Joystiq

Quantic Dream's new PS4 engine debuted

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:34:00 EST

During Sony's PlayStation 2013 event, Quantic Dream head David Cage showed off a tech demo of the developer's newest engine for the PlayStation 4. The demonstration showed an old man with wispy hair and impressive facial expressions. Cage praised the abilities of the PlayStation 4, saying, "We are now limited only by our imagination." As our own Ludwig Kietzmann notes, we'll probably hear that line again whenever the PlayStation 5 is announced.

The video hearkens back to Quantic Dream's emotionally charged "Kara" demo, which was showcased during GDC last year. At the time, when asked if games using the engine would look as good as the Kara demo, Cage responded that they would "look much better," and that Kara was running on the first version of the studio's latest tech. Presumably, today's demonstration is indicative of Quantic Dream's most recent progress. Even so, as impressive as today's demonstration was, we're not out of the uncanny valley just yet.

Quantic Dream's new PS4 engine debuted originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cage: Using a new engine for Beyond is crazy but 'we want to take risks'

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST

Quantic Dreams boss David Cage admitted going with a newly developed engine for Beyond: Two Souls is "absurd," but defended the decision as one of passion and risk-taking. Speaking to Shacknews, Cage said that not re-using the engine Quantic toiled over for Heavy Rain was "absurd," but it's clear 'coulda' excites him much more than 'shoulda.'

"We're just crazy people," Cage said. "We don't do this for money or fame. We want to take risks because we enjoy trying to push the envelope. Does it make sense from a company point of view? Not really, to be honest. Being the CEO of the company, I can tell you that it's totally absurd. But we enjoy it so much. We're a team of passionate people. This is 'what we should have done,' but we've done something else."

Cage spoke to the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in our Hit List feature last month, noting Apocalypse Now and the works of Kubrick as the two greatest filmic influences on his creative process. Whether or not the creative channels he's chosen are Paths of Glory for Beyond remains to be seen.

Cage: Using a new engine for Beyond is crazy but 'we want to take risks' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hit List Q&A: David Cage, founder of Quantic Dream

Joystiq Staff — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:45:00 EST

In the "Hit List" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the video game industry's top talents describe their current gaming addictions, their most anticipated releases and more. This week: Quantic Dream's David Cage.

David Cage founded Quantic Dream in 1997, with the ambition of using interactivity as a new means of expression. He developed a creative vision based upon emotion, innovation and immersive storytelling. After his first video game Omikron featuring famous singer David Bowie, the game Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) received great critical acclaim and won several awards worldwide. In 2010, Heavy Rain, a dark thriller produced by Sony, met critical acclaim and commercial success, selling over 2.3 million units to date. Heavy Rain was the winner of three Interactive Achievement Awards in 2011 (now called the D.I.C.E. Awards) - Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, and Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

In 2012, Cage launched a new tech demo called KARA, featuring an android girl with an actress who delivered a stunning acting performance. Quantic Dream is currently in production of Beyond, a game written and directed by David Cage, starring actress Ellen Page. The game, produced by Sony exclusively on PlayStation 3, will be released in 2013.

In his forthcoming 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit session, Cage will be speaking on "The Peter Pan Syndrome: The Industry that Refused to Grow Up." In a significantly changing landscape dominated by franchises, where new devices with 89c games get more and more of consumers' attention, the video game industry is confronted with a massive challenge. A new console cycle is about to start, new business models and platforms appear while creativity and risk taking has never been lower.

The game industry, having always refused to grow up, is now confronted with a new dilemma: evolve or stagnate. The first and most important revolution to start is about content. Based on his experience and fifteen years in the industry developing original content, David Cage will explain in a passionate, thought-provoking presentation (with a French accent) his vision for content in the future and why he believes it is the key to expanding our market and finally become a mature industry.

Continue reading Hit List Q&A: David Cage, founder of Quantic Dream

Hit List Q&A: David Cage, founder of Quantic Dream originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Critical Path' trailer is loaded with games industry talent

Mike Suszek — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST

A trailer for Critical Path, a "transmedia project exploring the art, philosophy, politics and psychology of video games" recently surfaced. The trailer, created by a Los Angeles-based studio named Artifact, shows dozens of game designers talking about their craft and the place games take in the history of expressive media. The project aims to "give game designers their due as innovators and influencers of culture."

Critical Path is described as the culmination of "two years of filming and archiving" interviews, according to Artifact's site. "User feedback will influence future interviews, which will be added to the archive on an ongoing basis."

Among the 37 names listed at the end of the trailer are Warren Spector, Jenova Chen, John Carmack, David Cage, Cliff Bleszinski, Ken Levine, Peter Molyneux, Tim Schafer and Hideo Kojima. You can watch the trailer here.

