Dan Houser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Houser
Houser in the mid-2010s
Born	Daniel Houser November 1973 (age 51) London, England
Occupation	Video game producer video game writer
Years active	1995–present
Employer	BMG Interactive (1995–1998) Rockstar Games (1998–2020) Absurd Ventures (2021–pres.)
Spouse(s)	Krystyna Jakubiak
Children	3
Parent(s)	Geraldine Moffat (mother)
Relatives	Sam Houser (brother)

Daniel Houser (born in November 1973) is a video game writer and producer from England. He is famous for being one of the people who started Rockstar Games. He co-founded Rockstar Games with his brother, Sam Houser. Dan Houser was in charge of writing stories and was a creative leader at Rockstar until he left in 2020. In 2021, he started a new company called Absurd Ventures. This company creates new stories and worlds for video games, books, and other types of entertainment.

Before he left Rockstar, Dan Houser was a main creative force behind many of their popular games. He was the only writer for Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 in 1997. Later, he became the lead writer for most games in the Grand Theft Auto series. He also wrote for Red Dead Redemption (2010) and its prequel Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018). Other games he worked on include Bully (2006), Midnight Club: Los Angeles (2008), and Max Payne 3 (2012).

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Daniel Houser was born in London, England, in November 1973. His mother is the actress Geraldine Moffat. His father was a lawyer named Walter Houser. Dan went to St Paul's School and then studied geography at the University of Oxford.

Even though Dan and his brother Sam wanted to be musicians, they loved storytelling from a young age. They grew up near a video store in London. There, they watched many American crime movies and Western films. Dan Houser has said he is a big fan of the movie The Warriors. Rockstar Games later made a video game based on this movie in 2005.

Career Journey in Video Games

Starting Out and Founding Rockstar Games

In 1995, Dan Houser got a part-time job at a company called BMG Interactive. He tested CD-ROMs there. He became a full-time employee until 1996. Dan and Sam became very interested in a video game called Race'n'Chase. This game was being made by a company called DMA Design.

The Houser brothers helped BMG Interactive publish Race'n'Chase. They changed the game's name to Grand Theft Auto. In 1998, BMG Interactive was sold to another company called Take-Two. Dan and Sam moved to New York with the company. There, they started their own video game company, Rockstar Games. Dan Houser has mentioned that 3D games like Mario and Zelda on the Nintendo 64 console influenced his work.

Dan Houser has been a producer for five Grand Theft Auto games. He also worked as a writer and voice actor for the series. Even though the Grand Theft Auto games are very famous, Dan and his brother Sam prefer to stay out of the spotlight. They want people to focus on the Rockstar Games brand, not just one person. In 2009, both Dan and Sam Houser were named among the 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

In 2014, Dan and his brother were honored. They were added to the Hall of Fame by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. This is a big award in the video game world.

Leaving Rockstar and Starting Absurd Ventures

In February 2020, the company that owns Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, announced that Dan Houser was leaving Rockstar. He officially left on March 11, 2020, after taking a long break in 2019.

In February 2021, Dan Houser started two new companies in Delaware. These were Absurd Ventures LLC and Absurd Ventures in Games LLC. The second company also has a branch in Altrincham, UK. Dan Houser is the producer and creative director for these companies. In June 2023, he officially announced his new studio. He said it would "create new universes" for video games, books, graphic novels, podcasts, live-action shows, and animated projects.

In November 2023, it was shared that Lazlow Jones and Michael Unsworth had joined Absurd Ventures. They became an executive producer and head of story. The company also announced its first projects. These include a graphic novel called American Caper and an audio series called A Better Paradise. In September 2024, Absurd Ventures announced Absurd Marin. This new team has about 20 developers from Ascendant Studios, who made Immortals of Aveum.

In January 2025, Absurd Ventures showed off the logo and characters for the 'Absurdaverse'. This is a new universe that will include animation and a "story-driven action-comedy adventure game."

Other Projects

By September 2022, Dan Houser joined the advisory board of Revolving Games. This is a studio that makes blockchain games. He invested money in the company. Houser had met Saad Zaeem, a co-founder, years before to discuss ideas. They decided to work on different projects, so Houser became an adviser and investor instead.

Personal Life

Dan Houser is married to Krystyna Jakubiak, who is an entrepreneur and author. They used to live in Truman Capote's old home in Brooklyn Heights, New York City. They bought it for $12.5 million, which was the most expensive home sale in Brooklyn at the time. In 2020, they bought Conan O'Brien's former home in Brentwood, Los Angeles.

They have three children. They also own a holiday lodge near Saranac Lake, New York, which was built in the 1920s. Dan Houser has citizenship in both Britain and America. As of 2016, Dan and his wife were directors of the Houser Foundation Inc. in New York. His brother Sam and Sam's wife Anouchka were also directors.

Works

Video Games

Other Works

See also

In Spanish: Dan Houser para niños