Rockstar Games Co-founder And Former Grand Theft Auto Scribe...

"There's still a big ceiling creatively to create these living narrative experiences," Houser says on *checks notes* Sunday Brunch.

Dan Houser, Rockstar games co-founder and one of the chief creative forces that transformed Grand Theft Auto into an unstoppable financial juggernaut, reckons that there's "always that danger" that the games industry will become "overly focussed on making money."

Speaking on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch to promote his recently released novel (via GamesRadar), Houser was asked where gaming can go by cohosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer. "As with all things, it can go somewhere really interesting, or somewhere that gets overly focussed on making money."

Continuing, Houser added: I think there's always that danger with any commercial artform that they get distracted by money. But I think there's still a big ceiling creatively to make these living narrative experiences."

Now, there's a lot to unpack here. First, it's weird to see Houser on Sunday Brunch in the first place. If you're unfamiliar with the Channel 4 institution, it's a cooking show/celebrity interview vehicle whose target audience is people with hangovers and your mum.

It's the kind of airy, light entertainment show where any chat about video games is almost guaranteed to be surreal and cringe-inducingly awkward. Houser's appearance proves no exception to this rule, as the hosts field questions like: "You're basically partaking in crime, aren't you?" My favourite exchange comes just before Houser's answer about the industry's tension between artistry and profit, where Lovejoy asks the incisive question: "Where can it go?"

Perplexed, Houser leans forward: "Where can what go?"

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Second, it's weird to hear Houser, who just to remind you was lead writer and VP of Creative on what Wikipedia ranks as the fifth bestselling video game franchise of all time, fret about the games industry transforming into a cynical money-spinning machine. It's also worth noting that, when asked which will win out between creative expression and money grabbing, Houser response is "I think they'll both win," adding "I think there will be two paths—we've already seen that in spaces in the games industry, where they both kind of win."

But perhaps the weirdest thing of all is, he's right! Houser's concerns may smack of closing the door after the horse has bolted, stumbled into a ravine, and lande

Source: PC Gamer