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Absurd Ventures: Dan Houser has a new studio and it’s the good kind of creepy
Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures studio is equal parts brilliant and confusing. And also creepy, but in a good way.
Image: Absurd Ventures
Dan Houser, a key figure in the gaming industry known for co-founding Rockstar Games, is embarking on a new journey – a new studio aptly named Absurd Ventures.
Houser’s new studio is centred around creating stories, characters, and immersive worlds that transcend various mediums – video games included.
If the tagline (‘Storytelling. Philanthropy. Ultraviolence’) doesn’t hook you, the bold, in-your-face announcement video surely will.
Watch at your own risk
Absurd Ventures’ launch video, a two-minute thrill-ride of their creative, unconventional, and edgy ethos, offers more hints than explicit details about the venture’s direction.
The video is vague, but don’t despair. Absurd Ventures clarified some details in a recent press release.
Absurd Ventures ethos
As per the statement, the team will be “building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a diverse variety of genres, without regard to medium.”
They are also committed to encompassing live-action and animation, video games and other interactive content, including books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.
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Rockstar Games legacy
During Houser’s 22-year tenure at Rockstar, his contributions were nothing short of seminal.
He was there when the studio was founded in 1998 and as Rockstar Games scaled up, he remained a critical contributor.
His works spanned five Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games production, as well as writing for every GTA instalment up to and including Grand Theft Auto V.
He also contributed to both Red Dead Redemption titles. Additionally, he lent his voice to Grand Theft Auto III and its standalone expansion games.
Houser parted ways with Rockstar Games in 2020.
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