'Critical Path' trailer is loaded with games industry talent originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beyond: Two Souls discussion with Ellen Page and David Cage

David Hinkle — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:30:00 EST

There was a lengthy panel on Beyond: Two Souls back at SDCC, which revealed Kadeem Hardison will also play a starring role in the game. Immediately following the panel, both David Cage and Ellen Page sat down with the PlayStation Blog for the video interview above.

Within, Page discusses her own relationship with games and how Heavy Rain really got her on board with what Cage is trying to do in Beyond: Two Souls. There's also a good deal of mo-cap footage, giving us a glimpse at some of the more physical acting Page has done so far for the game.

Beyond: Two Souls discussion with Ellen Page and David Cage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beyond: Two Souls features 160 actors, Ellen Page in a submarine

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST

Watching a video of herself in a full performance-capture suit and reclined in a bucket seat on the set of Beyond: Two Souls, Ellen Page announced to the audience at Quantic Dream's San Diego Comic-Con panel, "And that's the submarine. Oh, shit."

Quantic Dream founder David Cage laughed off the flub and Page continued to describe her experience with Beyond as "incredible" and "completely fulfilling."

"My brain didn't even know how to process this opportunity," Page said. Once she met Cage at a bar in L.A. to read his script, however, her mind was made up, and filming turned out to be an incredible experience, she said. "It completely exceeded my expectations and was completely fulfilling as an actor."

Beyond took 10 months and 160 actors to film, and that's after Cage spent one year writing the script. During that year, he referenced a photograph of Page with a shaved head from Mouth to Mouth, a movie she did when she was 16, for the main character, Jodie Holmes. He ended up using Page in later movies as models for Jodie as she aged through the game. By the time he finished writing he said he couldn't picture another actress in Page's place.

Page seemed satisfied with Cage's decision as well: "What David has written is so powerful and so beautiful," she said. Beyond: Two Souls is due out in 2013 for PS3.

Beyond: Two Souls features 160 actors, Ellen Page in a submarine originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Willem Dafoe not starring in Beyond: Two Souls, Kadeem Hardison is

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST

Actor Willem Dafoe is definitely not starring in Beyond: Two Souls, Quantic Dream's David Cage confirmed to Joystiq after a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. "Nice try," Cage said, shaking his head.

Dafoe was previously rumored to be co-starring in Beyond alongside Inception's Ellen Page, who made an appearance at the Quantic Dream panel. Kadeem Hardison, best known for playing Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, was also at the panel to reveal his own role: a paranormal investigator who "raises" Jodie Holmes, Page's character.

Video at the panel showed off Page with another actor, Eric Winter, both in full performance-capture suits and in a range of scenarios, from conversing around a dinner table to maneuvering in what appeared to be an earthquake. The identity of Winter's character has not been disclosed.

Willem Dafoe not starring in Beyond: Two Souls, Kadeem Hardison is originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quantic Dream's next game is 'Beyond - Two Souls.' heading to PlayStation 3

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:09:00 EST

Heavy Rain development studio Quantic Dream unveiled its next big PlayStation game tonight during Sony's press conference, dubbed "Beyond - Two Souls." for PlayStation 3. Studio head David Cage says it follows a young lady named Jodie Holmes across the course of her life, and she'll be played by actress Ellen Page.

The gameplay clip shown off has the characteristic look of Quantic Dream's past work, except the gameplay seems to be far more action-heavy than past titles. We'll have the first look up as soon as its available, so keep an eye out!

Quantic Dream's next game is 'Beyond - Two Souls.' heading to PlayStation 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canned Quantic Dream project 'Infraworld' trademarked by SCEE

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:30:00 EST

Earlier this year, gaming industry sleuth Superannuation uncovered the possible monikers of two projects from Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream. The first was Fiv5, which showed up in a domain and European trademark registered by the developer. The second was Infraworld, a project the studio canceled in 2006. It later showed up as a Heavy Rain Easter egg, as well as a Quantic Dream hire's LinkedIn profile. Today, the latter name showed even more signs of life when it surfaced in a U.S. trademark filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe this past May.

If Infraworld has indeed been saved from the Quantic Dream cutting room floor, it's possible that it follows the same style of Heavy Rain -- in March, David Cage explained that he wanted to build on his treasured "Interactive Drama" genre. That's still a pretty broad set of expectations, though one thing's for sure: Bizarre and unplaceable accents are pretty much a lock.

Canned Quantic Dream project 'Infraworld' trademarked by SCEE originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain director encourages more 'personal' stories

Randy Nelson — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

Speaking to The Guardian about storytelling in games, Heavy Rain director Cage singled out the FPS genre -- its use of WWII and sci-fi settings in general -- as an example where that aspect of the medium is stagnating. His advice for other game writers: " Don't write about being a rookie soldier in WWII, because you don't have a clue what that's like."

