Rockstar Co-Founder Says 'if People Want' Physical Game Releases Then 'Companies Should Provide It'

Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser believes that, if players privation their games released connected carnal media, past "companies should supply it."

The erstwhile Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption developer opened up astir the authorities of carnal media successful the gaming abstraction during a speech with IGN astatine San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026. He didn't person a beardown sentiment erstwhile asked if helium personally cares astir carnal versus integer releases, but erstwhile it comes to others, his thoughts were beauteous chopped and dry.

"I don't cognize that I care, but if radical privation that, I deliberation companies should supply it," Houser said. "But I don't cognize that I personally care.

"I besides deliberation that, arsenic captious arsenic radical are of integer releases, the quality to update and hole problems successful games has been truly utile for the prime of games."

The question arrives arsenic gamers of each inheritance instrumentality to societal media to dependable disconnected astir caller changes successful the carnal and integer gaming space. PlayStation has recovered itself successful headlines for weeks aft confirming it would cease accumulation of caller carnal games starting successful January 2028. Funnily enough, Rockstar has besides been progressive successful the conversation, with Grand Theft Auto fans inactive coming to presumption with confirmation that GTA 6 volition not vessel connected a disc erstwhile it launches this November.

Lazlow Jones, who worked with Houser astatine Rockstar earlier leaving to articulation him astatine Absurd Ventures, was besides successful attendance astatine SDCC. In his effect to the question, helium explained his narration with some carnal and integer games.

"We each person that benignant of feeling erstwhile you get that copy, and you enactment the disc successful the console, but I besides person to accidental I truly similar being astatine the airdrome and going, 'Oh, cool. I tin download immoderate speedy games to my Steam Deck for this 12-hour flight.'

"That's what's been interesting. We've worked successful integer unneurotic for a batch of years, and past making a carnal merchandise of a comic publication is simply a antithetic originative process but besides conscionable truly fulfilling to person a carnal happening you tin say, 'Look. We made a thing.'"

Houser interjected: "I emotion carnal media."

The Rockstar co-founder isn't the archetypal developer to stock his thoughts astir the authorities of carnal media. Nier creator Yoko Taro, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima, and Ubisoft brag Yves Guillemot are conscionable a fewer of the names who person chimed successful with thoughts recently.

For now, Houser is astatine Absurd Ventures, a institution helium founded and officially announced successful 2023. For much connected his thoughts connected the industry, you tin spot what helium had to accidental astir however radical play open-world games.

Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).