David Cage: “I don’t make games to make money”

Beyond: Two Souls is more about its writer’s personal journey than Quantic Dream wanting to turn a dime. David Cage speaks to Patrick Garratt in Paris.

[MariaHelFutura]

Of course he wants to make money, it's his job. But, I think he means money is not his first priority while designing a game (which is good IMO). It's just a bad way to say it.

[PopRocks359]

I'm curious as to how high his position at the company is. Isn't he only the writer or creative director at that studio? If that's so, it makes sense that he's in it for the creation and not the profits. Profits typically fall more in line with the CEOs and suits of the publishers.

[DigitalRaptor]

He's the founder and co-CEO of Quantic. He's also writer, director of performance capture, creative director and partial designer. So he's a one of the creative driving forces behind the game.

His partner in Quantic is Guillaume de Fondaumiere, who is co-CEO, CFO (finance) and executive producer. So he is the guy in charge of the company's financial health, budgeting and overall direction.

-

And like MariaHelFutura said, he means that making games is his passion before it's a job, but it goes without saying that a job is important to him as it provides a person's income. He's an artist at heart and true artists accept the fact today money might not always be flowing, but their art is more important to them.

That's why David doesn't make shooters.

@ people below telling him to shut up and that he's an attention whore: get a clue. It's the journalists asking the questions, he's just answering them.

[PopRocks359]

I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

[shivvy24]

yea they are being funded by sony so his not really worried about money

[nukeitall]

Yup!

A lot of these "artists" keep saying, they aren't in it for the money, yet when sh*t hits the fan, they are the first to run.

Point being, nobody survives without money. Even the beggar in the street corner is indirectly surviving due to money.

What I think Cage is trying to say is "I make games out of passion first, and the earnings is just to support us".

[Godmars290]

More accurately, his difference is likely the difference between making one million for a good and flawless game, and making eight million for a buggy and flawed title COD.

[Walker]

David, stop talking anymore, please:)!

[Coltrane_C]

What?

[Enemy]

Not like Cage is asking for the attention. He doesn't care. People are interested in Beyond: Two Souls and idiots think Cage magically appears on N4G as if he isn't being quoted.

Note: websites quote him because they want to, not because he's asking.

"David, stop talking anymore, please:)!" is the dumbest comment of the week.

[JoGam]

I think it was sarcasm people.

[KillrateOmega]

Well that's some bullsh*t...

[xXBlondieVanHarlowXx]

You just read the title didn't you?... Here's the full quote

“I don’t do work for hire. I don’t make games to make money. I make games by passion, because I want to share something, because I have something to tell.”

I would try to explain that he is a very passionate artist & whatnot but chances are you aren't gonna read this far anyways lol.

[jc48573]

I remember he shared a little about his life at one point.

[MikeMyers]

If his games don't make money he would have a hard time making the games he wants. Thankfully Heavy Rain made a profit for Sony which in turn greenlit Beyond. There are a ton of developers who make games out of passion. What often gets lost along the way are publishers who are more focused on turning a profit and often times have their own input in the development..

David Cage is still an employee which is why he was told to have Move support and cancel/delay the DLC for Heavy Rain. Sony wants to make money and sell hardware. So even though he says he's not in it for the money Sony will not invest in projects they think will fail commercially.

[KillrateOmega]

"I would try to explain that he is a very passionate artist & whatnot but chances are you aren't gonna read this far anyways lol."

Oh, I did read that far and all I gathered from your comment is that you're naïve. Here, let me insert a 'lol' as well ; you know, just to be derisive :)

It doesn't matter what his primary motivation is, do you honestly believe that he's not doing any of this to earn a living for both him and his family? That he's not enjoying that 5-6 figure salary he's getting as the founder and CEO of Quantic Dream?

It's very easy to say that you're not in something for the money when you don't have to worry about making a living. And for every person like him who says something like this, there are probably 100 other people who don't get to say this because their games aren't making that kind of money.

I recognize that he is a very passionate man and that money isn't his first priority, but to believe him whole-heartedly when he's says that he's not in it for the money at all is a very naïve thing to do.

[zerocrossing]

We'll just stop buying your games new then.