Heavy Rain has drawn accolades, Cage says, because the inspiration for its story is personal and relatable. "Talk about yourself, your life, your emotions, the people around you, what you like, what you hate," he advised. "This is how the industry will make a huge step forward. I'm fed up with space marines."

In his case, inspiration came from something much more down to earth. "It was not about space marines fighting aliens, it was about my relationship with my first son and how he changed my life -- and also about how loving someone without expecting anything in return was something totally new."

So, Modern Warfare 3 writers: instead of "how many people can you shoot?," why not try asking players "how many people would you shoot to save someone you love?"

Heavy Rain director encourages more 'personal' stories originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Fiv5' could be the title of Quantic Dreams' next game

Randy Nelson — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

David Cage, director of the soggy serial killer interactive drama Heavy Rain, has already said there won't be a sequel to that game, telling the PlayStation Blog, "We're going to be exploring a different direction, which will still be very dark and still for adults, but completely different to Heavy Rain" for Quantic Dreams' next project. That game's specifics may be a secret, but it may have a title: "Fiv5" ... yes, in the style of David Fincher's film Se7en.

Gaming trademark sleuth superannuation has turned up several clues supporting this theory, including a trademark filing with Europe's Office of Harmonization for the International Market. There's also a domain name registration by Quantic Dream, and a new hire at the developer has listed themselves as "Concept Artist: Video Game "FIVE" & "INFRAWORLD" on LinkedIn. Infraworld? Where'd we put our deerstalker hat and magnifying glass?

'Fiv5' could be the title of Quantic Dreams' next game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Hacks: Quick-time gestures with Indigo Prophecy

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

Kinect modder extraordinaire Jack Schofield's latest gesture-based infusion of a gaming classic is so obvious, we're a little upset we didn't think of it first: David Cage's original QTE-filled piece of interactive drama, Indigo Prophecy. Check out a lengthy video demonstration below.

Continue reading Kinect Hacks: Quick-time gestures with Indigo Prophecy

Kinect Hacks: Quick-time gestures with Indigo Prophecy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quantic Dream renovates mocap studio

Justin McElroy — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST

A lot of times game journalists complain that December is light on news, with all the big releases for the year behind us. But we've always thought they were just a bunch of Negative Nancys. In an industry as robust and busy as ours, how tough can it be to find something to write about?

... So, umm ... Quantic Dream renovated its motion capture studio. Now it's got like 64 cameras, and some sound-proof curtains and stuff, so that's ... you know, a good number of cameras. So ...

We were going to make a Heavy Rain joke in which we suggest it "renovate" its voice capture studio by burning it to the ground. ... You know, because the acting was so bad? But it turns out that this new studio can do voice capture too, so that's not really that funny anymore.

So, yeah.

Quantic Dream renovates mocap studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain's deleted scenes exposed, reveal 'supernatural' connection for origami killer

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:45:00 EST

You may have missed this behind-the-scenes video of Heavy Rain on the PlayStation Network last week. This very revealing, spoiler-filled video highlights some of the deleted scenes and concepts for Quantic Dream's adventure game.

Continue reading Heavy Rain's deleted scenes exposed, reveal 'supernatural' connection for origami killer

Heavy Rain's deleted scenes exposed, reveal 'supernatural' connection for origami killer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Cage on his 'benevolent dictatorship' over Quantic Dream

Kyle Orland — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:15:00 EST

For most developers, creating a game is a constant struggle between the design-based decisions of the creative team and the marketing-based decisions of the business team. Not at Quantic Dream, where David Cage's role as both CEO and lead designer means that "game design guides everything" at the company. So when Cage says "the game designer decided this, and I fully agree with it," he's actually referring to himself both times, as he pointed out at a talk at GDC Europe this week.

Cage said developing a game like Heavy Rain just wouldn't work in a more democratic development environment, where everyone on the team has equal power and the majority rules on major decisions. "When you want a strong vision, you need a vision holder, you need someone who has the final cut," Cage said.

Continue reading David Cage on his 'benevolent dictatorship' over Quantic Dream

David Cage on his 'benevolent dictatorship' over Quantic Dream originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cage: Heavy Rain sold four times more in US than Sony had anticipated

Kyle Orland — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We already knew Heavy Rain was an immediate success in the UK and a moderate hit in Japan. But with the game's quick disappearance from the NPD's monthly top ten in the U.S., we've been wondering whether the game's sales on this side of the ocean (which NPD pegs at just over 400,000 units so far) have lived up to expectations.

