Cage: Industry is too focused on violence
Quantic Dream's founder on why we should look beyond kids and teenagers
David Cage, the founder of Heavy Rain studio Quantic Dream, has shared his thoughts on the narrow focus of the industry.
"The industry is too far balanced towards kids and teenagers. It's too focused on violence," he told Develop.
"All I want to do is offer some diversity to the medium. I want to give people the chance to buy something other than ten different first person shooters and RPGs. There should be games for all ages, all tastes. Whatever is possible with interactive entertainment should be explored, and I don't think we're seeing that right now."
He recognised that those genres were traditionally profitable, but also questioned the idea that they were a sure thing for developers.
"Is it really a safer bet? I'm not sure. Releasing yet another war-based shooter; there are already so many on the market, some of which are so incredibly popular. You probably run the risk of being crowded out in that genre,"
"If I wanted to make just profit I'd have made Heavy Rain 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 for our publisher"
"But it must be profitable for most people, because it's what the whole industry does. If I wanted to make just profit I'd have made Heavy Rain 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 for our publisher."
Cage also seemed to apply those same principles, art before profit, to the studio's impressive tech. While Quantic Dream offers the use of its mo-cap studio to other developers, it has yet to license out its impressive tech.
"It would be money but also troubles," explained Cage.
"It would be getting a whole team together to work on it. It would be changing our whole business model. I'm not saying we'd never do it - it's just that we're really busy making games right now."
Quantic Dream's latest project is yet to be announced, although Cage recently impressed at GDC with a tech demo titled Kara.
To me, the people who have the most disposable income are the gamers in their 20s where some of them they have just got their inheritance from their 21st Birthdays, and some maybe they start to have a job, some often stay at home or even go to universities and they can find it easier to save than someone in their 30s who is married and may have their own house and needing to pay more of the bills.
the kids and teenagers still need to rely on their parents to buy the games for them, so while it may be easier to market games to younger gamers, the scope of how much they can buy compared to an older gamer is much more limited.
Posted:A year ago