Heavy Rain Creator Says Content More Important Than Controls
Quantic Dream's David Cage says that the gaming industry needs to think up new ways to play games.
Motion controls might be an attempt by console makers to appeal to a more mainstream demographic, but David Cage, creator of the PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain, says that more causal experiences like Wii Sports or Dance Central are not what the industry needs to gain more widespread acceptance.
Cage believes that game makers should be focusing on the experience of the game, rather than the interface: "We can probably get new people playing tennis with a motion controller in front of their TV, but I am more interested in discovering how we can create content that will make them want to play more mature games," he said. "Both can be compatible, but getting more people playing party games won't support creativity unless we create different types of content for this device."
"For me, the main challenges are in the content; how we can get rid of gameplay loops and invent new ways of playing; how we can bring more complex emotions in our experiences; how we can invent worlds, stories, characters and gameplay that will fascinate and immerse from the first minute to the last ... What is important is what happens in players' minds ...The controller is just a means, and won't solve all the issues we have in making interactivity a valid creative and mainstream medium."
Heavy Rain was a pretty clear attempt to do something different with a videogame, so this isn't just idle talk on Cage's part. It seems though, that people playing party games is a very important first step to getting them to play the types of deep, emotional experiences that Cage wants to make.
Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-controller-is-just-a-means-cage]
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Quantic Dream's David Cage says that the gaming industry needs to think up new ways to play games.
Motion controls might be an attempt by console makers to appeal to a more mainstream demographic, but David Cage, creator of the PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain, says that more causal experiences like Wii Sports or Dance Central are not what the industry needs to gain more widespread acceptance.
Cage believes that game makers should be focusing on the experience of the game, rather than the interface: "We can probably get new people playing tennis with a motion controller in front of their TV, but I am more interested in discovering how we can create content that will make them want to play more mature games," he said. "Both can be compatible, but getting more people playing party games won't support creativity unless we create different types of content for this device."
"For me, the main challenges are in the content; how we can get rid of gameplay loops and invent new ways of playing; how we can bring more complex emotions in our experiences; how we can invent worlds, stories, characters and gameplay that will fascinate and immerse from the first minute to the last ... What is important is what happens in players' minds ...The controller is just a means, and won't solve all the issues we have in making interactivity a valid creative and mainstream medium."
Heavy Rain was a pretty clear attempt to do something different with a videogame, so this isn't just idle talk on Cage's part. It seems though, that people playing party games is a very important first step to getting them to play the types of deep, emotional experiences that Cage wants to make.
Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-controller-is-just-a-means-cage]
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