Well, "lived up to expectations" might be a bit of an understatement. At a GDC Europe talk this week, Quantic Dream CEO David Cage said Heavy Rain ended up selling "four times as many copies" as publisher Sony expected. "They were shocked. 'Oh my god, what happens?'" Cage said in his charmingly stilted English.

These unexpected sales presented a bit of a problem, Cage said, because the marketing spend for the game was based on the lowball expectation, not the surprisingly strong actual sales numbers. Still, Cage said Sony did a great job pushing the game in the States, especially considering the game's unorthodox concept and lack of a big franchise name, which led to some reluctance from distribution channels.

Cage said Heavy Rain has already sold 1.5 million copies (up from one million in April) worldwide and the game is on track to sell two million units by the first anniversary of its February release.

Cage: Heavy Rain sold four times more in US than Sony had anticipated originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cage: Lack of additional Heavy Rain DLC 'unfortunate' but 'understandable'

Kyle Orland — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

With the chances of further downloadable episodes of Heavy Rain's "Chronicles" DLC looking all but nonexistent, we wondered how Quantic Dream CEO and creative head David Cage felt now that his game has been folded up like an origami crane. We caught up with Cage after his talk at GDC Europe today to find out.

"I understand why the decision was made," Cage said of the cancellation of the planned DLC. "From a creative point of view it was not my choice. I would have really preferred a thousand times developing the Chronicles. I thought we had a lot to say about these characters, about their background. Things that were just mentioned in the game that had a true explanation in the background, and it's a little bit unfortunate that we won't be able to tell you the full story."

But at the same time, Cage said he's looking forward to working on something new. "I didn't want to do everything, I wanted to move on," he said. "I didn't want to spend another two years on Heavy Rain developing Move and Chronicles and stuff. ... So a decision had to be made and it's a decision I respect. Honestly, it's not like I'm upset about it, I would have preferred to do it differently but, you know what, it makes sense."

So, to sum up, Cage says he really want to finish the story through DLC, and that it's unfortunate that he didn't get to. But he also says he didn't really want to spend all that extra time on the game, and that he's happy to be moving on. So... that clears that up, yeah?

Cage: Lack of additional Heavy Rain DLC 'unfortunate' but 'understandable' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cage 'doubts' new Heavy Rain DLC will be completed

JC Fletcher — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

You'd better hope that playing Heavy Rain with PlayStation Move controls feels like a completely new experience, because that's pretty much the only way you're getting new content. Creator David Cage has added a note of finality to the announcement that work on the "Chronicles" DLC was shelved so the team could concentrate on Move support. Cage told Eurogamer that "Chronicles, as we saw them, were ambitious and with high expectations," and thus would have occupied the team's resources. "As explained, they are on hold to allow the team to work on Move and on new projects, and I doubt they will ever be produced."

Cage sounds pretty put off by the decision to dedicate time to Move support, but at least a little interested in the result. "I understand Sony's decision, and it gave us the opportunity to explore new possibilities regarding controls," Cage said. "I am really proud of this Move edition and think it will surprise many gamers, and show that Move can be used for things other than family entertainment. Now as a writer and director, would I have preferred to work on the three Chronicles I wrote? Guess."

Cage 'doubts' new Heavy Rain DLC will be completed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain 'Taxidermist' DLC hitting PSN for $4.99 on April 1

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

We have a hard time watching films where people get caught being in places they totally shouldn't be. We get no enjoyment from watching a Misery or a Rear Window, for example. That kind of scenario is the bread and butter of Heavy Rain's first downloadable chapter, "The Taxidermist," which pre-order customers of the game have already gotten their hands on. The rest of us will have our chance to grab the suspenseful scene on April 1, when it hits the PSN storefront for $4.99.

Check out the video above for a brief teaser of the chapter's events. Actually, it doesn't look that scary to us. Madison climbs in a window, walks up some stairs, and accidentally intrudes on a woman taking a bath. What's that? The woman is dead? Yes, well, that is significantly more upsetting.

Heavy Rain 'Taxidermist' DLC hitting PSN for $4.99 on April 1 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Once a major release has been completed and propelled to the top of the sales charts, the critical discussion surrounding it typically evaporates just as the Next Big Thing appears on the horizon. But Heavy Rain -- whether you like it, love it or loathe it -- has been kept afloat in popular opinion, with critics still debating its controversial design and embarrassing themselves as they attempt to shoehorn water puns like "afloat" and "evaporates" into ham-fisted introductory paragraphs.

We drew Heavy Rain's director and writer, the soft-spoken, passionate and occasionally enigmatic David Cage, into the ongoing discussion and asked him to elaborate upon the game's story, its technology and its critical reception. Oh, and the nature of the Origami Killer, which means ...

