- During an appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast, Dan Houser shared why Miami works as the perfect setting for a GTA game.
- He stated that the city is a melting pot packed with diversity, while also having that distinct contrast between glamour and the greasy underbelly.
- Houser also mentioned that the GTA IP feels inherently American, which is why it's difficult to incorporate other locations, such as London.
GTA 6 will be revisiting Vice City after a 20-year absence, marking the first iteration of the Miami-inspired location since the PS2 era. With 2002’s GTA: Vice City being a gateway to the franchise for an entire generation of players, fans have been aching to see a modern evolution of the neon-soaked setting. But what made Miami the perfect playground for a GTA game in the first place? That’s precisely what Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser explained during a recent podcast appearance.
For the unacquainted, Houser previously served as Rockstar’s lead writer and worked on nearly every GTA title, up until GTA 5. He played a significant role in cementing the franchise’s tone and ethos, so there’s really no better person to ask about GTA 6’s decision to return to Vice City.
Dan Houser Explains Why GTA Keeps Coming Back to Vice City
During an appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast, Houser was asked if Vice City was the perfect location to explore a diverse range of characters, as you would in a Grand Theft Auto game. The 51-year-old had this to say, “There’s a reason why GTA kept coming back to Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. I think they’re very good for exactly what you laid out (urban melting pots). You know, there’s glitz, glamour, underbelly, immigrants, enormous wealth in all of them. “
“I think they’re really fun for any (game), not just GTA, but for anything where you want a kind of slice of life, almost like a sort of psychotic version of a Dickens book,” he added.
When asked whether a full-fledged GTA London game was ever considered, Houser highlighted the IP’s inherent “Americana.” He said, “I think for a full GTA game, we always decided there was so much Americana inherent in the IP. It would be really hard to make it work in London or anywhere else. You needed guns, you needed these larger-than-life characters. It just felt like the game was so much about America, possibly from an outsider’s perspective. “
Based on everything we’ve seen so far, GTA 6 aims to capture a sweeping snapshot of current-day Florida, while preserving its eccentricities and local culture. Every frame of the two trailers released thus far, as well as the screenshots available on Rockstar’s website, looks unmistakably Vice City. There’s a noticeable hint of Miami Vice, some 80s flavour, especially with the music choices, and all the neon lights you’d expect.
Even in these brief looks, all the elements Houser mentioned earlier are clear to see, which really cements why Miami gels so seamlessly with Grand Theft Auto.
With all that being said, are you happy with GTA 6 being set in Vice City? Or were you hoping for a different location? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
