David Cage: Five more years on PlayStation 3 wouldn't concern me

[Blacksite]

Heavy Rain director believes games should evolve through ideas, not just tech

David Cage will not join calls from the industry to rush out a new generation of game hardware.

The director of breakthrough hit Heavy Rain believes his Paris studio Quantic Dream would have few concerns developing on PlayStation 3 for another five years.

“To be honest, I’m not that interested in technology or the next generation of consoles,” Cage said in an interview with Develop.

“If we could continue with PlayStation 3 for another five years it would be fine with me,” he added.

Cage’s philosophy on next generation technologies comes from his wider viewpoint that games studios should be striving for more creative projects instead of technical advancements.

“Are there technical things I can’t do on PS3? Honestly, no,” he claimed.

“The limitation is much more about the ideas we have”.

Yesterday the industry was given the first public glimpse of the Unreal Engine 4, the Epic Games engine that is widely seen as a progenitor for next generation of games.

Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski believes the UE4 team “has a huge responsibility to drag this industry into the next generation".

Cage’s views on the matter appear to be the polar opposite. He says it is ideas that should define new eras of games.

“When you look at the past, you realised that the technology evolved must faster than the concepts we rely on," he said.

"As an industry we have pretty much have been building the same games for fifty years, despite the platforms changing.”

The full interview with Cage can be found here

Source

I wouldn't mind seeing more creative titles as well but another 5 years would make for a pretty long console lifecycle.

[Soldier 95B]

Yup...games are better with ideas and not tech, agreed.

[TEJ2025]

Better ideas is great but better ideas with better tech is well better.

[radgamer420]

Five more years is way too long.

[Ghost-Rhayne]

What an amazing outlook, Cage is a man after my own heart! I like the way he thinks.

If he wants to keep making games for PS3 even when PS4 is out, that's great! I don't plan to jump into next gen right away, so he can give me some more games with his new engine.

[radgamer420]

What an amazing outlook, Cage is a man after my own heart! I like the way he thinks. If he wants to keep making games for PS3 even when PS4 is out, that's great! I don't plan to jump into next gen right away, so he can give me some more games with his new engine.

Yeah if hes talking about 5 years while the PS4 is out then thats great. Sony always supports the previous platform after launching the new one so this would be expected.

[itachi73378]

No game this gen came close to the trance I came under because of minecraft. When I started, I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about the game. That game was the epitome of how gameplay ideas are much more important than tech and graphics.

[Rapture]

Of course ideas and concepts are more important, but they can only tread where the hardware can allow. I want to see advanced physics and AI already.

[AaronSOLDIER]

Wouldn't bother me.

[Equinoqs]

Give this man a medal.

[daLa]

Give this man a medal.

Agreed, I honestly do mind the new tech and graphics but this is the way a game developer should be thinking not unlike so many other developers who uses excuses for the crappy games saying they were limited because of the current console specs.

[Wrath]

Simple tech is one thing.

If an amazing looking game also delivers a superior gameplay experience because of its better tech, then screw the current gen.

Look at Battlefield 3: The PC version looks a whole lot better than the console versions and the superior tech directly affects the gameplay as well (64 vs 24 players comes to mind).

In short: PS4 can't come soon enough.

[Soldier 95B]

I am enjoying Minecraft more than Gears 3 and Uncharted 3. Crap graphics, simple tech, 118mb game and 100% crack....because of the gameplay. So for me, I am all about the ideas.

[RedDragon7]

Both of these guys have to be taken with a grain of salt. Cage makes niche games that don't necessarily require a lot from the hardware, at least in certain aspects. Cliffy makes noisy games about shooting as many enemies as possible. Fun but empty.

A motto that works in any entertainment industry, no matter the medium: Let ideas push technology.

[Sufi]

Shut the fuck up Cage. Fucking fanboy.

[RedDragon7]

Shut the fuck up Cage. Fucking fanboy.

This really has nothing to do with being a fanboy. In no way did he say anything negative towards any other consoles/companies.

[Sufi]

This really has nothing to do with being a fanboy. In no way did he say anything negative towards any other consoles/companies.

