“They’re Speaking the Language of Games” — GTA Creator Dan Houser’s Hitchcock Comparison is High Praise for Nintendo

Former Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser was recently on Lex Fridman’s podcast for a lengthy, near three-hour discussion covering all things GTA, Red Dead, and more.

During this wide-ranging conversation, Nintendo received a glowing mention, with Houser expressing admiration for the company’s output and comparing its works to that of legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock.

“They almost feel like Hitchcock. They’re just speaking the language of video games”

Specifically discussing the latest Zelda entry (Tears of the Kingdom), Houser praised Nintendo’s work on the 2023 blockbuster Switch title, noting how the game’s various systems work and remarking that “how it all glues together is so amazing“.

This complimentary comparison to Hitchcock speaks to Nintendo’s meticulous understanding of the medium they work within, and the craft such a medium allows for.

Houser explained that playing a game like Tears of the Kingdom evokes a similar feeling to watching a classic Hitchcock film: “It’s not reality. He’s speaking the language of cinema in a very, very strong accent, almost. It’s very, very cinematic. It’s not realism at all. And that’s what those Zelda games kind of feel to me like — they are these amazing things that could only be video games. They couldn’t be anything else“.

You can see this exchange in the clip below, or watch the full interview here.