Okay, so get this: Dan Houser, you know, the guy who gave us all those wild rides with Grand Theft Auto? Yeah, he’s got this new gig going, Absurd Ventures. Just hooked up with a Korean company called Smilegate. And what are they cooking? Some kind of mind-boggling, open-world sci-fi game. It’s still nameless, but they’re calling it a AAA game, which — if we’re being fancy — means big-budget and high stakes. Just imagine.
Anyway, Houser’s super pumped. He’s like, “We’re doing something super fresh here. I mean, really taking off into the unknown.” Or something to that effect. Also, kudos to the team at Absurd Ventures. They’re apparently top-notch, and Smilegate? Totally gets them. Makes you wonder if there’s some cosmic force bringing this all together.
Oh, and there’s this universe they’ve got called A Better Paradise. Listen to this: near-future setting, crazy mishaps with some digital game-world thing they were trying to invent. And it all goes kaput because of some bizarre software shenanigans? Classic “oops, we broke reality” storytelling. But now it’s back for round two, and the drama’s only just begun.
Before anyone asks, no, this universe hasn’t shown up in any game yet, but there’s this audio story they’ve done — A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath — and a novel coming soon. They don’t just stop at games apparently; they’re building, like, a storytelling empire or something. Absurdaverse? Maybe it’s the same thing, maybe it’s another layer. Who knows anymore? I can’t keep track.
So yeah, they’re in early stages — Houser, Lazlow Jones, Michael Unsworth — familiar names if you follow these things. Remember GTA and Red Dead Redemption? Those guys. Leading this adventure at Absurd Ventures is none other than Greg Borrud. This dude has history, with places like Niantic. Pokémon Go sound familiar? Yeah, him.
Now, let’s backtrack a bit. Houser split from Rockstar in 2020. Needed a break after Red Dead Redemption 2. I mean, who wouldn’t? Started Rockstar with his brother Sam way back in 1998. Really feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?
And just a sidebar here, but Smilegate started in 2002. Their games, Crossfire, Lost Ark — they’re out there doing their thing too.
Honestly, feels like we’re on the brink of something huge. Or maybe it’s just a regular Wednesday? Either way, exciting stuff.