Actually his subliminal message is that PS3 is limitless and he's also being a self-fanboy.

Exhibit A: “Are there technical things I can’t do on PS3? Honestly, no,” he claimed.

I donno whether to take that as his strength or weakness. Is he saying that his team is so talented that he can defy limitations or is he saying that his imagination is so limited that he can only come up with ideas that end up within the limitations of the PS3?

10 years from now, PS3 will be like the SNES compared to what we will have. What if someone said that he only need the SNES to create all the amazing games he could?

So either he's stupid or he's trying to claim that PS3 somehow has this unlimited potential?

Ok fine, he creates certain kind of games where he doesn't need that much hardware power...I get it...but with more hardware power, you will have more opportunity to immerse your audience much more than you could do this generation and it will only get better each time.

I stand by my comment

[RedDragon7]

Ok fine, he creates certain kind of games where he doesn't need that much hardware power...I get it...but with more hardware power, you will have more opportunity to immerse your audience much more than you could do this generation and it will only get better each time.

And how many times before have gamers/developers said that? The next generation will be another boost. Doesn't mean this generation is done though. We're still pumping out amazing games like The Last of Us which is both using an immense amount of power and is storytelling. Cage's comment isn't far off.

[keefy]

The NES had a very long cycle that was still going into the mid 90's if I rememebr correct.

[Sufi]

And how many times before have gamers/developers said that? The next generation will be another boost. Doesn't mean this generation is done though. We're still pumping out amazing games like The Last of Us which is both using an immense amount of power and is storytelling. Cage's comment isn't far off.

His comment is about 3-4 years off.

Yes, technology is going faster than ideas/imagination but that's because the consumer gets tired of the same old stuff.

While there is virtually limitless imagination, there is limited hardware for that imagination to fully flourish.

While some people make the same old games, the games have come pretty far that technology makes possible.

I'm sure he'll be fine with the PS3 for another 5 years...that's probably because he doesn't want to really push the console to its limits from all aspects (maybe just graphics) but that doesn't mean that others would want to stay as well.

That comment was self-patting at best. It wasn't realistic.

[rbrtchng]

Are there technical things I can’t do on PS3? Honestly, no,

Ok, I agree with what he's saying, but that's just a little disillusioned

[RedDragon7]

Yes, technology is going faster than ideas/imagination but that's because the consumer gets tired of the same old stuff.

While there is virtually limitless imagination, there is limited hardware for that imagination to fully flourish.

You think technology improves imagination. The problem is that studios rehash games because they sell. They don't try new things. Technology has nothing to do with that.

[Sufi]

You think technology improves imagination.

Where did I say that?

I'm saying that sometimes your imagination will be bigger than what the tech can support so you do need it in some cases.

Yes, you do have to come up with what fits but the point is that you can't say that tech isn't what matters, imagination does...well, I think it's the opposite, if we had limitless technology power, then imagination would really shine through.

Basically technology should never be the bottleneck. In reality, that can never be untrue but the more we try to push it, the better.

The problem is that studios rehash games because they sell. They don't try new things. Technology has nothing to do with that.

They don't try new things because trying new things can cost them their jobs and lives (not physically). I don't blame them.

[sainraja]

When people have a limited canvas to work with, that's when they learn creative ways to get around the limitations they are presented with.

Better technology will no doubt make that experience better but it's not always going to be the gateway to it. When you have more power, you're going to use that power.....but who is there to guarantee that you will use that to do new things?

I don't see how he is a fanboy for saying what he said....

[itachi73378]

When people have a limited canvas to work with, that's when they learn creative ways to get around the limitations they are presented with.

Better technology will no doubt make that experience better but it's not always going to be the gateway to it. When you have more power, you're going to use that power.....but who is there to guarantee that you will use that to do new things?

I don't see how he is a fanboy for saying what he said....

Exactly what I was thinking.

When you have more power, you will feel inclined to use it up doing stuff like increased resolution, fps, draw distance etc. and this is what every one thinks of from the get go. When you have a limitation in the hardware then you invest time into coming up with new ways to attract players which yields more creative potential.