David Cage: 'Video Game Industry Too Focused On Violence & Adrenaline'

[Ixion]

There's more to games than "heroes with big muscles fighting hordes of monsters", says Quantic Dream's David Cage.

Say what you like about David Cage, there's no faulting his passion for pushing the games industry forward.

In an interview with gamesTM Magazine, David Cage chastised the games industry's reliance on violence and shooters.

"The games industry offers many games based on violence and adrenaline, which works for a certain audience but there is a huge untapped market of people who are not interested in shooting but would be willing to interact in a meaningful emotional experience.

"This medium is truly amazing because of how it can resonate emotionally with the audience. We are just discovering this potential and I am convinced that we will see more and more exciting titles based on totally new paradigms in the coming years."

Though Farenheit and The Nomad's Soul both set early design styles for David Cage, it wasn't until Heavy Rain that he really realised the potential of video games.

"Heavy Rain has been a major turning point for me," says Cage, "it was the game that made me realise that it was possible to use this medium to tell personal things rather than talking about heroes with big muscles fighting hordes of monsters.

"It sounds obvious to any novel or film writer, but for most videogame writers it is still a territory that we hardly explore."

Cage then goes on to explain that most gamers think of story-driven games as being "cerebral or boring" when compared to action games, and that it is his team's duty to "convince this audience that although story-driven games provide a different type of entertainment."

David Cage cited the popularity of Journey and The Walking Dead as proof that there's a "growing interest" in games that dare to be different.

"I believe that this is a very positive thing for the industry," adds Cage. And we do too.

Source


Nothing new from David Cage, but I have to agree with him. If video games want to get on the same level as film, there needs to be more games that don't constantly rely on killing things, as fun as that is.

[Ghost-Rhayne]

LOL dafuq? ugay cage bro? ugay? Fuck out da whey! Ratatatatatata kills streak FUCK YEAH!!! CoD fuck yeah! Don't need this pussy ass shit LOL errmmm...its a fuggin GAME console not a movie box! I wanna play games not movies LOL Fuck off cage, I'm a real man and real men play shooting games.

[Sub-stance1]

Old news article and I think this was posted before.

[Sylar]

well then they need to make more games that aren't based on shooting people, beating them up or racing at high speeds., you can't say gamers are too focused on violence when all we're given are violent games.

[zex494]

yeah,this was posted before. But i halfway agree with him. The industry has become waay too over saturated with shooters and the like over the past years. I blame the genre for the "every game must have multiplayer" way of thinking.

[Ixion]

Old news article and I think this was posted before.

yeah,this was posted before.

Could one of you link me to the original thread?

[radgamer420]

Meh. I like my shooters.

[AaronSOLDIER]

Agreed, we need more shooters like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, that was the shit.

[Ixion]

Meh. I like my shooters.

So do I, but I would also like developers to explore other territories.

[Kuro]

That's not true!
*Goes play CoD*

[StevenW]

It's developers fault. Look what they did with Dead Space 3 to appease the action crowd.


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[Ixion]

It's developers fault. Look what they did with Dead Space 3 to appease the action crowd.

That's basically what Cage is saying though...

"The games industry offers many games based on violence and adrenaline, which works for a certain audience but there is a huge untapped market of people who are not interested in shooting but would be willing to interact in a meaningful emotional experience.

If there were more well-made games out there that explored mature themes without relying on violence, like Heavy Rain, I'm sure many people would buy them. Hell, that's why Heavy Rain sold over 3 million copies.

[ps3freak18]

Most of the time I agree with him to an extent but he just comes off a bit too self righteous to me. I somewhat agree with him here. You can't lay fault on other devs because they don't do what you want them to do. I like shooters as much as the next person but I'm almost always willing to try something new.

[radgamer420]

So do I, but I would also like developers to explore other territories.

Oh of course. I like to see other genres explored as well. Which is why I enjoyed HR and am looking forward to Beyond.

[ps3freak18]

Oh of course. I like to see other genres explored as well. Which is why I enjoyed HR and am looking forward to Beyond.

