Former Rockstar and GTA lead Dan Houser says gaming can "either go somewhere really interesting or somewhere that gets overly focused on making money"

1. Games
2. Action Games
3. Grand Theft Auto
4. Grand Theft Auto V

Former Rockstar and GTA lead Dan Houser says gaming can "either go somewhere really interesting or somewhere that gets overly focused on making money" News By Kaan Serin published 23 November 2025

"I think there's always that danger with any commercial art form"

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar Games co-founder and the former lead writer on almost every mainline Grand Theft Auto game - except for the upcoming GTA 6 - thinks the gaming industry is faced with the "danger" of being too focused on printing money instead of simply making interesting games.

GTA and Red Dead Redemption 2's lead writer, Dan Houser, appeared on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch show to talk about his past and future projects, where he was also asked about where the games industry in general will go next. According to the Rockstar veteran, gaming can go down one of two roads.

"It can go - you know, with all things - it can either go somewhere really interesting or somewhere that gets overly focused on making money," Houser said. "I think there's always that danger with any commercial art form that they get distracted by money, but there's still a big scene creatively to make these kinds of living narrative experiences."

You may like

• Creating Red Dead Redemption 2 was "not that fun," Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says, as it wasn't "coming together" and was "over budget so much I didn’t want to think about it"
• Red Dead Redemption 2 "was the best thing" that Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser worked on, not GTA 5: "The best single realization of open-world storytelling thematic consistency"
• Rockstar Games co-founder says GTA 6 is carrying so much hype “because they don’t come out that regularly” and the series has been “constantly innovating”

That said, Houser was a little less gung ho about predicting a winner, so he sort of split the trophy in two. "I think they'll both win," he said. "I think there'll be two paths. We've already seen that in spaces within the games industry where they both kind of win."

It's a problem that's maybe always affected the industry, but in recent years, it's been very hard not to see the influence of corporate greed on games as private equity and bigger tech companies get involved. You don't need to look much further than the endless amounts of 'live service' fluff floating out there, which are more or less glorified real-money storefronts/gambling devices, rather than artful or directed experiences.

Still, Houser's right in the sense that developers of all sizes are still coming out with great games and finding great success at the same time. Self-published indies like Hades 2, Hollow Knight Silksong, and Peak gave me some hope this year, at least.

GTA 6 studio Rockstar Games' firing of "at least 30 employees" reaches the UK Parliament as MP questions "what steps can be taken" to support the former devs

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation Kaan SerinFreelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Creating Red Dead Redemption 2 was "not that fun," Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says, as it wasn't "coming together" and was "over budget so much I didn’t want to think about it"    Red Dead Redemption 2 "was the best thing" that Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser worked on, not GTA 5: "The best single realization of open-world storytelling thematic consistency"    Rockstar Games co-founder says GTA 6 is carrying so much hype “because they don’t come out that regularly” and the series has been “constantly innovating”    Red Dead Redemption 3 "probably will happen," says Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, but he'd be "sad" about it: "It was a cohesive two-game arc"    Unless GTA 6 "comes out and it's terrible" no open-world dev can hope to top Rockstar, original Saints Row design lead says – but "there's nothing wrong with trying to be a #2"    Take-Two CEO says they "take no victory lap" following $55 billion EA buyout news, and the company is "always running scared": "We wish our competitors well"    Latest in Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 joins Cyberpunk 2077 in winning the Most Wanted Golden Joysticks award two years running, in what's not a worrying coincidence whatsoever    To get GTA on Xbox, Microsoft had to convince Rockstar that its console wasn't "going to be a flop," former exec says    GTA 6 developer Rockstar is "a machine" in "an industry rife with work exploitation, unfair practice, and unreasonable working conditions," protesters say after recent firings    GTA 6 will launch in exactly one year, but some fans don’t believe it: "1 year from now we will be waiting for it to come out in a year"    Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says the industry is "moving towards PC" even if consoles are "never going away," but still hasn't confirmed if GTA 6 is coming to PC    "Rockstar delaying GTA 6 is a flex": Analyst says the studio's "most valuable currency" is anticipation, so Take-Two is strategically polishing its $2.7 billion project    Latest in News Former Rockstar and GTA lead Dan Houser says gaming can "either go somewhere really interesting or somewhere that gets overly focused on making money"    Pocketpair dates Palworld's second collab, this time with hugely-acclaimed FPS Ultrakill, and again teases a Legendary Pal first shown off years ago for 1.0    Bethesda returned to its 2006 RPG with Oblivion Remastered after deciding "what to modernize and what not to modernize," and it just "makes sense"    Christopher Nolan almost came close to directing an ancient epic before The Odyssey, but got Batman Begins instead    Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar praises director Chloé Zhao's involvement in the revival     Noah Centineo close to boarding Gundam movie with Sydney Sweeney    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Constance review: "If Hollow Knight: Silksong seems too daunting, this wonderful paint powered adventure should do nicely"
2. 2This enthralling team board game is perfect for playing with family this Thanksgiving
3. 3Kirby Air Riders review: "This racer is also equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike – and I'm shocked at how well that works"
4. 4Demonschool review: "This Persona-inspired RPG is full of fun, flair, and ready to chomp away at your free time"
5. 5Morsels review: "The Binding of Isaac style roguelike shooting gets somehow grosser, but struggles to set itself apart"

1. 1Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
2. 2The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
3. 3Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
4. 4Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
5. 5Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"

1. 1Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
2. 2The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
3. 3IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
4. 4Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
5. 5Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"