Dan Houser thankful for not releasing GTA VI in the current political climate.

[Slonitram]

https://in.ign.com/red-dead-redemption-2/129417/news/dan-houser-thankful-not-to-be-releasing-grand-theft-auto-6-r 

 

"It’s really unclear what we would even do with [GTA 6], let alone how upset people would get with whatever we did. Both intense liberal progression and intense conservatism are both very militant, and very angry. It is scary but it’s also strange, and yet both of them seem occasionally to veer towards the absurd. It’s hard to satirise for those reasons. Some of the stuff you see is straightforwardly beyond satire. It would be out of date within two minutes, everything is changing so fast." - Dan Houser.

 

It's bizarre to see Rockstar suddenly wanting to avoid being controversial. What's your take on this?

Edited October 24, 2018 by TheSadisticOwl

[RedDagger]

Yeah I found that a bit weird as well, I thought being easier to step on people's toes for satire/commentary would be exactly the kind of thing they'd want; GTA's sense of humour isn't the kind of terribly deep or nuanced stuff for thoughtful critique that flourishes with less polarised political climates, it's the kinda of stuff that revels in absurdity and controversy. 

 

I kinda get the point of the last two sentences, but there's always stuff that you can pick that'll stay relevant; they're just getting more material. It worked fine for all their previous games, so...yeah I'm not really sure where this is coming from lol

[saintsrow]

I have been thinking that there is no way they could top the design of virtual Los Angeles, and it sounds like Rockstar, like the rest of the world, is realizing that it's impossible for satire to keep ahead of the absurd reality we live in, in today's f-ed up world.  

 

I created a similar topic End of the Line under the GTA Series heading.  Feel free to merge it into this one.  

 

 

 

[Shaundi.]

What a pussy. Just make the damn game, put in everything from a parody of Candace Owens to Antifa, Jordan Peterson to BLM, Sean Hannity to George Soros, Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, the NRA, Breitbart etc and just watch the world burn.

[FadeAway]

In previous years and in during controversial times, GTA was still released and also was more ''careful'' with elements in the game (after 9/11). But they're known for satire and controversy in the franchise. Times are just different today.

[saintsrow]

4 hours ago, flgta said:

In previous years and in during controversial times, GTA was still released and also was more ''careful'' with elements in the game (after 9/11). But they're known for satire and controversy in the franchise. Times are just different today.

To expound on this a bit, Yes, GTA III hit the mainstream and got evening news coverage, because it was violent, politically incorrect, and offended important establishment people.  That publicity (no publicity is bad publicity) broke through.  Whole new demographics became aware of this new class of video game, that had previously been only a niche.  The rest is history.  

 

Along came Saints Row, trying to be even more raunchy and offensive, in order to cash in on the momentum, but too late.  Only the first, and most original, Rockstar's GTA, could sustain the perfect blend of superior game design and non-PC humor, right on the line, but with enough artistic chops to be taken seriously.  The GTA series was wildly successful, and improved with each iteration.  

 

Then we get to GTAV.  The Housers picked a few timely political and economic topics to skewer, and they hit the target, as nuanced as ever.  But in the anti-PC direction, Lazlow and the Housers were starting to run out of material and it was getting strained.  They had a hard time even coming up with new 69 gags.  Lazlow's perv humor was sometimes just reaching too far, and of course, there was Trevor, the final result of artistic bankruptcy.  The trend was getting too close to Saints Row, which needed raunch as an attention getter.  GTA never needed that, after the GTA III breaktrhough.  

 

So, it's time for Rockstar to take a step back, and ask, how can we generate satire as sublime and classy as it needs to be, to balance the incredible talent in the virtual world design?  That's where we are now.  That's why Dan is willing to honestly say, to the world, what can we do?  There's nothing left.  

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by saintsrow

[FadeAway]

True. I also never played Saints Row. But I can see the insight. TBH, I'd rather wait a bit and ''play it safe'' to make AND release another GTA game for the sake of ''getting it right'' (by means of more features, not necessarily more raunchiness; political climate, etc.)

 

5 hours ago, saintsrow said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by flgta

[Cheatz/Trickz]

It’s strange to see Rockstar, or Houser, so affected by this. If he wants to make another GTA what is his primary concern? Is it where or when the game will be set, who the protagonist is and why the players should care about them? The missions and things you can do? Or is it what he can take the p*** out of? They should just forget about how people will react, that leads to pandering and mainstreaming.  

