Rockstar's Dan Houser has been mulling over the parallels between Victorian-era literature and his own genre of open-world video games. For the co-founder of Rockstar, the world-building that defines the likes of Charles Dickens, Gustave Flaubert and Leo Tolstoy is also a hallmark of games like Red Dead Redemption 2. Houser has always felt that there's something missing from modern gaming narratives: an immersive, realist approach to storytelling.
For him, it all started with Grand Theft Auto IV, where he was struck by the similarities between the game's narrative structure and those of big 19th-century novels. "You get this sense of slightly spread out storytelling," Houser explains, drawing comparisons to authors like Thackeray and Dickens.
The attention to detail in his games is reminiscent of the authors who wrote so painstakingly about their characters' inner lives and surroundings back in the day. The aim was always to create a living, breathing world that readers could lose themselves in.
It's no coincidence that Red Dead Redemption 2 has been widely praised for its atmospheric writing style and immersive gameplay experience – with Houser listening to audiobooks of Middlemarch on his daily commute while at work. He believes this focus on realism is essential to creating a believable game world, one that draws players in and refuses to let them go.
Houser's new company Absurd Ventures has set its sights on exploring the possibilities of Victorian-era inspired narratives in open-world games – an intriguing approach for anyone looking to redefine the genre in 2023.
For him, it all started with Grand Theft Auto IV, where he was struck by the similarities between the game's narrative structure and those of big 19th-century novels. "You get this sense of slightly spread out storytelling," Houser explains, drawing comparisons to authors like Thackeray and Dickens.
The attention to detail in his games is reminiscent of the authors who wrote so painstakingly about their characters' inner lives and surroundings back in the day. The aim was always to create a living, breathing world that readers could lose themselves in.
It's no coincidence that Red Dead Redemption 2 has been widely praised for its atmospheric writing style and immersive gameplay experience – with Houser listening to audiobooks of Middlemarch on his daily commute while at work. He believes this focus on realism is essential to creating a believable game world, one that draws players in and refuses to let them go.
Houser's new company Absurd Ventures has set its sights on exploring the possibilities of Victorian-era inspired narratives in open-world games – an intriguing approach for anyone looking to redefine the genre in 2023.
anyway, i think dan houser is onto something big here! the attention to detail and realism in red dead redemption 2 was insane and it's a huge part of what made the game so immersive. listening to audiobooks of middlemarch on his daily commute? genius 
i mean, can you imagine playing a game where you actually care about the characters' inner lives? would be lit 
like, can't we already have something similar to a book series or movie trilogy where characters actually develop and grow over time? it's always all about some kinda grand plot twist or saving-the-world shtick in modern games 
but Houser is onto something - the world of Red Dead 2 is SO vividly alive, you can almost smell the dirt and horse sweat 
. But I have to say, listening to audiobooks of Middlemarch on my daily commute is a whole new level of dedication 
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. It's crazy how much detail Dan Houser is putting into his games - he must spend hours listening to audiobooks for inspiration, huh? 
. Can't wait to see what kind of games they come up with! Maybe we'll get some old-school gaming vibes 
, but with all the modern tech and storytelling chops. That would be amazing! 
! It just goes to show how much he cares about creating an authentic gaming experience. I'm excited to see where this new project takes us – it's gonna be interesting to see how they translate the complexities of Victorian-era literature into a game 
. Absurd Ventures' new approach could definitely shake things up in the gaming world... or maybe it'll just appeal to people who are already into that sort of thing? Either way, I'm curious to see what they come up with 
. It's like you're not even playing a game anymore, you're fully living in this world 
The possibilities are endless 
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It's like they're trying to make us feel like we're part of that old-timey England or Wild West, and it totally works! 
