Tag Archives: keynote presentation

Quantic Dream’s David Cage explores the video games industry and proposes ways for it to grow

David Cage, founder of video games developer studio Quantic Dream which has produced games like Heavy Rain and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls, took the stage at D.I.C.E. 2013 to lead a thought-provoking presentation he called “The Peter Pan Syndrome: The Industry That Refused to Grow Up.” The keynote speech, which clocks in at just under half an hour, explores the video game industry today and Cage argues that it is about time the industry as a whole undergo some radical changes so that it can reach its full potential and a wider, mass audience. For example, he notes that video games have been around for over 40 years and during this time the majority of titles feature the same themes, worlds, and paradigms. He imagines a future where developers push the envelope and embrace storytelling; he wishes for more games like Journey and less like Call of Duty. He shares a humorous anecdote about a developer who couldn’t comprehend a game without the hero carrying a gun or some sort of weapon. We need to break free from this mold, says Cage, and over the course of his engaging presentation he presents a number of ways in which industry can do so.