 

I love GTA’s satire, but in the past it was subtler and smarter, in GTA V a lot of it is quite forced. Lazlow should never have appeared proper, for example. Overall the company just doesn’t seem as aware as they used to be. GTA V satirizes social media, online gaming and commercialism, but GTA Online’s success comes from what they are mocking, the irony is sad and Rockstar didn’t even see it happening. 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Cheatz/Trickz

[universetwisters]

I get where he's coming from, if he makes something that offends the left, the left won't buy shark cards. If he makes something that offends the right, the right won't buy shark cards.

It's weird, but what can you do about it? Rockstar isn't a one of a kind anymore who makes games because they wanna make games. They're just going with the flow of what's going popular now and it's quite sad. I remember when Rockstar was the underdog before IV came out.
 

 

OF COURSE ROCKSTAR WOULDN'T HAVE THIS f*ckING PROBLEM IF GTA 6 WASN'T THE THIRD GODDAMN PRESENT DAY GTA GAME THEY DID IN A ROW

Edited October 25, 2018 by universetwisters

[TheSantader25]

Seriously f*ck present time. 

 

Go back to 80s and 90s.

Crime like the way we see in GTA doesn't even make sense because of the current security advancements because of technology. GTA can no longer move with time. It has to go back. 

 

Also not much has changed since GTA V so they won't have satirical material anyway. Still the same sh*t they made fun of in V but even in a stupider and sh*ttier way. 

 

Overall seems like he was just looking for a half-assed excuse for not making a GTA.I doubt he wants to talk about anything GTA related now. 

Edited October 25, 2018 by TheSantader25

[saintsrow]

3 hours ago, flgta said:

True. I also never played Saints Row. But I can see the insight. TBH, I'd rather wait a bit and ''play it safe'' to make AND release another GTA game for the sake of ''getting it right'' (by means of more features, not necessarily more raunchiness; political climate, etc.)

 

 

 

 

@flgta To continue the discussion among the people here, and your PM about the politics, I'm thinking that the whole US political satire thing was wearing thin anyway, after 20 years of Ammunation, and the situation in the US is worse than ever, plus we can see that they had a hell of a time trying to decide on a protag for GTAV, hence we got the three stooges.  

 

Where else is there to go?  The GTA trend is at the end of the line.  And Lazlow, bless his heart and all his self-effacing self-awareness, knows that if he goes around again, it's going to be self-parody of self-parody of self-parody, and GTA itself doing self-conscious, snide parodies of its past self (they're almost at that point now in GTAV).  

 

Maybe it's time to reset, go back to silent Claude, forget the crime story, make a beautiful set of cities, remaster what they already have, and just give us a big sandbox.  BUT..... the only trouble with that is, the GTA Online trend ain't looking too good in this regard.  I think they've shot their wad in online creativity, the way things are going.  They're putting more work into modes that have less and less long term replay value.  What a shame.  

 

GTAV, was still the masterpiece, the be-all and end-all, of beautifully handcrafted crime simulators.  It was and is the best.  It may forever be the best. 

 

I still will love the contemporaneous modern virtual world designs the best.  They can make any modern city (and cars, technology, etc) in the same level of detail and I will buy it.  I wish Rockstar would open GTAV (and maybe GTA IV) up to a social world, like Second Life or Playstation Home or the Sims), just for people to live pretend lives and find virtual love.  That would bring new life and an entirely new player demographic into the game.  

What to do, what to do, what to do????

 

[Zello]

f*ck the satire seriously. I don't need politics in GTA. Since when was GTA all about politics? I get that satire is part of the series but it's not the entire focus of GTA. I want a damn good crime story.

Edited October 25, 2018 by KY Jello

[TheSantader25]

38 minutes ago, KY Jello said:

f*ck the satire seriously. I don't need politics in GTA. Since when was GTA all about politics? I get that satire is part of the series but it's not the entire focus of GTA. I want a damn good crime story.

Since GTA III? but yes still it's never the main part but Dan is talking as if it's the main problem here. Satire is a big part of GTA but not as big as Dan is making it out to be. 

 

@saintsrow

 

In terms of Gameplay elements and world design I can still imagine loads of things they can do to innovate but when I think about Story and Writing material? I realize there is not much left that you can push with the whole "crime" theme. 

