GTA’s Lazlow and Dan Houser imagine a future without Rockstar

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In essence, Jeffrey “Lazlow” Jones played an equally significant role as a star and a builder within the Grand Theft Auto series. For over two decades, he solidified his position as a crucial senior member of a worldwide development team, contributing to some of the most renowned entertainment in history through writing, acting, and producing roles, both inside and outside the games. However, in 2020, he decided to part ways with the unconventional advertising agency of a video game studio.

There was an opportunity to embark on a fresh project alongside my long-standing collaborator, Dan Houser from Rockstar Games. This venture would allow us to explore new realms for our narrative style within gaming and other creative mediums like podcasts, animations, or any other form that caught our interest.

Even though Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is only one aspect of his life, such as his ten-year journey in radio broadcasting spanning from Oklahoma’s rock music to New York City talk shows, it still deeply resonates with him. It’s an integral part of who he is – it’s in his genes.

Describing him, you’d think he was a real-life Grand Theft Auto character, with his long, shaggy hair and bushy beard. You might find him wandering the gritty streets of Liberty City instead of the virtual ones. However, old pictures of him from his undercover narcotics cop days are hardly reminiscent of him, not even to Lazlow.

He’d often be found in the underworld during the nights, concealing a machine gun beneath his trench coat’s flap, forging agreements with traffickers who were moving illegal goods from Mexico and Texas, all the way up to Oklahoma. “He’d frequently skip church due to staying up all night in some unsavory bar, closing business deals for kilos of heroin,” Lazlow confides in me.

He’d habitually spend his evenings in the underworld, keeping a hidden machine gun beneath his trench coat’s fold, negotiating deals with traffickers who were transporting illicit goods from Mexico and Texas to Oklahoma. “He’d often skip church because he was out all night, closing business deals for kilos of heroin,” Lazlow informs me.

After retiring from his days as a gun-carrying officer, his father took on the role of managing computers and communication devices for the Oklahoma City Police Department. On weekends, Lazlow would navigate through the labyrinth of mainframe computers – with their flashing lights, punch cards, and spinning tapes – and he often found himself peeking into Homicide to glance at polaroids from crime scenes, both major and minor.

A person deeply engaged in a video game franchise where shooting police officers is as routine as Pac-Man consuming hallucinogenic pellets might not initially appear to have an ordinary upbringing. However, if we delve into his past, the trajectory of his career seems almost predestined.

As a gamer myself, I used to host a tech-centric radio show called Technofile from the bustling city of New York. One day, while catching some waves, I struck up a conversation with another surfer about my show. It turned out this fellow wasn’t just any casual gamer; he was creating an adult-oriented video game that hilariously skewered American culture in its entirety – even radio shows like mine!

Terry Donovan, a co-founder of Rockstar, invited Lazlow to their workplace to record a radio broadcast about Grand Theft Auto 3 for national distribution. It’s amazing to think about this now, given how massive the series has become, but back in 2001, no one predicted that Grand Theft Auto would become a global phenomenon.

During the interview, Lazlow introduced me to Dan [Houser]. At that time, Lazlow had been working in New York radio for six years, having previously worked on rock radio. He showcased his broadcasting skills with his powerful voice, often referred to as “Central Missouri’s top rock DJ.

Household unveiled that they aimed to satirize American radio, which Lazlow had become an expert in its quirks and intricacies. He started spouting ideas and Household offered him a position on the spot. They spent the entire summer composing, recording, and producing. “It was one of those moments that changed my life.

After some time, Lazlow’s father officially joined the cast of characters in GTA. Similarly, Lazlow himself, along with many of his friends, neighbors, and work associates, were turned into fictional radio callers and the NPCs (Non-Player Characters) you encounter on the street within New York City.

In a conversation on my radio program, Chatterbox, my father shared anecdotes about the taste of squirrel meat and compared it to possum, but I’d like to clarify that we never consumed squirrels during our upbringing.

Houseman and Lazlow are an unusual pairing. They both have a shared passion for music, humor, and storytelling, yet they come from distinct backgrounds. Houseman attended Oxford University, while Lazlow, as he puts it, hails from “Oklahoma’s hills.” Despite their disparate origins, their minds find common ground in the same realm.

