• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Dan Houser starting new game company

TV&Drugs

Neo Member
Wild how often this has been going on the last few years. Big folks leaving big devs to create their own studio. It's rough, but also awesome.

I'm really eager to see what they all put together, and I'm honestly hoping it'll all be amazing.

I still love seeing people talk about Table Tennis, that game was such a surprise, lmao.

Well no one knows why he left. Speculated they were forced out due to some shady shit. Those guys seemed like poster boys of being meetoed. Guessing there was some shit going on behind the scenes. I mean forcing employees to get drunk and making them cavort with strippers and taking pics to blackmail them isn't a good sign.
 

TV&Drugs

Neo Member
RDR2 was a fantastic story.

Yeah, it was quite good, never finished it. But it had three writers. I dont think Dan did the heavy hitting. Think the quality boils down to the other two.

I mean we kinda have proof for how Dan likes to hog unearned credit. GTA Onlines credits said Benzidies wrote them, because apparently he did. And Dan blew a gasket and fired him because of that, and stole his equity even.
 
Last edited:

Blond

Banned
RDR2 was a fantastic story.
RDR2 had horrible story problem’s that just made the characters unlikeable pieces of shit, minus John and that’s only because they had an established framework to work with. Some missions especially needed to be more open because rushing and murdering an entire family for loot just came off as psychotic.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
RDR2 had horrible story problem’s that just made the characters unlikeable pieces of shit, minus John and that’s only because they had an established framework to work with. Some missions especially needed to be more open because rushing and murdering an entire family for loot just came off as psychotic.
EcqPr9P.gif
 
Last edited:

KyoZz

Tag, you're it.
Why? He's an atrocious writer. All he did was write some bad stories.
You know we don't all share the same opinion, right? I personally think RDR II is one of the best game I ever played, and it is mainly because of the story.
In addition, the supposed reason for his departure is worrying imo, that's why I'm sure GTA VI will be very impressive on the technical side, but I'm more careful about the story.
 

TV&Drugs

Neo Member
You know we don't all share the same opinion, right? I personally think RDR II is one of the best game I ever played, and it is mainly because of the story.
In addition, the supposed reason for his departure is worrying imo, that's why I'm sure GTA VI will be very impressive on the technical side, but I'm more careful about the story.

If you'd read the posts you'd seen we already addressed this.

It was written with two other writers. Dan fired Benzidies because GTA Online said it was written by him, and Dan wanted sole writing credit. There is prior proof of him taking credit for writing that was not his. Of course it had two other writers and Dan rode on their coat tails. The idea that Rockstar will be unable to hire good writers no is preposterous. If anything it wont be weighed down by Dans crap writing.

They will do a better job on the story side of GTA without him. Writing on GTA 5 was not very good.
 

KyoZz

Tag, you're it.
If you'd read the posts you'd seen we already addressed this.

It was written with two other writers. Dan fired Benzidies because GTA Online said it was written by him, and Dan wanted sole writing credit. There is prior proof of him taking credit for writing that was not his. Of course it had two other writers and Dan rode on their coat tails. The idea that Rockstar will be unable to hire good writers no is preposterous. If anything it wont be weighed down by Dans crap writing.

They will do a better job on the story side of GTA without him. Writing on GTA 5 was not very good.
Indeed I read that later. I'm just careful about R* next project, that's all I'm saying.
For the rest, we share different opinions.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
I'm starting to think he got out of there Because the woke took over and there was nothing he could do, the name of his new studio kinda suggests the type of games they'll make, if true...
Rock* are done for.
 

Cravis

Member
I'm starting to think he got out of there Because the woke took over and there was nothing he could do, the name of his new studio kinda suggests the type of games they'll make, if true...
Rock* are done for.
Or he saw the writing on the wall that all Rockstar cares about is micro transactions and how much shit they can sell in GTA Online.

He was a huge defender of the single player experience from what I’ve read online.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Or he saw the writing on the wall that all Rockstar cares about is micro transactions and how much shit they can sell in GTA Online.

He was a huge defender of the single player experience from what I’ve read online.
To be fair I think he could of change that if that was a problem
But turning around and realising the company you founded has gone woke, even people that you've known for years you have to tip toe around, and are telling you that Rock* has to change.
what do you do?
Go against them and be cancelled & be dragged through the mud or go your separate ways and wish them good luck.
If he had retired, it would be different
But starting up another company obviously shows he still wants to make games but obviously couldn't at the Rock* anymore.
 