Edited October 25, 2018 by TheSantader25

[Zello]

36 minutes ago, TheSantader25 said:

In terms if Gameplay elements and world design I can still imagine loads of things they can do to innovate but when I think about Story and Writing material? I realize there is not much left that you can push with the whole "crime" theme. 

There's a lot they can do there. They just don't want to. They could do a GTA based around one of those Asian gangs like the Triads or some Vietnamese gang. Drug Kingins, The Mafia done right this time, Mexican Cartels, Street Gangs (Yes we had San Andreas but after CJ left LS it really lost the gang focus and in V Franklin was in a gang for 5 seconds and never went back again). Try the other side of the law as a corrupt cop...

Edited October 25, 2018 by KY Jello

[TheSantader25]

2 hours ago, KY Jello said:

There's a lot they can do there. They just don't want to. They could do a GTA based around one of those Asian gangs like the Triads or some Vietnamese gang. Drug Kingins, The Mafia done right this time, Mexican Cartels, Street Gangs (Yes we had San Andreas but after CJ left LS it really lost the gang focus and in V Franklin was in a gang for 5 seconds and never went back again). Try the other side of the law as a corrupt cop...

They did all those before. 

 

Gangs? SA, TLAD

 

Drugs and cartels? VC, VCS, III

 

Legit(or not) Business and property? V, VC, SA, TBOGT

 

Mafias? IV, LCS, III

 

Organized Heists? V,Every GTA

 

the triads are almost always in any GTA. not as a main part though. 

 

You had a couple of good points though. 

What I can think of is a corrupt cop, A loner type of drug dealer that does business in the ghetto or a Burglary Racket(there so much potential in this one). 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by TheSantader25

[Zello]

The only thing missing is a malicious hacker protagonist but f*ck that. That's too much into Watch Dogs territory and wouldn't really fit in GTA.

[Beato_dim]

2 hours ago, TheSantader25 said:

What I can think of is a corrupt cop

 

 

Ooh! Now that's interesting!

 

Now, to be fair, I'd rather wait for the next installment than to have a supbar game. But yeah, the GTA formula is running kind of thin setting-wise; I think it would be better to go back in time once again. Or to try something completely different altogether, but I doubt they're gonna go for that - there's too much riding on the success of a new GTA installment, whenever it may come out. It's not "just another game to make and release" as it was back when GTA 3 and/or Vice City was being developed, now they just can't afford to screw up. With other franchises, yes, but not with this one.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Beato_dim

[lostmeogaccnt04]

12 hours ago, TheSadisticOwl said:

"Well folks, I made my money and tyvm all - I have to go now." - Dan Houser.

 

That is how i read it.

[Laker23]

They'll still be a new GTA no later than 2023, IMO, and they've undoubtedly already got started on the plans. Not surprised he didn't want to mention it at this particular time.

 

Would love them to explore a different time period like they have with some past GTA's. Most of my favourite games ever are not set in the modern day. 

One of the things I've always loved is the humour in these games but so far in the HD era it's been mediocre. V was the most cringy sh*t when it came to it's satire and humour, I'd rather not have to watch that garbage again.

[RashFaustinho]

It doesn't have to be '80s or '90s.

It could also be mid 2000s.

 

If they are so afraid of touching current USA topics, and they don't want to lose the "modern" feeling, they can simply set it 10 years prior to the events of GTA 5.

 

Heck, to be honest, I'd LOVE a different approach with a game focused on a 9/11 GTA Counterpart, criticizing America's approach and subsequential wars, talking about the diffidence towards east countries, the rise of criminal organizations like ISIS due to bad poilitics. Something that couldn't be done back in GTA 3, but can be done now.

 

And it wouldn't be out of date, on the countrary, all these topic are still alive and discussed today.

 

[Original Light]

By this statement, I think he's hinting that the next GTA may be set in the past (80s, 90s, early 2000's, who knows). That's not necessarily a bad thing. 

This statement also implies that work has not begun on GTA 6? Is anyone else getting that vibe? "It’s really unclear what we would even do with [GTA 6]". 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by Original Light

[GLR21]

Poor naive guy thinks he's safe because RDR2 is set 100 years ago. Just look how mentally ill outrage crowd attacked Witcher 3 and KCD for not having black people in Medieval Poland and Czechia. Or Spider-Man 2018 for allegedly being a pro-police game (like it's a bad thing).

