GTA writer and producer Dan Houser has reportedly started a new games company.
The discovery was spotted by Rockstar Mag (via IGN), who noted that Houser was listed as the director of a new company called Absurd Ventures In Games. In the official business listing for the company, it's noted that it was incorporated on June 23rd and has an office in Chesire, UK.
And that's... about everything we know about the company right now. It's clear that this is a new venture from Houser, but the prospective scale and scope of the company isn't clear. While it certainly sounds like it's set to take part in the game space, there's no guarantee this is a new game developer from Houser. It's entirely possible this is a consultancy or something else entirely. However, on the business directory Endole, the company is classified as "ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development".
Whatever Houser is up to, it's bound to generate great interest. Often credited as one of the masterminds of the GTA and Red Dead Redemption series, alongside being a producer on most Rockstar games, Houser also wrote on every game in both series.
Dan Houser left Take-Two Interactive back in February of last year, leaving his brother Sam Houser behind to lead Rockstar. Dan Houser hasn't yet resurfaced, but this is the first inkling of what he might be up to. He had a huge hand in crafting Rockstar Games, which is one of the most influential developers in the entire world. Being so involved in Grand Theft Auto's rise into one of the most profitable intellectual properties of all time is bound to generate interest from fans and investors alike.
If this does end up being a serious venture into games development, it will be very interesting to see what Houser produces unchained from Rockstar. That being said, this appears to be very early days for the company. Houser is the only named employee, so it's unlikely there is a team out there deep in development for his next game. Still, watch this space.
Elsewhere, recent rumors suggest that GTA 6 could be set in Vice-City.