[Tultras]

Now why would you do that? I haven't played them, but I hear Heavy rain was downright Awesome, and Beyond: Two souls is shaping up to be even more so.

[zerocrossing]

I distrust anyone who makes such comments, this has nothing to do with his games.

[Tultras]

Exactly, this has nothing to do with his games, so why would you stop buying his games. :S

[zerocrossing]

@Tultras

That was a joke :/ maybe I should have put /s... but anyway I do disagree with his philosophy about games and I dislike his attempts to turn games into linear QTE driven cinematic experiences, but I wouldn't want people who enjoy them to stop buying them.

[haggishurler]

I would actually like him to continue making games with that attitude, rather than having one of the most innovative studios shut down.

[zerocrossing]

I don't want his studio to get shut down, I just don't believe he's being sincere.

[Enemy]

You don't care if you make money, bro? I don't trust you!

WTF is going on today? Did everyone wake up stupid?

[hardcorehippiez]

well to be honest i know exactly where he is coming from . like me im an artist / musician i record my songs and put them up in facebook / myspace for all to listen to. im not looking money for it i share my passion with people who like what i create. if a person wants to use my music for anything however they have to pay but thats not why i write it.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Looks that way.. least I'm getting a laugh ^_^

[Porcelain_Chicken]

"We'll just stop buying your games new then."

Stupidest comment ever...

"I distrust anyone who makes such comments, this has nothing to do with his games."

Nevermind. ^^^ That is.

"I dislike his attempts to turn games into linear QTE driven cinematic experiences,"

Correction,, That's the stupidest comment ever. Congratulations. 3 in a row.

The world linear doesn't really apply to Cage's games. Plus WTF does linearity have to do with anything?? Some of the best games ever made are linear. He isn't attempting to turn every game into a QTE-fest, how you came to that conclusion disturbs me. Also,, QD stated Beyond 2 souls wouldn't have QTE's.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Does everything have to be taken literally nowadays?

If an author or movie directer said the same thing would you be saying the same thing? "We'll just stop buying books then" "We'll just not buy your DVDs/tickets to your movies then"

He's basically he's saying that he won't comprise his work for sake of money.

An example would be what most FPS devs do today. Instead of making their own game the way they want to they take elements from CoD in hopes to get more sales and make their game more appealing for the masses.

Cage is basically saying he'd never do anything to his work just so that his game could appeal to the masses or increase sales. Of course he wants people to buy his games so that they can experience them and pay his bills at the same time. Everyone needs their income.

[Hicken]

C'mon, man. Really?

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

Good for him! If more devs thought like this the industry would be better than it is as far as creativity and love for what's being made.

[MilkMan]

God bless him, a true artiste.

[zerocrossing]

Look saying one thing and actually meaning it are two entirely different things, I'd advise you to be less gullible.

[MilkMan]

I understand the ways the of the world, I'm 41 for christsakes.

Of course he has to pay rent and put his kids through college, but my understanding of the piece is that he is first and foremost interested in making art/great game.

Not following trends or dumping his ideas into the FPS or Zombie killing genre to make a fast buck.

The fact that Sony ans his track record have afforded him this luxury, is truly unique.

[zerocrossing]

@MilkMan

Well then you should know by now to take what any developer says with a pinch of salt.

You may believe him to be sincere, but I've heard it far to many times and have seen the facade fall away to reveal the ugly truth, almost every developer is out to earn money plain and simple regardless of claims to be doing it in the pursuit of art, if Cage were any different I would be extremely surprised.

[DangerousDAN]

Do his games really look like blatant money-makers to you?
You just have to look at his games and you'll realize that they're not the type to fall under that category. His approach to games is clearly, obviously to create art before making money. So, I believe his statement. If it came from a COD developer, I wouldn't, for obvious reasons.
Yeah, everyone's out to make money. That's also obvious (they won't feed themselves by collecting compliments). In this guy's case, however, it isn't his top priority and that's what developers like him mean by "I don't make games to make money".

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

***"almost every developer is out to earn money plain and simple regardless of claims to be doing it in the pursuit of art"***

Everyone is out to earn money. This is obvious and does not need to be stated. Ideally everyone would like to earn money doing something they love.

