at the studio isBully 2. Even though no signs of its development are in sight, whispers come up every once in awhile of its existence.
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The recent news makes us think all hopes for a sequel to the cult classic are lost. Dan has said he has numerous concepts for a continuation of Jimmy’s story, but that does not matter anymore after his departure. Would aBully 2without Dan still feel the same, or was he responsible for theunique protagonistand story?
6Fewer New IPs
Rockstar’s last new IP wasRed Dead Redemptionin 2010. Since then, only three new games have come from the company in the last decade, all of which were sequels. It seems like the company is less inclined to take a risk on a new property now, especially whenGTA VandRDR2have become such long term successes. If Dan leaving is a sign of changes in the company structure and direction, then the studio’s future might hold a cycle ofGrand Theft AutoandRed Deadgames. To be fair, far worse fates exist for a video game studio and its fans.
5Retreading Older Ground
With one creative lead gone, the studio runs the risk of repeating their past success in an attempt to recapture it. Prior games always built upon the mechanics of the last or tried something entirely new, instead of just going bigger and more refined. IfRed Dead Redemption 2was just more missions with the same feel as the first game, it would not have garnered the same amount of love. At the same time, games are a team effort and we’re sure plenty of creative minds at the studio have great ideas they are waiting to put into practice.
4No Max Payne 4
Max Payne 3felt like a gift. Not only was it a long-awaited sequel, but it also gave the developer a chance to showcase their wonderful engine in a more controlled environment. To this day the character models and animations are nearly unmatched in their realism, only recently surpassed byRed Dead Redemption 2. Part of its glory was its story, partly written by Dan Houser. It is hard to say if a sequel will ever come to fruition without his presence, assuming he had a large say in what projects the studio took.
3They Could Take Fewer Risks
Despite the studio’s massive success, they are no strangers to taking risks.Grand Theft Auto IVstripped out many features fromSan Andreasin an effort to refine a few aspects to their peak, whileRed Dead Redemptionpoured tons of money into a slower-paced adventure without the guarantee of success. Will they still go out on the same limbs in the future? Even if it is not because of him, do their online components' cash flow make them less eager to try wilder concepts?
2An Extremely Long Wait For GTA VI
The announcement comes after an already extended break for the former vice president of creativity. With this in mind, it is possible that work on the finer aspects ofGTA VIhave yet to begin. Maybe they already started crafting themap, but the story and missions were still just ideas floating around in people’s heads. Given the extreme amount of manpower and working hours it takes to make anopen-worldgame of this caliber, it seems like no one should expect the nextGTAfor a few more years.
1Fewer Things Will Change Than People Think
Vice president of creativity is a big role, but it is not everything. After all, hundreds upon hundreds of people are involved in the creation of a Rockstar title, and numerous higher-ups make decisions regarding all aspects of the game. Ultimately, his absence will probably see fewer changes within the games than people speculate. While not everything will be the same, it is also not a sign that the studio’s glory days are over.
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