David Cage, the director of the Playstation 3 exclusive Heavy Rain says that the games industry needs to grow up and stop making titles just for teenagers and young adults.
Addressing the DICE Summit in Las Vegas about the state of the games industry Cage slammed Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, saying that developers should be making games that are more mature.
Cage listed nine ways games need to change, so they can become something adults as well as children will want to play:
- Make games for all audiences.
- Change our paradigms.
- The importance of meaning.
- Become accessible.
- Bring other talent on board.
- Establish new relationships with Hollywood
- Changing our relationship with censorship.
- The role of the press.
- The importance of gamers
Read the full transcript at Gamsutra for more details.
As an adult who plays games, I know that actually there are lots of games already that are deeper than Call of Duty. Cage gives great speeches and knows how to be controversial, but he’s not the only developer making games that offer something more than just killing.
Blockbusters like Bioshock and Dishonored are anything but dumb shooters, and really make you think as well as being great games. Telltale’s Walking Dead adventure brought many players to tears, such was its emotional intensity.
There are many indie games that explore interesting narrative and topics generally ignored by mainstream games. Proteus, Dear Esther, Journey, Lone Survivor and Thirty Flights of Loving… the list could go on and on!
In ignoring their existence, Cage is being unfair at best, and rude at worst.
Do you agree with David Cage that games need to grow up? Do you think Call of Duty is childish?