Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has founded his own studio in the UK called 'Absurd Ventures in Games'

[Uzupedro]

This was discovered by the website/channel Rockstar Mag


Information from UK's company filings website.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13472823/officers

 

[Toumari]

Not quite as catchy of a name as Rockstar Games.

 

[DrForester]

How absurd.

 

[Green Mario]

Looks like the address is right above a pub. Nice.

 

[Quintus]

Hulst on the phone right now talking to him.

 

[ASleepingMonkey]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

I feel like this may be something else in the gaming space, like consultation maybe?

 

[Dolce]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

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Rockstar has generally lost the freedom it once had, and is making games that thousands of people touch. Even as a studio head, I'm sure things internally move glacially slow and the decisions in terms of what to make are quite conservative. They're not making new IPs, and games like RDR and GTA take forever to make. I still love their modern games but there's definitely a reason to go out and try something different while he has time.

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

I feel like this may be something else in the gaming space, like consultation maybe?

Click to shrink...

Could be he just didn't like Take-Two trying to pressure them to make games faster. Could be a bunch of different reasons, but I hope he is still developing games.

 

[ASleepingMonkey]

Rockstar has generally lost the freedom it once had, and is making games that thousands of people touch. Even as a studio head, I'm sure things internally move glacially slow and the decisions in terms of what to make are quite conservative. They're not making new IPs, and games like RDR and GTA take forever to make. I still love their modern games but there's definitely a reason to go out and try something different while he has time.

Click to shrink...

That's fair, probably more creatively fulfilling

 

[IIFloodyII]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

I feel like this may be something else in the gaming space, like consultation maybe?

Click to shrink...

I imagine it's stressful as fuck being under that much pressure and he was for like 20 years straight on all Rockstar games after they became a mega studio. Going and setting up a small studio seems pretty common now.

 

[BrickArts295]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

I feel like this may be something else in the gaming space, like consultation maybe?

Click to shrink...

The thing is though, he could potentially begin to pouch key people from R*
Not that it matters much since anything GTA is going to do billion no matter who makes it but still, it would not surprise me if some R* devs aren't interested in just working on GTA for the next decade (and maybe RDR).

 

[PJV3]

Hulst on the phone right now talking to him.

Click to shrink...

His tentacles are everywhere.

 

[Hieronymus Bosch]

As absurd as 100 hour work weeks.

 

[Dash Kappei]

Damn?

 

[sappyday]

Could be he just didn't like Take-Two trying to pressure them to make games faster. Could be a bunch of different reasons, but I hope he is still developing games.

Click to shrink...

Maybe this is our chance of getting something like a Bully or Manhunt

 

[Slayven]

Unless they have deep pocket and patient backers, I don't see his style working for a indie studio

 

[Bxrz]

Unless they have deep pocket and patient backers, I don't see his style working for a indie studio

Click to shrink...

I'd imagine publishers would be bum-rushing his front door with a blank check to be partnered with someone like Dan Houser

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

Unless they have deep pocket and patient backers, I don't see his style working for a indie studio

Click to shrink...

I'd hope Dan Houser would have an easy time getting funding from someone. I'd think all the big pubs would be tripping over themselves trying to fund whatever he wants to make.

 

[Slayven]

I'd imagine publishers would be bum-rushing his front door with a blank check to be partnered with someone like Dan Houser

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Sure, but I don't think they will have the patient of rockstar. going by his history if they funded a game today, it might be out for the PS5 and X series refresh, MAYBE. Nobody got time for that

 

[Deleted member 81269]

Hulst on the phone right now talking to him.

Click to shrink...

LOL.

 

[a Master Ninja]

How absurd.

Click to shrink...

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

Sure, but I don't think they will have the patient of rockstar. going by his history if they funded a game today, it might be out for the PS5 and X series refresh, MAYBE. Nobody got time for that

Click to shrink...

Oh I think they know the dev cycle on that would be crazy, but the potential of that GTA money might drive them to give him anything he needs. Funding, access to more studios anything it'd take.

 

[ToddBonzalez]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

I feel like this may be something else in the gaming space, like consultation maybe?

Click to shrink...

There are tons of reasons why he might want to. Work on smaller games, have more creative freedom, etc.

 

[pswii60]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

Click to shrink...

It makes perfect sense. Dan likely left Rockstar due to the tedium of 10 year Dev cycles and lack of creative freedom.

After a break, I guess he's trying to get back to doing more of what he loves.

Happiness is more important than a job title.

 

[Vic20]

It makes perfect sense. Dan likely left Rockstar due to the tedium of 10 year Dev cycles and lack of creative freedom.

Click to shrink...

The reason why the games take 10 years is because of him and his constant rewrites.

 

[aceldama]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

Click to shrink...

Kojima, Jade Redmond, those guys from Treyarch and those guys from Bungie have all done that recently. I won't mention the other thing those four have in common because that could spark a baseless rumour...

 

[aceldama]

Hulst on the phone right now talking to him.

Click to shrink...

If Houser's phone wasn't already popping off before he quit Rockstar it definitely was the day the news came out.

 

[Pyro]

Really thought he would've just rode off into the sunset. Curious what kind of game they'll make and whether or not it'll be a big budget or smaller game.

 

[supkid]

Sorry to go off topic, but it always bugs me how the nationality is "American British" even though he's born in England, surely he's just English? Same with Druckmann being called an "American Israeli" despite being born in Israel.. just a bug bear of mine, since being Irish means the British always try to claim our famous people.