SPOILER WARNING: The following interview contains massive, big-huge spoilers for Heavy Rain. If you have not completed Quantic Dream's cinematic adventure, do not proceed beyond the break -- and don't even think about reading the comments. Just turn around and slowly R2 away.

Continue reading Interview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage

Interview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Line Cinema options rights for film adaptation of Heavy Rain

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

What if Heavy Rain, which is so often heralded by creator David Cage as "interactive fiction," was just a bit less interactive? Is the game's story and cast of vaguely-French-sounding characters strong enough to carry a feature-length film? We might just find out, some day -- internet super-sleuth superannuation recently uncovered copyright documents which reveal that New Line Productions optioned the rights to turn Heavy Rain into a movie on May 15, 2006 -- just a few days after "The Casting" trailer (NSFW) was revealed at E3.

This doesn't ensure the development of a Heavy Rain movie, of course; it only means if any film studio makes the film, it's going to be New Line Cinema. We think the rights are in good hands -- New Line did some great work on the film adaptations of those Lord of the Rings games.

New Line Cinema options rights for film adaptation of Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview: Heavy Rain

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Quantic Dream's serial-killer-suspense-meets-family-drama adventure title, Heavy Rain, received the official Joystiq Seal of Approval[TM], but how did our peers in the world of gaming journalism feel about the title? Let's see what some other critics had to say about the interactive romp through rainy Frenchadelphia:

GamePro (5/5): "Put simply, Heavy Rain is a gaming experience that took huge risks in design, narrative, and game mechanics, and executed on its ideas to masterful effect. You will care, in the end, about the decisions you made to shape the fates of your characters, and wonder long after it's over if you made the right choices."
1UP (A-): "Though shorter than other epic, multi-disc titles, there's more than enough content in Heavy Rain to warrant a purchase. At the end of my first playthrough I was left utterly satisfied with the conclusion of the story and wanting more titles of this caliber."
Eurogamer (9/10): "A thrilling mystery, cleverly composed, and unlike anything else you will play this year. It may also be the only game you play this year where pulling the trigger makes you really feel something, and I can think of no greater compliment."
Giant Bomb (4/5): "Interactive storytelling might not yet be able to evoke the same degree of raw human emotion as more traditional art forms, but this is a big step in the right direction."

Metareview: Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain's David Cage done with his thriller 'trilogy'

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:15:00 EST

Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain is hitting store shelves next week, and it may be the last game of its kind from director David Cage. Speaking with Eurogamer, Cage revealed "that Heavy Rain is the end of my personal trilogy trying to tell the same type of stories with serial killers and stuff, in the thriller genre." It does appear that Cage has had a certain fixation with the morbid, with his previous works -- Omikron: The Nomad Soul and Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) -- all centering around serial killers.

So what's next for Cage and crew beyond Heavy Rain? Multiplayer seems to be one consideration, with Cage calling it "the next challenge." "I have an idea of what it's going to take to make a multiplayer [game]," Cage admitted, adding it would be "very exciting."

Whatever Quantic Dream decides to pursue, it's likely to involve motion controls in some way. Considering Heavy Rain had motion controls in mind initially, it comes as no surprise that Cage continues to express his interest in PlayStation's upcoming peripheral. "We have a lot of interest in this motion controller, we start to play with it, and yeah, we definitely want to do something with it."

Heavy Rain's David Cage done with his thriller 'trilogy' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cage initially wanted PlayStation Motion Controller for Heavy Rain

Justin McElroy — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:07:00 EST

Just to prove we're willing to go the extra mile for you here at Joystiq, we taught ourselves Norwegian just to bring you the latest from David Cage's interview with Norwegian publication Dagbladet. Sadly, Mr. Cage's answers were not in Norwegian, meaning we wasted $8,000 and what our instructor Jokkum Frantzberg called "a very good ear for Norwegian." The entire project was not in vain, though, as we managed to find this quote from Cage regarding his upcoming Heavy Rain.

"If you are talking about Motion Control, this is something we initially considered for Heavy Rain. The very first version of the game design was based on motion control, but it was not feasible at the time," he said. Dagbladet later helped us confirm via one of Cage's reps that he had hoped to design the game for the PlayStation Motion Controller originally, but felt the tech simply wasn't far enough along.

Cage went on to add, "I have a lot of interest in Sony's motion device and there is a good chance that we announce something about it in the coming weeks." We don't know what he'll announce, but we certainly hope that it'll be in Norwegian.

Cage initially wanted PlayStation Motion Controller for Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Heavy Rain

Randy Nelson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:10:00 EST

With Heavy Rain, developer Quantic Dream set out to create what it calls an "interactive drama." The result is as entertaining as any good Hollywood thriller, but far more engrossing -- and thought provoking -- than one could ever hope it to be.

