Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has launched Absurd Ventures, which aims to produce video games, TV, film and a wide range of multiplatform content.
Absurd Ventures will focus on creating characters and worlds that can be expressed in many different forms. In addition to video games, live-action and animation, Absurd Ventures also has its eye on books, graphic novels and podcasts.
“We are building Absurd Ventures to create new universes and to tell great stories, wherever and however we can,” Houser said.
The company, which has a handful of employees, is based in Santa Monica. Financing and investment partners will be unveiled at a later time, said a spokesman for Houser. Absurd Ventures’ website and social media accounts went live today.
Houser spent years as creative director and head writer for Rockstar Games, which was formed in 1998 and quickly became part of Take-Two Interactive. He left the company in 2020. Houser’s credits include the wildy popular “Grand Theft Auto” series as well as “Red Dead Redemption” and “Bully.”
Absurd Ventures comes to fruition at a time when Hollywood is increasingly turning to video game IP for inspiration, not only for adaptations but for guidance on the hard task of nurturing massive content franchises over years if not decades. Gaming’s ability to rely on mega-blockbuster properties like “Grand Theft Auto,” “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft” has piqued the interest and film and TV executives and creatives who are looking to build reliable cash cows that thrive on characters and worlds that can travel across TV, film, games, digital, live events and more.
The 2013 release of Rockstar’s “Grand Theft Auto V” remains a high watermark for video game sales as it racked up $1 billion in its first three days in release.