Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games and former creative director behind the Grand Theft Auto series, has stated that he intentionally avoids playing many open-world games, and plans to do the same with Grand Theft Auto 6. This decision stems from a desire to prevent external influences from affecting his creative process as he develops new projects with his current company, Absurd Ventures.
Houser explained to Variety that his focus is on innovation within the genre, making it unnecessary to analyze competitors' work. "I spend a large amount of time trying to make open-world games, and the rest of my conscious time trying to figure out innovative ways to market them, I don’t need to see what other people are [doing]," he said. "I’m always trying to think about new ways of doing it, not sit there in some kind of comparison of what I would have done differently."
He elaborated that his role has never been to track what other studios are doing but rather to explore new creative avenues. Houser cited his work on Red Dead Redemption, during which he abstained from watching Westerns, and The Sopranos, which he only watched after leaving Rockstar. "I really try and avoid things that I think are going to overly influence me," he stated.
The reason for not playing other open-world games, he feels, is that it can be distracting. He finds himself deconstructing the team's strengths and weaknesses in real time, commenting on animation teams or game design choices. As a creative director, Houser prioritizes discovering novel concepts or drawing inspiration from older media.
Absurd Ventures is currently developing two games. The company has also released the graphic novel series American Caper, with its season finale issue scheduled for release next month, a week before Grand Theft Auto 6 is due to launch. Alongside the comic, a book titled "A Better Paradise" will also be released.