Quantic Dream’s David Cage describes growing as a storyteller, doesn’t rule out film directing

Beyond: Two Souls made a big splash at the Tribeca Film Festival this weekend with the premiere of a new trailer and more than 30 minutes of footage. Shortly after the screening, GamesBeat chatted with Beyond’s director and developer Quantic Dream’s founder, David Cage.

[Lifeequals42]

Heavy Rain showed gaming's potential as a storytelling medium. I cannot wait to play Beyond: Two Souls.

[coolbeans]

What? A plethora of older video games also showcased that potential.

Look at earlier Lucasarts adventure games or even further back to Zork and other games tied to it.

[zerocrossing]

Exactly, honestly it's like people only just started gaming last gen, either that or they need to do some research...

[MadLad]

People forget Planescape:Torment . . . probably the strongest piece of writing to be found in gaming, has been around for over a decade.

[DigitalRaptor]

What he should be saying is that Heavy Rain showed the potential as a driving force in emotional performance and delivery.

Like you people mentioned, there have been much, much deeper stories told and with less plot holes than Heavy Rain, but few have touched me and kept me as engrossed as Quantic Dream's concepts. The studio makes emotional character-driven thrillers not deep, sci-fi epics.

[coolbeans]

"What he should be saying is that Heavy Rain showed the potential as a driving force in emotional performance and delivery."

He could have said that, but then I'd question what he was trying to imply with using empty terms like "emotional performance and delivery." In fact, I'm not even sure what you're getting at with stating that.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

"Heavy Rain showed gaming's potential as a storytelling medium."

Heavy Rain showed movies potential as a storytelling medium in a game engine.
-Fixed

[cyguration]

King's Quest 6
King's Quest 7
Out of this World (seriously?)
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Full Throttle
The 7th Guest
Seiken Densetsu 3
Omikron
Dark Earth
Metal Gear Solid PSX (are you kidding me?)

(Edit: Forgot a few)

Generations Lost
Baldur's Gate
Legend of Kyrandia
Fade to Black
Messiah
Breath of Fire III
Bahamut Lagoon
The Dark Seed
Beneath a Steel Sky (seriously, seriosly?!)

[b_one]

Flight of the Amazon Queen

[Jek_Porkins]

In a way, he's already film directing.

[thechosenone]

you meant it as a dig, trying to imply that Beyond is more movie than game.

[Jek_Porkins]

How in the world is that trolling? His games are story-centric, and he directs the actors throughout the motion cap process. It's the same thing as James Cameron does with a movie like Avatar, they are doing the same thing, directing through motion cap.

[zerocrossing]

It is though.

[DigitalRaptor]

@ zerocrossing

You're really determined to paint Beyond as something it not, aren't you?

Heavy Rain. It's a diverse game full of different gameplay scenarios but you're in control throughout most of the game. There are plenty of interspersed cut-scenes, but it is mostly gameplay whether you want to believe so or not. Have you even played Heavy Rain?

The same can be said for Beyond: Two Souls. Even Cage has said that most of the QTE interface has been replaced by third-person gameplay with contextual actions, married with first-person sandbox gameplay for a more active experience. He even said in an interview that it's more of a traditional game than Heavy Rain was. http://au.ign.com/videos/20... Have you even read about this game, read interviews or seen the gameplay videos? PLUS have you even seen even 5% of all the scenarios in the game to suggest that it is more movie than gameplay?

You haven't, which leads me to believe that you're full of crap.

[Thatguy-310]

I agree with you to the extent that he is directing the actors just like any other director in a studio make it film or video game. However I would think the process for both are different. But on another note this guy is a genius in my eyes. I like video games but love the ones that offer a great narrative with well crafted characters that make you care for them. Story in this medium is becoming to mature so I respect anyone that supports it.

[CynicalKelly]

This guy is overrated and makes the most boring games. Hopefully he goes to film making and doesn't come back.

[nthstew]

unlike you the guy has potential

[CynicalKelly]

If you mean the potential to make boring ass dull games that only boring ass dull people would play then yes. He has potential..

Nothing good has come of this man since fahrenheit, if he had his way, we would be playing games with almost realistic graphics where we can brush our teeth and go to the toilet! Yippee!

[nthstew]

please tease something about ps4 games in development...... :|

[kwyjibo]

His direction is pretty good, reckon he should work with a writer though.

[Sketchy_Galore]

Definitely, I love everything about his games except the cheesy writing. Honestly I want to accept to his guy as a true artist because I really respect what he's trying to do but his characters and plots are so clichéd and cheesy. They're really more what your average teenager thinks of as 'grown up' storytelling than actually mature.

[Soldierone]

I think you have more creative freedom in games, so he may not like Hollywood directing.

In Hollywood you need more explosions and guns, and less story. Yeah a lot of games are like that, but then a game like Heavy Rain is also a success. Not only do publishers allow a game like Heavy Rain to be made, but fans of video games also give it a chance.

Thats rare in movies now a days.

[Xer0_SiN]

i played through heavy rain for the first time this week. it is an excellent game. cant wait to get my hands on beyond.