It's the interwoven story of four very different characters (and a modestly sized supporting cast) who all find themselves involved in one way or another with the case of the Origami Killer, a serial kidnapper and murderer of young boys. The story draws on elements of film noir and science fiction, movies like Se7en, Saw and The Big Sleep, to create a compelling mystery -- a book you can't put down, if you will.

The real magic of Heavy Rain (a title which not only sounds cool, but is central to the plot) is how it draws upon you, as the player, and your ability to make some very difficult decisions befitting of the game's tag line, "How far are you prepared to go to save someone you love?"

Gallery: Heavy Rain

Continue reading Review: Heavy Rain

Review: Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: David Cage doesn't want to do a sequel to Heavy Rain

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST

According to a second-hand report from TheLostGamer, the latest issue of Official PlayStation Magazine UK contains a concrete answer from Quantic Dream founder David Cage about the possibility of a sequel to Heavy Rain. "I don't want to do a sequel because I've said what I had to say about these characters and this story," Cage explained, later adding, "honestly, I have nothing else to say."

If Quantic Dream wants Heavy Rain to provide a cinematic experience, it certainly makes sense not to drag the proceedings out over the course of a few games. Besides, it would be simply unfeasible for Heavy Rain 2 to import every single decision you made in first game. How's it supposed to remember every time we chose to juggle, watch TV and eat sandwiches instead of searching for our poor, kidnapped child?

[Via VG247]

Rumor: David Cage doesn't want to do a sequel to Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cage: Multiple playthroughs of Heavy Rain could 'kill the magic of it'

Xav de Matos — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

In a recently posted excerpt from a GamesCom 2009 interview, Quantic Dream's David Cage told G4TV that multiple playthroughs of the upcoming Heavy Rain could "kill the magic of it." Cage's hope is that players approach the title as they do life -- with no second chances -- but the dev understands (and accepts) that players will eventually attempt to relive the experience.

"The right way to enjoy Heavy Rain is really to make one thing because it's going to be your story. It's going to be unique to you. It's really the story you decided to write." While Cage is fine with players going back to experience the title multiple times, we have a sneaking suspicion that Quantic is working on an Inspector Gadget style self-destruction feature for Heavy Rain's retail release.

Gallery: Heavy Rain

Cage: Multiple playthroughs of Heavy Rain could 'kill the magic of it' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Cage explains Heavy Rain's striptease

Justin McElroy — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST

We were personally scandalized by the Heavy Rain scene that featured one of the lead characters, Madison, stripping as a means to gain information. But Quantic Dream's David Cage explained to Eurogamer that it was all part of the plan. "You need to go through different emotions," Cage said, "and showing this scene in particular was for us a test to see if we can make people feel like Madison, having to get naked to do a striptease in front of this ugly guy, and obviously it worked because people felt very uncomfortable."

Cage later added, "Besides, did you see the sales numbers for Indigo Prophecy? Either we added a striptease or space marines with giant guns shaped like John Madden." ... No, no, he didn't say that. But he had to be thinking it, right?

David Cage explains Heavy Rain's striptease originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quantic Dream considering DLC sequels, prequels for Heavy Rain's characters

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:16:00 EST

Don't fret -- Quantic Dream founder David Cage isn't planning on charging you for the ending to the studio's upcoming Heavy Rain. In a recent interview with VideoGamer.com, Cage explained that the game's eight to ten hour story was "a self-contained experience," but that Quantic is "talking with Sony at the moment about having maybe extra downloadable content, maybe with prequels or sequels about the characters." He added that players will most likely "get attached to some of them and will want to know them even better."

We don't doubt Quantic Dream's proven ability to tell captivating stories, but we have one qualm with this statement -- what if all our characters get offed by the Origami Killer? Sure, the prequels could ostensibly still work, but sequels starring corpses probably wouldn't be that interesting.

Quantic Dream considering DLC sequels, prequels for Heavy Rain's characters originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain features 10 voiced languages, subtitles in 6 more [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:31:00 EST

Heavy Rain will be fully voice acted in 10 languages, with subtitles available for all spoken languages, plus six more languages. These details were disclosed during a presentation at GamesCom this afternoon, when Quantic Dream founder David Cage introduced Pascal Langdale (pictured right), the actor playing the English-speaking version of Heavy Rain's Ethan Mars, and discussed the extensive voice work necessary for the game's many branching scenes.

Knowing a single Blu-ray disc can store language data in bulk, we were curious about how many language options would be available in the game. As it turns out, if Cage had brought in all of Mars' voices, the room would have gotten pretty tight. Check out the confirmed list of languages after the break. (We're still waiting for official confirmation on a couple -- the Quantic Dream team couldn't name them all off the top of their heads.)

