All info on Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain
 

General info:

Not much is known about Quantic Dream’s latest project, entitled Heavy Rain. All the info thats been released on it thus far is a trailer called “The Casting” and a movie poster - neither of which are even necessarily representative of what the game will actually be.

While details on the actual game are fuzzy, Quantic Dream has been more liberal when talking about the technical aspects behind the game. In all of their previous projects, Quantic Dream has aimed at achieving a theatrical experience that could compete at the same level as a Hollywood production. They have always put strong emphasis on using motion capturing technology , which they believe delivers the best sense of realism. Over the years, they went from working with outsourcing studios to developing a specialized in house motion capturing system. With Heavy Rain, they’ve further upgraded their motion capturing system, able to capture even small facial movements.

What this means is that Quantic Dream has moved beyond just needing motion capture actors - they need real actors, people capable of delivering a Hollywood quality performance. Thus, Quantic Dream has been in contact with several A ranked actors, most notably Leonardo Di Caprio. Heavy Rain could very well set the bar for theatrical performances in video games.

As is the case with just about every PS3 exclusive game, many are wondering why QD has chosen to remain with the PS3 exclusively. Outside of the fact that Sony is publishing the game, there are a few other reasons. One of the main factors seems to be that the Cell processor is extremely good at the number crunching mathematics used by the physics system of the game. Guillaume de Fondaumière, co-founder of QD, also mentioned in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz “it’s extremely difficult to create games of the same visual quality on both platforms[360 and PS3]. Even from an economical standpoint, if you really want to give the best shot on both platforms you have to invest far more money than just spending the money on the one platform. Or you have simple ports, which are of less quality”.

As for details in regards of the game itself - its expected to have a noire atmosphere, and will also not have any of the criticized sci-fi elements of Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy. Beyond that, details are slim. Quantic has stated they are working on something playable, so the possibility of demo is there, but they maintain that its up to Sony.

Heavy Rain is due out sometime in 2008, although its doubtful this deadline will be made. Surfer Girl told us that Heavy Rain is “shaping up to be nothing short of astounding”, and from what we know, we are with her. As big fans of both Omikron and Fahrenheit/Indigo, we are heavily anticipating this title, and hopefully we will have some more information soon!

UPDATE: 1-9-08: First screenshot: http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...Rain_77297.jpg

UPDATE: 3-13-08: David Cage talks about his work at Quantic Dream as part of the new 'TVG.TripleTap' feature series...

Quantic Dream head honcho, David Cage, has spoken to TVG as part of a new feature series called TVG.TripleTap. He spoke at length about his writing and directing responsibilities at the Quantic Dream studio (of which he is also the CEO and Founder).

The interview is all part of TVG's new TripleTap feature series, the first article of which will go live next Wednesday the 16th January. The first feature in the series will focus on the 'Art of Storytelling' in videogames, including opinions on the matter from Rob Yescombe, Rhianna Pratchett and David Cage himself. All three have been involved in either games writing or directing on titles such as Haze, Heavenly Sword and Fahrenheit respectively.

During the interview with Cage, he let TVG in on some golden nuggets of information about the studio's current title under development, Heavy Rain. We were also lucky enough to receive a couple of exclusive screenshots of the game's "real-time virtual actors".

The two Heavy Rain screens show, up close and personal, the astounding visual detail that Quantic Dream has been able to give the game's characters. Cage spoke about what is required to create such lifelike facial characteristics in their animations:

"Today, everything is visual, so yes, the hardware helps a lot to reach the visual quality that becomes necessary. Virtual actors, especially, are for me the most important part. I see them as the vectors of emotion; I need them to be as believable as possible in their acting performance and emotional response. Quantic Dream has massively invested over the past ten years in this aspect by acquiring a Motion Capture system internally and working very hard on facial animation and advanced rendering systems in particular."

Cage also remarked on his different experiences in developing Fahrenheit and his current project, Heavy Rain: "Multi-layered plotlines are a pure nightmare to write. The writing of Fahrenheit has been incredibly difficult and painful for me, as I was writing a new format in its most complex dimension. My current project has been easier to write, which was a relief, as it means I start to have a better understanding of this specific form of interactive writing."

Unfortunately, Cage wouldn't go into details about Quantic Dream's enigmatic title for the PlayStation 3, saying only that gamers should "Expect to be surprised."

UPDATE: 7-22-08:

E3 2008 is just about done, but before that, there's a few more bullets left in its clip. One good example of that is Heavy Rain by French-based devs Quantic Dream. The game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive and it was shown to a crowd with one little catch.