Last edited:

carlosrox

Banned
Max Payne 3 was a brief moment of bliss in my life.
It feels like a dream. Where did it go?

I'd kill for a remake of 1, and a remaster of 2 and 3.

I'm always replaying 3. Played it over 10 times at this point. I was just playing it 2 nights ago cuz I got a sudden massive craving for it.

It just doesn't get old for me. The music and tone of the game is so depressing and bleak. It's cathartic, I love it.

Max Payne 4 with an even older Max is a dream of mine, and I already have the gimmicks they should use:

- More open levels/structure
- Add various vehicles and have Max able to do awesome slowmo kills in them (think the spinning car shot from Die Hard 3)
- 100% bring back HEALTH for the soundtrack
 

Mr Moose

Member
Is he back living in the UK now?

Maybe part of the reason he left Rockstar then, being in Manhattan for years, the lure of bad weather, the Queen, Warm Beer, decent tea and no risk of being shot to death on every corner (Ironic) always calls them home in the end...:messenger_beaming:
I've seen this on a few American shows... Do we drink warm beer over here or something? Warm beer makes me gag :messenger_anxious:
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Hasan has got a couple billions of funding. Will aquire Dan Houser and Kojima soon.
President Baker should be somewhere to the south of where you blasted through the wall. Hurry and save him before the terrorists discover his code.
 
I've seen this on a few American shows... Do we drink warm beer over here or something? Warm beer makes me gag :messenger_anxious:
"warm beer" is some weird beard southern thing: village life, with warm, flat beer on the cricket ground. It's all straight out of Midsummer Murders etc. I grew up north of Watford and the beer was cold, and had gas to it. Took me a while to get used to various southern aspects.
 

Nigel

Member
Somewhat worried about Rockstar. Him and Leslie Benzies left.

Houser being key for their stories and tone. Rockstar have also been reshuffling their business to be less "toxic" - potentially antithetical to RockStar's design and overall tone. Time will tell.

Glad he's still making stuff however. His stories aren't always perfect, but he's one of the few game writers with a voice.
 
Last edited:
I just don't see the next GTA being good. Rockstar have clearly been more focused on the online component and shark cards since the release of GTA V. They've not even bothered with any single player DLC. Online are obviously making them record money so of course they are going to focus on that.

I'm not even sure I'll get their next game right away.
 

Vagswarm

Member
There sure are a lot of big name developers leaving major companies these days. Blizzard, Bioware, Rockstar, Kojima (as himself)....
 

Woggleman

Member
He was the heart and soul of Rockstar and I am sure they will not be as good without him. Sony should make him an offer because I feel his style would fit in with the kind of games they make these days.
 

TV&Drugs

Neo Member
I just don't see the next GTA being good. Rockstar have clearly been more focused on the online component and shark cards since the release of GTA V. They've not even bothered with any single player DLC. Online are obviously making them record money so of course they are going to focus on that.

I'm not even sure I'll get their next game right away.

GTA Online is obviously here to stay. But there is still going to be an epic mainline GTA single player game.

Just my hunch, but the next one will be incredible. RDR2's story was a lot better than GTA 5. We wont get those cool GTA DLCs. But Rockstar has more money and time than ever. I think they are going to put that to good use and deliver a GTA Story better than ever.

GTA 5, and just in general that kinda juvenile satire had gotten stale. Just that tone. Single player games in general, like Sonys games, the writing and story telling in general the bar has been raised. Things have changed since the last GTA.
 

Woggleman

Member
RDR2's story was better because Houser wrote it. Also there are a lot of subtle digs at Take Two in that game if you pay attention.
 

YCoCg

Member
The lack of people mentioning Lazlow in this thread is sad, he left Rockstar as well and was a major contributor to the in-game media.
 

nush

Gold Member
Completely forgot about Table Tennis. It was so odd that Rockstar made that type of game.

It was.

 
I'm glad to hear he's still going to work in the game industry rather than bow out completely, it's a shame about Rockstar, but this is better than him just retiring.

Bully II clone is all I ask. Call it "Mean Kid" or something idk.
Bully II seems like the biggest missed opportunity for Rockstar to me, the whole premise of that game just begs for the RAGE engine.

A spiritual successor is what I'd like to see from this new company, it doesn't even have to be centered around "bullying" so much, just make a game about childhood, that experience of exploring and going on adventures as a kid, there's loads of potential there.
 
Top Bottom