Update: Heavy Rain's associate producer and localization manager, Romain Castillos, has given us the official list of languages and subtitles.

Gallery: Heavy Rain (GamesCom 2009)

Continue reading Heavy Rain features 10 voiced languages, subtitles in 6 more [update]

Heavy Rain features 10 voiced languages, subtitles in 6 more [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain's David Cage wants to set the record straight on QTEs

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:28:00 EST

"No! We don't make Dragon's Lair! This is not Dragon's Lair - do you think I'm crazy? I'm not stupid. Do you think I develop on PlayStation 3 to do Dragon's Lair again? It would be absurd. Of course it's not." We typically lead into quotes with a bit more background than that, but those who've read message board diatribes dismissing the upcoming Heavy Rain as nothing more than a series of Quick Time Events surely understand the frustration of Quantic Dream founder David Cage -- who owns the mouth from which the above quote was uttered during a press demonstration at GamesCom 2009.

Cage went on to explain "when there is an action sequence, yes we integrate [these] QTE sequences," but the rest of the time, the player will have full control as they navigate the game's four characters through a deep, choice-riddled story. That actually sounds pretty reminiscent of Quantic's last game, Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit. That's great and all -- but we actually wouldn't be disappointed by a new installment in the Dragon's Lair franchise. We admit it -- we're Dirkheads, through and through.

Heavy Rain's David Cage wants to set the record straight on QTEs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain's David Cage to deliver keynote at GDC Europe

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:20:00 EST

Administrators of the European version of the Game Developers Conference just revealed yet another keynote speaker for the event -- not at all shockingly, the speaker is Quantic Dream CEO and founder David Cage, whose company has released titles such as Omikron: The Nomad Soul and Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophecy, as it was known in the States), and is currently hard at work on Heavy Rain. Considering said studio is based out of Paris, we suppose Cage is European enough to keynote the conference.

Cage's address sounds pretty interesting -- it's titled "Writing Interactive Narrative For A Mature Audience." Considering what we've seen of Heavy Rain, he's probably the right person to deliver such a speech. However, considering what we remember of Indigo Prophecy, the first half of the speech will likely be gripping and insightful, and the second half will be nigh-incomprehensible. We fully expect to hear Illuminati conspiracy theories spoken in Esperanto. Backwards.

[Image]

[Via Edge Online]

Heavy Rain's David Cage to deliver keynote at GDC Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Heavy Rain

Jem Alexander — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST

Heavy Rain is not your typical game -- the experience promises to change and morph throughout the different scenes. While the Taxidermist and Mad Jack scenes are reasonably similar, with our protagonists infiltrating areas for clues and then making their escape after being discovered, the new scene shown off at E3 by Quantic Dream's David Cage illustrated how situations and gameplay styles will differ throughout.

This new scene does exactly what it says on the tin. Named "Madison At The Blue Lagoon," it follows the exploits of our female protagonist, Madison -- who you may recognise from the Taxidermist scene -- at a busy club called the Blue Lagoon. Madison has gone in search of the club's owner, Paco, in order to get new information regarding something. As usual, Quantic Dream's David Cage is appropriately cagey about giving away too much of the story.

In contrast to the other scenes we've been shown, which have involved only a couple of characters at a time, the Blue Lagoon is packed full of people. Madison weaves through them naturally and realistically as she makes her way through the dancing throng towards the bar. This game's graphical fidelity tends to range from "incredible" to "a bit iffy," but this scene looked great, despite the relatively large number of characters on screen. With a Q1 2010 release date and with the game 70% done, there's still time to iron out any graphical kinks.

Gallery: Heavy Rain

Continue reading Impressions: Heavy Rain

Impressions: Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overheard@E3: We're here to learn

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:59:00 EST

"We're not here to have sex. We're here to learn something." -- Quantic Dream's David Cage on the objective in a new Heavy Rain scene debuted during a breakout session today.

We quietly chanted the mantra as the character, Madison, was forced (by consequences in the game demo) to strip down to her bra and thong, bend over, and shake it, shattering the fourth wall and our tolerance for dark rooms packed with strangers.

Overheard@E3: We're here to learn originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: David Cage of Quantic Dream and Heavy Rain

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:40:00 EST

We recently had our precipitation-sodden paws all over Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer, and then chatted with David Cage, a man who wears plenty of hats at developer Quantic Dream. In addition to founding the studio, he's also the head game developer, writer, co-CEO, director, and chief bottle washer. So, who better to walk us through the trippy thriller that goes where Indigo Prophecy feared to tread?