Once again he doesn't literally mean that he wants no money whatsoever from his product. He's saying that when he is making games, things such as "I must do this and that so that I can increase sales" or "I must put this and that in the game to appeal to a wider audience" isn't in his thought process when making games. Believing that doesn't make anyone gullible.

[Fishy Fingers]

Pretty decent 'interview', that is if you read more than the headline.

I'm sure many developers out there share his views/sentiments but few have the freedom to pick and choose what they want to work on.

[Cid33]

OMFG LOL.. When people don't do things for money its usually free.
Ever heard of free to play? lot of games out there by people that actually do it for free, and guess what they are usually free

why not just say that you're getting paid to do something you love, most would respect and envy that.

anyhow ye be getting my money.

[Tultras]

Umm, free to play is actually a business model, Sometimes it makes even more money than a paid model. :)

Secondly, there isn't any reason he wouldn't make games Free, but it takes money to MAKE them, and he has to return Sonys investment into their studio.

Your argument is kind of .. illogical.

[Porcelain_Chicken]

"When people don't do things for money its usually free."

I can't even begin to fathom how ridiculous that statement is. Right away you can finger the idiots who didn't read past the headline. -___-

[srood]

David Cage your awesome keeeeeeeeeeep on man ^_____^

[DangerousDAN]

You're* hehehe

[Bathyj]

it doesn't surprise me that the article cherry picks one comment for a provocative headline.

It doesn't surprise me that everyone reads that headline and just reacts the way it was intended.

Yeah the man still has to eat ,but it just burns people up for some reason that he's doing what he loves and he'd probably be doing the same job even if he was given the choose of any job in the world.

And keep in mind van gogh only ever sold one painting in his lifetime.

[CGI-Quality]

It's a shame, but often times, the way to grab attention, is to completely spin an article for maximum, pointless replies.

In the real world, however, someone like David Cage is just want this industry needs. Fresh ideas that keep the medium feeling robust.

[XabiDaChosenOne]

Haha I just did a presentation on Van gogh just a couple hours ago for my class. The guy lived the shabbiest life you could think of and only sold on painting yet made 2100 works of art. At the end of the day these companies are run by humans just like us. Its not out of the ordinary for someone to make games because they actually like doing it.

[Williamson]

He seems like someone who enjoys telling a story through either games or movies if he could. I have no problems with what he says as long as he doesn't trash talk other developers directly. He doesn't say anything offensive, so let him say what he wants.

[josephayal]

Just like Bobby Kotick

[Ron_Danger]

So many haters in this comment section.

[xXBlondieVanHarlowXx]

Not haters, just stupid people who can't read past the headline... It's sad really.

"He wantz no money so the gamez should be freeeee"

*FACEPALM* I actually read something like that in here. I can't possibly facepalm hard enough to that statement.

[blackberty]

Sure you don't, David.

[MasterCornholio]

Wow why is it so hard to believe that making video games is the mans passion?

Why do people hate developers who believe its better to produce a quality title than to produce a crappy game and have it sell millions?

There's more reason to hate Randy Pitchford (Aliens Colonial Marines scandal) and Bobby Kotick (CEO of Activision) than David Cage who brought us great games like Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain.

Haters wished that they had a developer like this produce games for their console. Sony allows him to make these types of games so blame Nintendo and Microsoft if you don't see his games on the 360 or the Wii U.

Motorola RAZR i

[Publicglutton]

“I don’t make games to make money” he can say this because he is already minted....simples...;/

[ginsunuva]

If he wanted money he would make shooters or go into a different industry.

[southernbanana]

So his next game will be free then?? Ok I admit I didn't read the article, just poking fun at the title. :-)

[dcbronco]

Can't hate on a guy for being passionate. But while I understand he often under-delivers, Peter Molyneux is the same way. And he gets blasted. It's not his fault that the consoles aren't ready for what he wants to do. I hope he had a lot of influence on what MS does with the next Xbox.

[BitbyDeath]

Americans don't understand, what do you mean working is not about the money? LOL

[SDF Repellent]

There was an article yesterday about Sony Executes refusing bonuses and now a Sony developer is saying he don't want money...lol. ...both front page news!
I thought this IS a gaming site?