Writing a story set in New York while also living there is going to lead to some kinds of overlap. But Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser recently revealed in an interview with Lex Fridman that Grand Theft Auto 4 took some unexpected inspiration from his own personal life.
"I had been living in New York for a few years, and wasn't sure if I was happy," Houser says. "I was going through a lot of personal drama, as usual. I was looking at some of GTA 4 again recently, and it's really dark, and I was like, 'Ah, that's why.' I was single and miserable, and I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in America." All good reasons to end up writing a dark yet brilliant script for GTA 4.