Read on to find out some new tidbits about the game, how Fight Club inspired the interface system and why his favorite ending to the game is when all four characters die. Plus why, like Guillermo del Toro, he believes that the interactive entertainment industry is long overdue for a Citizen Kane (or in Cage's case, a Slumdog Millionaire) of games.

Gallery: Heavy Rain

Continue reading Interview: David Cage of Quantic Dream and Heavy Rain

Interview: David Cage of Quantic Dream and Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 May 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain footage surprisingly light on precipitation

David Hinkle — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:47:00 EST

The fine folks at 1UP managed to secure some face time with Heavy Rain game director David Cage and picked his brain on the upcoming title from Quantic Dream. Cage talked about the game's four main characters, and how they can each actually die in the game, and how such a catastrophe would affect the other playable characters. They talk about other things as well, but the thing to point out here is the plethora of gameplay footage, which we know is really what you're after. It's okay, feel free to use us for our embedded video past the break. We'll just be in the corner, crying, while you enjoy the gameplay.

Gallery: Heavy Rain

Continue reading Heavy Rain footage surprisingly light on precipitation

Heavy Rain footage surprisingly light on precipitation originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 May 2009 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indigo Prophecy sequel ain't gonna happen

Majed Athab — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:00:00 EST

"After Indigo, I wanted to work on something different because I thought [a sequel] would be a commercial disaster," said David Cage, co-founder of Quantic Dream, on moving forward towards work on Heavy Rain and away from a sequel to his 2005 hit, Indigo Prophecy. "I quickly realized I had nothing more to say on this story and these characters," he said in an interview with 1UP, smashing the hopes of fans for an IP2.

Though there was plenty of publisher interest in pushing out a second Indigo Prophecy, Cage said he "had moved on," wanting to write something "more personal, deeper, more adult with no world to save and no supernatural powers." To us, it seems our loss of IP2 is one big gain in Heavy Rain.

Indigo Prophecy sequel ain't gonna happen originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 May 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain will use SIXAXIS to 'push, hit, or kick'

Alan Tsang — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: News

Quantic Dream's David Cage sat down with 1UP to talk about their upcoming PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain. From our impressions, you already know the game will utilize SIXAXIS controls, mainly to interact with the environment or selecting an option during a conversation. Cage expands upon this, stating that SIXAXIS will be used "for violent actions requiring you to push, hit, or kick in general." However, the face buttons will only be used during PAR (what Cage calls QTE sequences), but not outside of them.

As many have deduced, the plot-heavy and emotionally engaging Heavy Rain will primarily be an offline, single-player title. Cage confirms this, but again mentions some form of DLC could be in the works: "The game will support the Trophy system and may offer some kind of extra content online, but Heavy Rain is a single-player experience."

The director also gave a number of insights into the upcoming genre-defying title, such as how he incorporated user feedback from his previous game, Indigo Prophecy. Read the full interview here.

Heavy Rain will use SIXAXIS to 'push, hit, or kick' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch over 20 minutes of Heavy Rain

Majed Athab — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos and Screenshots

Gamekyo recently got a second helping of Heavy Rain at the Micromania Games Show 2008 in Paris. At the show, David Cage showed off the same level seen in the debut Leipzig trailer earlier this year. This time, Cage took the MGS crowd through the level, showing them Heavy Rain's Sixaxis controls, fully interactive environments, multiple story paths and no load screens.

Gamekyo recorded over 20 minutes of the demonstration, which you can watch right after the break. While Cage may be explaining everything in French in the video, it's not too difficult to figure out what's going on. Besides, the in-game dialogue is in English.

[Thanks Andy and SolidOtacon!]

Continue reading Watch over 20 minutes of Heavy Rain

Watch over 20 minutes of Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Cage doesn't want you to use checkpoints in Heavy Rain

Alan Tsang — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:35:00 EST

Filed under: News

Earlier in the month David Cage told us it is possible to continue playing Heavy Rain even after the main character dies. Now he's speaking again, this time with CVG, about checkpoints in the game. Apparently, they will be present in Heavy Rain, but the Quantic Dream founder doesn't want us to use them. "Yes, there will be the opportunity for players to reply [sic] as much as they want from where they want, but we would really like to encourage them not to do so -- to continue to play with one story bearing with the consequences of their actions."

Cage further explains that by avoiding the use of checkpoints, this will result a "pretty unique" story. To us, Heavy Rain is sounding more and more like a modern-day Choose Your Own Adventure book -- what do our dear readers think about this? Does this sound like it will result in a more dynamic narrative and increase replay value or will it be more like a gimmick that will get old too quickly?

David Cage doesn't want you to use checkpoints in Heavy Rain originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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