 

But why are you talking like GTA 2018 would have any single-player story anyway? Straight Online, with battle royale and even more shark cards. Like Fallout 76 and Black Ops 4.

Edited October 25, 2018 by GLR21

[fatdog]

What if he was making excuse for not releasing story mode for the next GTA? Gtao appeared to be 10x more profitable and they even registered gtao trademark earlier this year.

[gtafaninwest]

7 hours ago, universetwisters said:

I get where he's coming from, if he makes something that offends the left, the left won't buy shark cards. If he makes something that offends the right, the right won't buy shark cards.

It's weird, but what can you do about it? Rockstar isn't a one of a kind anymore who makes games because they wanna make games. They're just going with the flow of what's going popular now and it's quite sad. I remember when Rockstar was the underdog before IV came out.
 

 

OF COURSE ROCKSTAR WOULDN'T HAVE THIS f*ckING PROBLEM IF GTA 6 WASN'T THE THIRD GODDAMN PRESENT DAY GTA GAME THEY DID IN A ROW

C* was at their prime and best during the 3D Universe 

[Laker23]

2 hours ago, Original Light said:

This statement also implies that work has not begun on GTA 6? Is anyone else getting that vibe? "It’s really unclear what we would even do with [GTA 6]". 

He makes it sound like that, but I just find it very hard to believe. They usually turn their focus to the next GTA very quickly after the release of a new one. Of course Online and RDR could have gotten in the way, but I'd surprised if they haven't been at least been heavily discussing and making tentative plans.

 

Honestly I still expect the very basic work has officially begun on it, no matter how he's trying to spin that statement. It seems too implausible that they haven't even started at this stage.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Laker23

[Zello]

3 hours ago, RashFaustinho said:

Heck, to be honest, I'd LOVE a different approach with a game focused on a 9/11 GTA Counterpart, criticizing America's approach and subsequential wars, talking about the diffidence towards east countries, the rise of criminal organizations like ISIS due to bad poilitics. Something that couldn't be done back in GTA 3, but can be done now.

 

And it wouldn't be out of date, on the countrary, all these topic are still alive and discussed today.

 

They touched on a lot of that stuff in IV and EFLC.

[GTA-Biker]

In my opinion,they should make the next GTA game set in the past (70s, 80s, 90s, maybe even early or mid 2000s).That way they could both avoid showing and referencing stuff that's currently controversial,and the game would feel fresh after the last two major GTA games being set in the present.In fact,not that much has changed since 2013 that they could show,that wasn't already shown in GTA 5,there's still left vs right, boomers vs millennials, hipsters, social media, mumble rap on the radio, reality shows on TV, etc.,so making another GTA with a modern setting would feel repetitive.

[FadeAway]

5 hours ago, GTA-Biker said:

In my opinion,they should make the next GTA game set in the past (70s, 80s, 90s, maybe even early or mid 2000s).That way they could both avoid showing and referencing stuff that's currently controversial,and the game would feel fresh after the last two major GTA games being set in the present.In fact,not that much has changed since 2013 that they could show,that wasn't already shown in GTA 5,there's still left vs right, boomers vs millennials, hipsters, social media, mumble rap on the radio, reality shows on TV, etc.,so making another GTA with a modern setting would feel repetitive.

A Vice City in the 90s or San Fierro. GTA lll took place in 2001 methinks. Somewhere around that could be a Vice City with connection to Liberty City.

 

 

[Pink Pineapple]

On 10/25/2018 at 5:57 AM, Original Light said:

This statement also implies that work has not begun on GTA 6? Is anyone else getting that vibe? "It’s really unclear what we would even do with [GTA 6]". 

 

 

It's been 5 years since GTA V released. They've probably already done significant work on the map for the next game.

 

They just want everyone's attention focused on RDR2.

[Agent Tanner]

Simple solution to this. Stop being stubborn and move the setting of GTA to another country or go back to another time period!

 

On 10/25/2018 at 3:32 AM, RashFaustinho said:

Heck, to be honest, I'd LOVE a different approach with a game focused on a 9/11 GTA Counterpart, criticizing America's approach and subsequential wars, talking about the diffidence towards east countries, the rise of criminal organizations like ISIS due to bad poilitics. Something that couldn't be done back in GTA 3, but can be done now.

 

And it wouldn't be out of date, on the countrary, all these topic are still alive and discussed today.

 

That sounds awful. GTA is not the place for heavy handed social/political commentary or lectures about foreign policy.