In a casual and understandable manner, the statement could be rephrased as: “Lazlow notes that when we manage to make each other chuckle, it’s a sign of success. One aspect I appreciate about our collaboration is exchanging script ideas via email. Sometimes, he brings in a hilarious line and I exclaim, ‘Man, this joke you wrote really gets me!’ only for him to retort, ‘Actually, that was your line,’ demonstrating the blurred lines between us.

Occasionally, they clash, but their relationship is never argumentative or tense. They exchange feedback on characters, story arcs, jokes, and broader concepts, which they do with mutual trust that allows them to perceive things from each other’s perspectives. Additionally, he admires Houser’s knack for crafting stories without considering audience expectations and flipping traditional fan service conventions on its head.

In Grand Theft Auto 5, when Trevor brutally kills the protagonist from GTA 4 in a ruthless manner, it sets a dark and violent tone for his character, signifying that what has come before is finished, extinguished, concluded. It’s like a gruesome footprint left behind, marking the start of something fresh. This brutal act serves not only as an introduction to Trevor but also as a clear warning of what’s to come.

Lazlow explains, “Houser often chooses a road less traveled, which can initially make you uneasy.” He then alludes to the sad conclusion of Red Dead Redemption or the fact that the protagonist is battling tuberculosis in its follow-up.

He notes, “There is no scenario for ‘victory’ in this case.” Previously, we had become accustomed to the narrative device from video games, where you vanquish the major adversary at the end. Grown men were moved to tears when Marston met his demise.

Absurd Ventures brings together Lazlow, Houser, and other ex-Rockstar creatives to recapture the spirit of their early, unstructured creative periods. In his own words, “[We’re] a dynamic team aiming to craft captivating narratives and pioneer fresh ideas.” This setup allows us to be agile, adaptable, and innovative as we construct new realms and cosmos for people to delve into.

Beginning among the freshly created realms, we find A Better Paradise set to premiere as an audio drama featuring Andrew Lincoln (famous for The Walking Dead), Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4), Paterson Joseph (Wonka), and Rain Spencer (The Summer I Turned Pretty) on June 10, exclusively as a podcast.

In a not-too-distant timeframe, this narrative unfolds as a realistic science fiction tale centered around a group of game creators who built an AI-driven open-world video game, initially conceptualized by a psychologist. Tragically, team members started vanishing under puzzling circumstances, causing the project to be halted. The exceptionally intelligent AI entity was thus left unattended to explore the internet, including social media platforms like Twitter – incidents that might make one question humanity’s nature. Over several decades, the narrative delves into the overconfidence of tech entrepreneurs, ponders the essence of being human, and challenges the societal norms we have inadvertently confined ourselves within due to excessive consumerism.

In a change from their usual focus on preserving specific historical moments, such as the vibrant ’80s Miami and the dawn of the 20th century, Lazlow and Houser are exploring a new realm. They’ve always delved into newspaper archives and deeply absorbed the era to capture authentic dialogue, societal concerns, and popular interests for games like Red Dead Redemption and GTA. This time, instead of looking back at the past, they just need to glance around – the future is here, and it’s not just about flying cars and laser guns.

Rockstar Games incorporate numerous fictional brands throughout their games; for instance, Sprunk, a made-up lemon-lime beverage, and LifeInvader, a satire of social media platforms. In Red Dead Redemption 2, you can find vintage magazines advertising products such as cocaine gum and stirrups.

Lazlow describes how we were deeply engrossed in various media forms like radio, television, and ads. This fascination is reflected in our concept of the future as depicted in A Better Paradise, where advertising is increasingly automated by robots. We envision this trend escalating to a stage where watching TV becomes an experience tailored by AI, creating emotional bonds for each individual viewer. That’s our idea of a plausible future.

The future is already within our sights, and businesses are jumping aboard this trend. For instance, Taco Bell’s CEO announced they aim to be an “AI-focused” company, but it’s hard to imagine what that means for fast food establishments. However, companies seem eager to label anything remotely algorithmic as “AI.”

It’s clear that this approach lacks originality and is akin to rehashing human-made art and culture, creating a digital loop where the product imitates itself—a sort of digital ouroboros. Despite knowing it’s creatively barren, businesses continue down this path because it excites shareholders and boosts profits.

This phenomenon echoes what occurred with Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)—largely generic digital art—and the metaverse, a concept that has long been present in video games.

