#484 – Dan Houser: GTA, Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar, Absurd & Future of Gaming

Lex Fridman Podcast

Lex Fridman

Philosophy, Society & Culture, Science, Technology

4.7 • 13K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2025

⏱️ 174 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Dan Houser is co-founder of Rockstar Games and is a legendary creative mind behind Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption series of video games.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep484-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/dan-houser-transcript

CONTACT LEX:
Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact

EPISODE LINKS:
Absurd Adventures: https://absurdventures.com
A Better Paradise: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FCYSK8VD
American Caper: https://absurdventures.com/americancaper

SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Box: Intelligent content management platform.
Go to https://box.com/ai
UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.
Go to https://upliftdesk.com/lex
CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews.
Go to https://coderabbit.ai/lex
Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform.
Go to https://miro.com/
Lindy: No-code AI agent builder.
Go to https://go.lindy.ai/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex

OUTLINE:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:29) - Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(11:32) - Greatest films of all time
(23:45) - Making video games
(26:36) - GTA 3
(29:55) - Open world video games
(32:42) - Character creation
(36:09) - Superintelligent AI in A Better Paradise
(45:21) - Can LLMs write video games?
(49:41) - Creating GTA 4 and GTA 5
(1:01:16) - Hard work and Rockstar's culture of excellence
(1:04:56) - GTA 6
(1:21:46) - Red Dead Redemption 2
(2:01:39) - DLCs for GTA and Red Dead Redemption
(2:07:58) - Leaving Rockstar Games
(2:17:22) - Greatest game of all time
(2:22:10) - Life lessons from father
(2:24:29) - Mortality
(2:41:47) - Advice for young people
(2:47:49) - Future of video games

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
- Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
- RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
- Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
- Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The following is a conversation with Dan Hauser, a legendary video game creator, co-founder of
0:06.2	Rockstar Games, and the creative force behind Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series,
0:12.2	which includes some of the best-selling games of all time and some of the greatest games
0:17.8	of all time.
0:19.6	Both Redoubt Redemption 1 and 2 has some of the deepest, most
0:23.8	complex and heart-wrenching characters and storylines ever created in video games. Dan has started
0:31.0	a new company, Absurd Ventures, great name, that is creating some incredible new worlds in multiple forms, including books,
0:39.8	comic books, audio series, and yes, video games. That includes a Better Paradise, which is a
0:47.4	dystopian near future world with a super intelligent AI, American caper, which is an insanely chaotic, violent, dark, satirical world,
0:57.7	and absurdiverse, which is a comedic action-adventure world. I'm excited to explore all three of these.
1:06.2	I have spent hundreds of hours and worlds that Dan has helped create.
1:11.7	So this conversation was an incredible honor for me.
1:15.5	And on top of that, Dan and I talked a lot after
1:18.6	and in the day since,
1:20.2	and he has been just a wonderful human being.
1:24.4	I'm just at a loss of words.
1:26.2	I feel like the luckiest kid in the world. And now a quick few
1:30.3	second mention of these sponsors. Check them out in the description or at lexfremonts.com slash sponsors.
1:35.9	It's the best way to support this podcast. We got a lot of amazing sponsors. I haven't been doing
1:40.6	too many podcasts. So please, please go support all of these sponsors.
1:45.3	There's stuff organizing your documents.
1:46.9	There's stuff for your office.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Lex Fridman, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Lex Fridman and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.