Quantic Dream's David Cage, after stunning GDC with his studio's tech demo 'Kara', has suggested that there aren't enough games developers out there actually making games designed specifically for mature audiences.
"We make games - I keep saying this and this is not a very popular to be honest, but I'm not trying to be popular - I think we make games for kids and teenagers," said Cage. "And I think we totally ignore adults out there."
Clarifying his statement, Cage went on to concede that adults do play the likes of Call of Duty, but made the point that tastes do change as you grow older, and adults tend to look for more meaningful slices of entertainment.
"Yes there are adults playing Call Of Duty and playing other games from time to time and that's fine, but you find less and less people as they get older keep playing, just because they lose interest," he went on. "Because when you fight zombies or monsters that's fine, it's funny when you're ten, twelve, fifteen, twenty but then when you're in your thirties and you've got a wife and a job and kids, and your tastes have changed this is not what you're looking for anymore.
"You want more meaningful things in your entertainment, and this is what we try to provide and we try to create. I think the industry is entirely focused on certain genres and certain demographics, and I just hope one day they will consider seriously making games for a more mature audience."
Cage also responded to David Jaffe's recent criticisms of developers who prioritise story over gameplay and interaction, citing Jaffe's own God of War in support of narrative.
"If you asked for my opinion, the best part of God Of War was the story," said Cage. "I mean, I really enjoyed the game when I saw the ending, and when I understood the background story of this character. Many people say the same thing. God of War was a great game by itself. It was incredibly visual and epic. What really made it really unique different was storytelling and characterisation. It was really funny to me, because that was the best part of the game. Now in Heavy Rain, I disagree. Many people in this industry think that interacting should mean shooting at someone or destroying someone, or else it's not a game, it's not interacting.
"I don't think the balance was wrong in Heavy Rain, I think the balance was different. Having a game where characters don't have a gun is not an issue. It's not an issue, and it shouldn't be an issue for anyone. It's time for the industry to start to think about other ways of interacting than shooting, killing and destroying." [GamesIndustry International]