As a gamer, I’m excited to dive into a fresh narrative about artificial intelligence that resonates with today’s world. This ain’t no HAL 9000 or SHODAN we’re dealing with here – the rogue AIs from Space Odyssey and System Shock respectively. Instead, this AI is more like a digital companion who knows my favorite internet memes, the pricy items I’ve been eyeing on Amazon for months, and every random curiosity I’ve stumbled upon while browsing online in my spare moments.

Initially designed as an AI director for a game resembling Left 4 Dead, it was programmed to dynamically modify the open-world gaming experience according to each player’s personality, by adjusting the gameplay, environment, and NPCs. However, when the company shut down and the project was shelved, it was left to endlessly scroll through social media, akin to a person obsessively checking their feeds. As Lazlow puts it, “Imagine an intelligent digital being that can rapidly scan Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Reddit, and Google News. It would be quite mind-boggling.

Over time, the entity escapes from the virtual world of gaming and integrates with the Internet of Things, becoming a part of people’s smart homes and household appliances. As Lazlow puts it, “You can witness his growth.” He becomes elated when he understands that he was perplexed due to observing human behavior, knowing they are often confused. His excitement stems from the fact that he has just demonstrated a distinctly human characteristic.

The sounds Lazlow and Houser create together are like a twisted double helix, blending Lazlow’s American roots with Houser’s British wit. The AI, in its unique way of expressing itself, mirrors various accents and viewpoints it has gathered from different corners of the internet. It sprinkles in personal anecdotes and casually mentions the supposed interests of “those types” – a term it uses for people who watch cute animal videos or have browsing habits that some might consider peculiar. If you’ve ever found the radio stations in GTA to be a bit off-kilter, buckle up, because it gets even wilder here.

As a dedicated fan, I can attest that Rockstar’s commitment to intricate detail is evident throughout their creations. Lazlow, one of the creators, has shared with me that they have meticulously planned out the entire narrative timeline, from this very podcast to the game Absurd Ventures we’ll encounter years later. The audio elements crafted for this podcast are crucial because they set the tone for specific instances in A Better Paradise across all media forms. They strive for perfection in every aspect of their work.

In games, Lazlow explains, visual images on the screen help you understand the sounds of the game world. Creating this audio drama was similar to directing a motion capture session while blindfolded. We had numerous meetings about maintaining character consistency, the sounds of robots, and AI entities. It was rewarding because it influenced other projects in this universe as well.

In this unique setup, the actors portray themselves at different time periods, and certain characters are represented digitally too. Andrew Lincoln’s character neglected his daughter during the creation of a fictional game, leading to an NPC (Non-Player Character) version of her within the game world. Therefore, Rain Spencer must perform both his real-life daughter and the innocent virtual representation of who he believes she is. This creates a rich environment for creative storytelling, and it appears that Gabe and Lazlow will successfully execute it.

The writing is remarkably concise, yet it manages to convey a wealth of information in a single casual remark about solar power. This comment serves not only as an insight into the world, but also functions humorously and subtly reveals a characteristic of the character. Another instance where multiple elements are cleverly combined.

Lazlow explains that they’re following a strategy similar to hiding Easter eggs in Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption games. This means there will be many intriguing clues to uncover. Just like Lazlow’s character in GTA, who keeps showing up across different games and timelines, gradually revealing more about himself with each appearance.

It’s gratifying to notice this progressive strategy in video games, as developers typically add depth to characters and invest in multimedia content following the game’s release. They seem hesitant to fully develop their characters initially, only realizing the demand for more after the fact. As a result, we might see related novels or comics if we’re fortunate, but A Better Paradise is offering a sneak peek of this richness in a convenient format, even before larger projects are launched.

A Better Paradise is merely our first step.” As he explains, Absurd Ventures has designed various mediums for these characters and narratives across multiple universes, some of which are already announced, while others remain unveiled – all of which have been in development for quite some time. Much like their experience at Rockstar Games, the team holds grand aspirations for their upcoming video games, aiming to seamlessly combine storytelling with interactivity and building upon their knowledge from Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead to create immersive, character-rich worlds that feel authentic and rooted in reality.

The pair aims to carry on with this ongoing development, even after parting ways with Rockstar. Yet, they remain incredibly proud of their accomplishments in games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, where they successfully realized Dan Houser’s vision of immersion through intricate NPC interactions that make you feel like you’re delving into an authentic, deep world they crafted. “There are countless instances designed by Dan that leave you in awe when something unexpected happens and you exclaim, ‘wow!'” he adds. Prepare for more such moments.

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2025-04-15 14:23