 

[DarrenM]

Awful name, but I hope the studio aims to make games like Rockstar.

 

[platocplx]

Gotta be honest, doesn't make much sense to leave the biggest studio at one of the highest roles to make another studio.

I feel like this may be something else in the gaming space, like consultation maybe?

Click to shrink...

Makes A LOT of sense when hella players in the market are paying hand over fist for new content and IP.

 

[Deleted member 32005]

maybe its a venture capitalist company. is that a thing in gamespace?

 

[Oreiller]

That's quite the name alright.

 

[aceldama]

Sorry to go off topic, but it always bugs me how the nationality is "American British" even though he's born in England, surely he's just English? Same with Druckmann being called an "American Israeli" despite being born in Israel.. just a bug bear of mine, since being Irish means the British always try to claim our famous people.

Click to shrink...

It's "American, British" as a list not "American-British" as a nationality. Houser has dual nationality and it's an obligation to correctly declare the nationality and residence status of anyone with a controlling stake in a UK company.

And to be fair: while we do get your artists the boot is on the other foot when it comes to second rate footballers.

 

[Addleburg]

This is pretty exciting if it means new, smaller games with Rockstar's brand of humor/sensibilities. So tired of all their games being so massive and taking so many years to create at this point. Smaller, more varied titles plz.

 

[pjl93]

any other evidence of this I can't find anything and it seems like it would be a bigger deal

 

[supkid]

It's "American, British" as a list not "American-British" as a nationality. Houser has dual nationality and it's an obligation to correctly declare the nationality and residence status of anyone with a controlling stake in a UK company.

And to be fair: while we do get your artists the boot is on the other foot when it comes to second rate footballers.

Click to shrink...

I'm not just talking about Houser, and I'm not just talking about owning a UK company, I'm talking a media wide thing. Druckmann seems to be listed places as American-Israeli as well, there's a fair few cases.

 

[Protome]

Unless they have deep pocket and patient backers, I don't see his style working for a indie studio

Click to shrink...

They probably will.
Leslie Benzie's studio has hundreds of people employed across multiple cities, funded mostly (entirely?) by multiple successful investment rounds.

They've also been making their first game for 5 years now, and haven't shown even a screenshot of it afaik.

There's definitely investment money around for that kind of thing.

 

[fenners]

I'm not just talking about Houser, and I'm not just talking about owning a UK company, I'm talking a media wide thing. Druckmann seems to be listed places as American-Israeli as well, there's a fair few cases.

Click to shrink...

That's utterly different to the house records in this case. It's a general American thing for prefixing American to their country of origin for immigrants + their descendents...

 

[thuway]

For those of you new to this: this game won't see the light of the day for the next decade.

 

[Rainy]

Was Dan Houser the one that said "we need the Benz!"

 

[Tovarisc]

Awful name, but I hope the studio aims to make games like Rockstar.

Click to shrink...

Somehow I doubt that what is equal of indie studio at this point can make games like Rockstar.

 

[Androidsleeps]

Plot twist: this isn't a games studio and is probably something else related to gaming.

 

[DetectiveKenobi]

I hope his first game is something smaller in scope like a Bully or Max Payne type game. Then they can move on to trying a GTA type game.

 

[World B. SkiFree]

Was Dan Houser the one that said "we need the Benz!"

Click to shrink...

Haha I was wondering when "I need the Benz!" would get a shout. I believe it was Sam.

https://www.xboxachievements.com/ne...ring-development-according-to-sam-houser.html

But wondering now if Dan needs the Benz?

 

[what am i even looking at]

Hopefully he buys the rights to Agent and the prophecy will finally be fulfilled.

 

[Mr.fresh]

For those saying this doesn't make much sense this is exactly what Phil Spencer was saying in an interview the other day. "It's such a risk-filled journey for them to get to the point to create real value. I'm always going to congratulate when teams get to the point where they realize that value through acquisition or just massive independent success… many of those leaders will go off and start other things over time. It's kind of the natural turnover that happens with entrepreneurs and startup businesses. And for us, we're always out there looking at where we could continue to build our first-party capability and looking at teams that we think would be good fits for us." It seems like it's pretty common. Or maybe like others have said it's just gaming related and not making games.

Telling Studios They Shouldn't Sell Is 'Short-Sighted," Phil Spencer Says After Xbox's Acquisition Spree - IGN

Xbox boss Phil Spencer says selling and buying game studios is a healthy part of the industry and a reason why there's innovation in businesses.

www.ign.com

 

[Messofanego]

The thing is though, he could potentially begin to pouch key people from R*
Not that it matters much since anything GTA is going to do billion no matter who makes it but still, it would not surprise me if some R* devs aren't interested in just working on GTA for the next decade (and maybe RDR).

Click to shrink...

Get over the people who made Table Tennis please. I could do with another innovative sports game that isn't part of a franchise.

 

[Hasney]

Hulst on the phone right now talking to him.

Click to shrink...

You know it. Expecting a cringe segment at the Game Awards to announce their partnership, like that other studio I've already forgotten the name of at SGF.

 

[Cyanity]

Could be he just didn't like Take-Two trying to pressure them to make games faster. Could be a bunch of different reasons, but I hope he is still developing games.

Click to shrink...

Do you? Rockstar is run terribly by out of touch execs who crunch their employees to death.