Yeah David Cage knows how to create a very unique experience for sure. There is definitely nothing ordinary about any of his titles. I'm looking forward to Beyond as well.

[ElieKatzQueer]

i would like to see more games that empower people to be social justice advocates in real life.

[upmagic]

What an absolutely boring opinion. And he props up Heavy Rain as what the industry should move towards? Because that game wasn't about adrenaline hunting? Because that game's story telling was just leagues ahead of games of the past? Because the most memorable sequences in that game weren't a strip tease, driving down a highway in the wrong direction, shooting a guy in the face, and cutting off your own finger?

Heavy Rain relies on the thrills as much as any other game does. He can continue to think the industry is all "big muscled heroes" as much he'd like, but good game design comes in all shapes and sizes, and the material or genre you work with shouldn't have any bearing on its quality. Heavy Rain isn't inherently more interesting or mature than anything else because it's not an FPS. And frankly, by the standards of suspense mystery, it's pretty damn childish.

[Soldier 95B]

This guy is the next Peter Molyneux. He annoys the fuck outta me. Too bad, cuz I love the shit outta Heavy Rain.

[Blacksite]

Why should I be interested in David Cage's new game? I've said many times before that simply having your game play differently does not necessarily make it fun and memorable. There is something called replayability - a reason to go back and play the game over again because it generally has fun gameplay mechanics - and I don't see where that is in Beyond: Two Souls.

As far as I'm concerned, video games are already on the same level as films because they explore mature themes. But that's all we seem to get. I'm getting bored of the same serious/tragic plots being recycled all the time.

[RyanGT]

David Cage is too focused on worrying about what other people are focused on.

[Ixion]

Heavy Rain relies on the thrills as much as any other game does.

Heavy Rain had thrills, but I wouldn't say it 'relied' on them. The core experience was interactive storytelling. It's the equivalent of an Action film and a Drama. One is centered on action and the other is centered on story and may include some action.

I'm assuming David Cage wants to see more games in the vein of Dramas, Thrillers, etc. Games that focus on telling a story first and foremost. He never said action games are bad. He's just saying there's a large, untapped market who want something else.

[Soldier 95B]

Heavy Rain had thrills, but I wouldn't say it 'relied' on them. The core experience was interactive storytelling. It's the equivalent of an Action film and a Drama. One is centered on action and the other is centered on story and may include some action.

I'm assuming David Cage wants to see more games in the vein of Dramas, Thrillers, etc. Games that focus on telling a story first and foremost. He never said action games are bad. He's just saying there's a large, untapped market who want something else.

You do make a good point. I read past that, and read too much into it. I actually agree with Cage looking back on the article now. And the reason for that...the headline makes it sound like Cage SAID that. But he didn't say that.

[Ixion]

You do make a good point. I read past that, and read too much into it. I actually agree with Cage looking back on the article now. And the reason for that...the headline makes it sound like Cage SAID that. But he didn't say that.

Yeah, the article title is inflammatory, as it makes it seem like Cage is blaming gamers. I'll change the thread title.

[upmagic]

Heavy Rain had thrills, but I wouldn't say it 'relied' on them. The core experience was interactive storytelling. It's the equivalent of an Action film and a Drama. One is centered on action and the other is centered on story and may include some action.

I'm assuming David Cage wants to see more games in the vein of Dramas, Thrillers, etc. Games that focus on telling a story first and foremost. He never said action games are bad. He's just saying there's a large, untapped market who want something else.

That's agreeable but he himself sounded pretty condescending.

[Ixion]

That's agreeable but he himself sounded pretty condescending.

He's definitely a little smug, but the article twisted his words. He never said, "Gamers are too focused on violence and adrenaline". He said, "The games industry offers many games based on violence and adrenaline".

And he never said, "There's more to games than heroes with big muscles fighting hordes of monsters". He said, "[Heavy Rain] was the game that made me realise that it was possible to use this medium to tell personal things rather than talking about heroes with big muscles fighting hordes of monsters."

The article made it seem like Cage was blaming gamers and that his games are better than what we currently have. Instead he was saying that the industry needs to offer more alternatives.