But before Rockstar begins to worry about the future, they’ll have to see how Grand Theft Auto 5 is received by fans - considering the amount of experimentation that’s gone into its development. But according to the studio’s co-founder, that willingness to tread new ground, not follow the beaten path is something the studio has made a trademark; and one they plan on sticking to in the future.

With Grand Theft Auto’s knack for offering disguised satire on pop culture, it’s hard to name another series that so clearly reflects the world it was created within (with GTA5’s LifeInvader spoof of Facebook as one example). In an interview with Polygon, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser gave his thoughts on the studio’s unique position in triple-A game development, and if the series can still remain as relevant in an increasingly crowded industry:

It’s exactly that aversion to the ‘Hollywood’ way of thinking that has prevented Grand Theft Auto from jumping to the big screen, with Rockstar Games under the Housers’ leadership shying away from much of the recognition and publicity that some studios crave. Remaining absent from the crazed press cycle of E3, and keeping quiet on the details of their games until months before launch has worked for the studio so far, and even offered them more than a few opportunities to surprise audiences.

Although some might view Rockstar as the epitome of a studio sticking with a formula that works, Houser reminds gamers that while GTA might be the company’s most well-known brand, that hasn’t kept them from trying new things between installments:

It’s a valid point, since few Grand Theft Auto fans would likely have asked Rockstar to devote time to the release of Rockstar Table Tennis or Bully (both incredibly under-appreciated games), or risked so much money on the development of Red Dead Redemption - arguably Rockstar’s most critically-praised game to date. So far, the studio has done a good job of hearing fans out, while recognizing that they’re not always the best at knowing what they want (as Henry Ford said: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”).

So in hindsight, it should have come as no surprise that Grand Theft Auto 5 would shed the single-hero structure for a game split between three perspectives, or approach their over-the-top criminal activity with a commitment to realism. Time will tell how successful the new structure will prove, but with next-gen consoles approaching, what does Houser see in the future for Rockstar Games, and the Grand Theft Auto series in particular?

The next chapter in Rockstar’s history launches tomorrow. With rumors persisting of sequels to Read Dead Redemption and even Bully continuing to circulate, it’s anyone’s guess what the future could hold. For now, leave your own hopes for the studio in the comments below.

“Everything else is discussed… We might come back and say, ‘Let’s not do it because it takes away these things that we like about the game or takes away those things,’ or, ‘Actually, doing Caveman is not fun because they haven’t invented the wheel yet… We discuss anything. Many outlandish ideas have been discussed and have been rejected, or they could turn into another game, or they could inspire something else.”

Grand Theft Auto 5 releases September 17, 2013 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

Source: Polygon