Oh, the elusive dream of espionage in an open world! Dan Houser, the legendary pen behind some rather popular games, recently spilled the beans on why Rockstar’s secret-agent opus, Agent, never saw the light of day, and it’s a tale worth a chuckle.
Spy Games Gone Awry
In an interview that had all the intrigue of a spy flick but none of the explosions, Houser shared the story of Agent’s multiple unfortunate facelifts. Apparently, it went through more transformations than a superhero in a comic book reboot—five iterations, to be precise. Each one seemed promising until they hit that brick wall that said, “Nope, not happening!”
“We dabbled a lot with the concept of an open-world spy game, and, naturally, things never clicked into place,” Houser candidly noted, leaving fans to wonder if they should hold a vigil for the once-promising game. “Sometimes I lie awake wondering what it could’ve been,” he added, giving those sleepless nights a whole new context.
The Cold War, With a Side of Confusion
Originally paraded around as a PlayStation 3 exclusive back in 2009, Agent was marketed as a Cold War playground set in the ’70s. But little did fans know, that was just one flavor of the dish. “Oh, and then there was the version where it took place in the present,” Houser quipped. But alas, none of these versions ever made it past the brainstorming phase.
Once the specifics were laid out, Houser realized that crafting the sweeping grand narratives found in blockbuster films didn’t translate well to the hands-on chaos of video game freedom. “You’ve got to be racing against the clock, dodging bullets, and saving the world all before your coffee gets cold,” he explained. “But an open-world game? Well, that’s a whole different kettle of fish.”
Freedom Isn’t Always Free
Here’s where things get tangled: in most video games, players relish their unbridled freedom to run amok. “Sure, an open-world gives moments where the story does collide into something monumental, but mostly? It’s just players wandering around like they forgot what they were supposed to be doing,” Houser said. “I aim to create chaos, yet within a structure, and that’s where being a secret agent falls flat.”
Picture this: a secret agent taking a leisurely stroll through a city, stopping to embrace life’s simple pleasures. It turns out that doesn’t mix well with deadlines and naps in the bushes while dodging enemies.
A Farewell to Arms and Agent
After gracefully bowing out of Rockstar in early 2020, Houser left a rich legacy behind—because who doesn’t adore a good heist or gun-slinging western? His impressive resume boasts titles like Grand Theft Auto 3-5, Red Dead Redemption (plus the sequel; funny how that works), Bully, and Max Payne 3. Quite the impressive lineup!
But fear not, dear fans, for Houser is cooking up something delicious! Launching Absurd Ventures in 2024 alongside fellow Rockstar alums Lazlow Jones and Michael Unsworth, he’s diving into the world of transmedia. Expect an array of books, comics, video games, and animations peppered throughout a wildly imaginative universe dubbed the Absurdaverse. Just don’t expect any secret agents in disarray there; the last thing anyone wants is another ‘I’ll sleep on it’ scenario.
