Dan Houser - one of the "big three" behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, along with brother Sam Houser and GTA producer Leslie Benzies - recently sat down for an interview with The Times.

It's a rare glimpse into the life & opinions of an individual who usually does his best to avoid the spotlight (a subject that also comes up during the interview), so take a few moments to go through it - it's an excellent read.

There is one thing I'd like to clarify, however: the interview barely touches on the next Grand Theft Auto installment, so don't expect any groundbreaking revelations about the upcoming title. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, Houser doesn't tell The Times that the Rockstar team haven't picked a location for GTA V.

From the (misleading) MCV article:

However, the exec has told The Times that he hasn’t even thought of a City to set the game in yet – let alone a plot.

Quote from The Times:

As for the boys themselves, they are already back at work. There's a Western game in the works for next spring, and the next GTA to think of. “We'll think of a city first, then the characters,” says Houser. The script he will end up co-writing will run to around 1,000 pages, nearly ten times as much as a feature film.

Needless to say, it's a bit of a stretch to assume that work hasn't begun on the next Grand Theft Auto title based on a single statement. And let's not forget that it's been over a year since GTA IV was released to the masses.

The likelihood of an upcoming GTA sequel not being in production is very, very slim.

Related Links:
Dan Houser Interview with The Times - Times Online
GTAForums Discussion