Daniel Houser (born November 1973) is an English video game writer and producer.[1] He is one of the co-founders ofRockstar Games alongside his brotherSam Houser. He served as the head writer and vice president of creativity[2][3] until his resignation in 2020. He foundedAbsurd Ventures in 2021, creating newintellectual properties across several mediums.
Daniel Houser was born inLondon[8] in November 1973,[9] the son of actressGeraldine Moffat and solicitor Walter Houser.[10][11] He was educated atSt Paul's School and theUniversity of Oxford, studying geography.[7] Despite wanting to be musicians, both Houser and his brotherSam (alongside whom he would later co-foundRockstar Games) had a fascination with storytelling from a young age. Growing up near a video library in London, they watched many American crime and cult films andSpaghetti Westerns. Houser has stated that he is a fan of the filmThe Warriors,[12] with Rockstar going on to release avideo game adaptation of the film in 2005.[12]
In 1995, Houser got a part-time job at BMG Interactive testing CD-ROMs; he became a full-time employee until 1996.[10][13] Dan and Sam later became interested in a video game calledRace'n'Chase which was being developed byDMA Design after getting a preview of the game. The Housers signedRace'n'Chase to BMG Interactive as the publisher and changed the name of the game toGrand Theft Auto.[14] Following the sale of BMG Interactive to Take-Two in 1998, Houser and his brother moved with the company to New York, where they founded Rockstar Games.[10] He has cited the 3DMario andZelda games on theNintendo 64 as influences on his work.[15]
Houser has been credited as a producer for fiveGrand Theft Auto games, and also worked as a writer and voice artist for the series.[16] Despite the high profile of theGrand Theft Auto series, Houser and his brother have shied away from the celebrity spotlight, preferring to focus on the Rockstar Games brand rather than giving any one person the credit for the games' success.[17] In 2009, both Dan and Sam Houser appeared inTime magazine's100 most influential people of 2009 list.[18]
In February 2020, Rockstar Games's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, announced Houser's resignation from Rockstar Games. He left Rockstar on 11 March 2020, following an extended break in 2019.[20][21] In February 2021, Houser registered two companies inDelaware:Absurd Ventures LLC and Absurd Ventures in Games LLC, the latter with a UK-based subsidiary inAltrincham. Houser is listed as the company's producer and creative director.[9] In June 2023, Houser officially announced his involvement in the studio, which he said will "create new universes" in video games, books, graphic novels, scripted podcasts, live-action, and animation.[22]
In November 2023, it was revealed thatLazlow Jones and Michael Unsworth had joined the company as executive producer and head of story, respectively.[23] The company also announced its first projects: a graphic novel called American Caper and an audio series called A Better Paradise.[24] In September 2024, Absurd Ventures announced the formation of Absurd Marin, made up of about 20 developers fromAscendant Studios, developers ofImmortals of Aveum.[25]
In January 2025, Absurd Ventures released the logo and lineup of characters for the 'Absurdaverse', a new universe with animation and a "story-driven action-comedy adventure game."[26][27]
By September 2022, Houser joined the advisory board of Revolving Games, ablockchain game studio, after investing in aUS$13.2 million funding round for the company;[28] Houser met co-founder Saad Zaeem some years earlier to explore ideas, but they ultimately chose different projects, leading Houser to become an adviser and investor instead.[29]
Houser is married to entrepreneur and author Krystyna Jakubiak.[30][31] They previously lived inTruman Capote's former home in theBrooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City, which they purchased forUS$12.5 million, the most expensive home sale in Brooklyn's history.[32][33][34] In 2020, they purchasedConan O'Brien's former home in theBrentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.[30] They have three children and own a holiday lodge alongSaranac Lake, New York, built in the 1920s.[31] Houser holds both British and American citizenship.[9] As of 2016, Houser and his wife were directors of the Houser Foundation Inc. in New York, alongside Sam and his wife Anouchka.[35]
