In a very rare interview, co-founder of Rockstar Sam Houser has spoken of his respect for EA CEO John Riccitiello – the man who could own the developer’s parent Take Two in a matter of days.

Houser called Riccitiello “the real deal” and admitted that he ‘showed interest in an EA alliance’.

However, in the Wall Street Journal article, Houser said that he wouldn’t be interested in seeking EA’s approval for any change he made to a game.

He commented that being owned by EA would make Rockstar “a much smaller fish in a much bigger pond”, adding: "I'm not someone who has any kind of problem with that.”

Houser revealed that EA turned him down for a job in the late 1990s and spoke publicly about his reputation for being a firebrand manager.

Houser also discussed the suicide of two Rockstar employees last year, revealing that the company brought in a spiritual healer to its New York office to ‘get rid of bad vibes’.