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American CaperandA Better Paradisewere filed for trademarks recently by Rockstar Games veteran Dan Houser’s Absurd Ventures. The news got gamers wondering if some new Houser games were coming. Having been associated with Rockstar Games for over two decades, Houser made invaluable contributions as a writer for games likeGTA IV, Bully,andRed Dead Redemption.Houser started his own company, Absurd Ventures, in 2021.
As it turns out, these new IPs were for media but not gaming titles. In a statement made by Absurd Ventures, some details regardingAmericanCaperandA Better Paradisewere revealed.
What Is Dan Houser up to With American Caper and A Better Paradise?
Despite the expectation that Houser and company were working on a title, perhaps one to rivalGrand Theft Autoand Houser’s previous employer, Rockstar Games, it turns out that whileAmerican CaperandA Better Paradiseare forms of media, they are much different from what was expected from them. A press release and asocial mediapost state that both are storytelling universes.
The statement also said that:
AMERICAN CAPER centers on two normal, badly damaged American families in a world of corrupt business, inept politics and bungling crime. AMERICAN CAPER will debut as a graphic novel that is being illustrated by renowned comic book artist Simon Bisley.
Mentioning the second storytelling universe, the form of media it is intended to be is undoubtedly unconventional. This was revealed about the universe by Absurd Ventures:
A BETTER PARADISE is an existential suspense thriller, set in the near future. A 12-episode audio fiction series based on the A BETTER PARADISE universe is currently in production. Absurd Ventures is partnering with award-winning audio company QCODE Media to co-produce the audio series.
Absurd Ventures is working on both of these universes, led by Houser. Both of these are expected to be released sometime in 2024. Despite there being no confirmation of a gaming title, there was a subtle nod to it by the media company; it stated:
Absurd Ventures is also in development on additional stories from these universes for a wide range of formats and platforms.
This means that once the media company establishes the universe, we might be in for games in it, too. While beginning, a universe in terms of a graphic novel and an audio series might not sound like the best idea.
However, this is undoubtedly an approach that will let more people experience it. One needs a gaming console or a PC with decent specifications to run most modern games. However, no such barrier to entry is imposed on passively consumable media. Also, these forms of media can be produced with a significantly smaller budget than a big budget game. They also offer an opportunity for experimentation and understanding market sentiment.
One can also argue that even if full-fledged games were further in development, which could be a possibility, their announcement wouldn’t gain much traction sinceGTA 6’sannouncement is right around the corner. Any video game announcement that will be announced in December will be dwarfed in front of the tower, that is,GTA 6.
Houser’s work as a writer has been exceptional and par excellence with the games he has worked on in the past. Some have been the most iconic titles in Rockstar’s hit game gallery. So, if his portfolio in the past is any indicator, the content is already expected to be of good quality.
It is also worth noting that Absurd Ventures’ agenda was not just to create video games but to tell stories using various media. It seems to be on the right track. Fans of Houser’s work must be waiting for the universe to kick off in style.
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Sparsh Jaimini
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :518
Sparsh Jaimini Sharma is a video games enthusiast and a Games Writer. A true white-blooded Madridsta. He is often seen grinding away at EAFC 24’s Ultimate team and learning to code when he is not writing. A Batman fan and Arkham Games connoisseur. He is the quintessential DC aficionado.
