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Dan Houser Blends Victorian Literature with Modern Gaming

12/4/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, says Victorian literature and modern video games share immersive storytelling and world-building.
He cited inspiration from Victorian novels in crafting the narrative for Red Dead Redemption 2.
Houser aims to give his games a novelistic quality with deeper characters and a 19th-century view.
He begins new projects with Absurd Ventures to redefine open-world gaming through diverse literary influences.

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Story summary

Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, says Victorian literature and modern video games share immersive storytelling and world-building.
He cited inspiration from Victorian novels in crafting the narrative for Red Dead Redemption 2.
Houser aims to give his games a novelistic quality with deeper characters and a 19th-century view.
He begins new projects with Absurd Ventures to redefine open-world gaming through diverse literary influences.