How Dan Houser helped turn Grand Theft Auto into a cultural phenomenon

Dan Houser and his brother Sam is responsible for some of the most fascinating games (and controversial) never

No other company in the video gaming world as Rockstar Games. Founded in 1998 by Dan Houser and his brother Sam, who has been responsible for some of the games most exciting, effective and controversial, including the Grand Theft Auto series revolutionary (120 million in sales and counting), and adventure west wilderness, Red Dead Redemption.

However, little is known about the inner workings of this advertiser multinational developer. The company has not attended industry events such as E3 in Los Angeles huge, and unlike most of the leaders of this industry, advertising rarely Housers court themselves.

I find Dan in New York, in a beautiful apartment in the Lower East Side landlords and tenants by horror director Marcus Nispel. Rockstar is in the process of introducing the press for his latest title Grand Theft Auto V, and clearly wants to make a good impression - so the place, and therefore the presence of Dan Houser for a handful of interviews. It is she, kind, passionate and eloquent on the game design and culture. It also seems tired. When I ask how old the team begins to plan their upcoming games, laughs wearily. "We did not begin until the end of a project for the moment, the very idea of ??another Grand Theft Auto is so terrible. - We have a lot of work to do to finish this is overwhelming."

was Sam who began the history of Rockstar. In 1996, he was head of the division of Interactive BMG label, he lived in the area of ??new-style games. Sam had heard developer DMA Design, based in Dundee, working on an action game of crazy crime called Grand Theft Auto, in which players toured the city, robbing banks and police fighting. 2D and had looked over everything else. "This happened to me when I first saw it?" Dan said. "Well, first I had the natural reaction -. Code literally a 10 second duration and sleep, but when he started to play magic including "Talk What Sat.?"

launch in 1997, Grand Theft Auto was a modest success, but BMG losing money and desperate to get out of games, so he sold his division of Take Two Interactive for. Take Two measly $ 9,000,000 Sam Houser invited to launch a new publishing division in New York, Sam accepted, provided he can do under its brand, Rockstar. The next version is the founder of Grand Theft Auto III, which connects to modern 3D line graphs, added a soundtrack CD with license and became the biggest game of the year 2001. Sequelae, 80 obsessed with GTA: Vice City and GTA IV darkest, pushed the boundaries of game design and structure

writer Dan Houser is a leader in all Rockstar titles. Working with a small team, including Rupert Humphries (the son of actor Barry Humphries), to create scripts and stories interwoven huge giants that shape global securities companies. Initially, the study was greatly influenced by films such as Brian De Palma's Scarface, Reservoir Dogs and Boyz N the Hood, but the GTA series has continued, Houser said he began to find his own voice.

• "You know, with the first 3D games, we have tried to do something that had aspirations to be like a movie," he said. "I do not want to exaggerate, but GTA IV, wanted to try to find something that would be better than the movies in a way - Growing and dynamic .. It was time to move on and do our own thing"

GTA V, due out next spring, conducts extensive and impressive complex that ambition. The game takes place in Los Santos, Rockstar Los Angeles, and has three very different criminals who try to make a series of bold robberies. The world is very large, as a city, and mountain ranges, deserts and cities of the Outback. Characters will have unprecedented freedom - helicopters, diving, even sports. It is incredibly ambitious. How the team begins a major project creatively? "For us, it starts with the characters," says Houser. "History is always driven by the characters - I always feel that someone wants to be propelled into the world of game we will find a fresh plaster , interesting and fun to juxtapose with us and make sure. "I have a good range of types. If feels organic process for us, so we in the right direction."

For Dan, the current direction is into something completely new. We talked a bit about how, in the digital age, interactive and linear merge: families and couples now share the games the same way they once shared television. He sees GTA V as in the vanguard of a new era of entertainment. "This game, if we do, will be a step towards a kind of organic life soap opera," said Houser. "You have these three characters and all are alive when you are with them. What that means, we do not know yet, we are to get their first job. But we feel something powerful. "

Find best price for : --Take----Marcus----Side----East----Lower----Auto----Theft----Grand----Rockstar----Houser--