The catch is that there's an NDA in effect that means those who saw what was there to be seen can't talk about it. Well, at least not on mass media channels. TwitterBerry reported that the Heavy Rain demo "wowed the crowd" and they left a little hint by adding "we can't say more other than if you liked Indigo Prophecy, you'll 'love' this."

http://whatifgaming.com/whatifgaming...-awards-2008/9

Best Non-Playable Presentation:
Heavy Rain

Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: TBA 2009
Show at E3 on: PS3

As we have already broken the news here, Heavy Rain was shown in real time at E3 2008. All we can say about this title is, it’s unbelievably impressive and unlike anything you’ve seen before. It was a different scenery than the one in the kitchen, and it had hearts pumping with the bitter struggle that took place.


Biggest Surprise:
Heavy Rain Gameplay

Developer: N/A
Publisher: N/A
Release Date: N/A

We weren’t expecting this at all. Once again, we know that it’s a struggle scene in a garage, and it’s undeniably suspenseful and thrilling. We’d love to show you all the video snippet we have, but we can’t! We can say one thing though, focus on the Tokyo Game Show and more importantly Liepzig.

UPDATES 7-27-08 Long and interesting interview with David Cage (creator of Heavy Rain)

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...vy_.php?page=1

Keep all Heavy Rain discussion here and post updates if ya found them before me and I'll add them to the first post :P

I have posted cage interview in general discussion section check it out.

thanx man, i'll add that to my OP ;)

Heavy rain ?
 

Hello i am a forum new comer and i really do love adventures.It was Syberia which drove me crazy about adventure games and it was Fahrenheit which elevated my enthusiasm even more .I have come to know there will be similar game like Fahrenheit called "Heavy rain " from Quantic dreams .DOes anyone have a clue about its release date ?:)

Sometime this year I think. And I just found out it's PS3-exclusive. PS3!? :S

Yes unfortunately it's only for PS3 :(

And it probably won't be out until late late next year

Just think of it this way. PS3 is the cheapest bluray player. Even if you don't want a PS3, it's still worth getting since the player is the default HD technology and it has more than you need. Plus its cheaper compared to other Bluray players.

If you love movies and have or might get an HD/LCD/Laser TV, then you are set for the future. Plus, you get Heavy Rain. :D

Great news so far. I don't have a PS3 yet, but its worth getting for the fact its the cheapest Bluray player with online firmware updating.

Yes, considering PS3 has little to none games to offer so far, you might just buy it for the Blu-Ray alone.

Hopefully, Heavy Rain will be ported to PC one day.

Fixed. :shifty:

I'm pretty sure are very few games that sell the PS3. Most of them are shallow gimmicks.

Well, the only PS3-exclusive games that I really want is this and Metal Gear Solid 4. Sure, there are also other games that I'd consider buying if I had a PS3, but none of them are enough to make me want to buy the console. Most of the good games on PS3 are not exclusive.

Let's get back to Quantic Rain. If you want to talk about the PS3 and its games, head on over to the General forum. :)

Damn hot first images, do click them twice to zoom
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/gal...vyrain-two.jpg
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/gal...yrain-four.jpg
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/gal...vyrain-one.jpg
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/gal...rain-three.jpg

the water detail on face is amazing

more here
http://www.ripten.com/heavy-rain-image-gallery/

enjoy

It gives me feeling that they are really ready to show it at liepzig

That would be better for forum users to go there then to whine about how it isn't on the xbox 360 or windows.

Those look crazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy!!! :crazy:

this game will make all other games on PS3 look like Mario Bros haha

You should play a sports game sometime. We've seen this so many times before. Sexy sweaty skin! ^_^ Okay, at least its finally hitting none sports games. :D

Houses confirmed for Heavy Rain, also fences :9~.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/u...es/250288.html

here is some making, the tech is tight,



Those sports game dont have such eyes, such environents and almost all of them were clunky in animation, you know the animation in this game, just imagine movement like this
+ realtime water on face. and notice how it isn't too plastic, other screenies[without rain] aren't plastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmB8-xtrKcI

now you will say its demo, all i can say wait for video footage

moreover look at environments
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/gal...yrain-four.jpg

if this will playable, then its gameover for other games lol

Definitely game over, but honestly, its a pretty simple setup. I'm not complaining though. Looks great.

The seen uses either bloom or a realtime HDR shader. It's hard to judge from this shot, but it doesn't look like its using soft particles, obviously since that's a DX10 feature. It also has a Per-pixel motion blur shader, currently the norm in today's games. One thing that I do think is amazing is the rain. Look toward the motorcycle. Either that's a visual glitch or that the ran effects the camera (appearance of liquid on the camera lens). If its the latter, then great. AS long as its not just a one large sprite with rain drops giving the look of a rainstorm (GTA). I'm hoping that Heavy Rain will utilize the effect in which rain affects the environment.

I remember a tech demo that allows you to chain the intensity of the rain and changes the environments reflections and specularity, like real rain. Also, the lights in the seen dims a little with rain in the foreground, where as rain is black in the dark while you see the light of the lamp post refract through e rain, giving it he look of rain seen in front of your lights on the car at night.

Much can be speculated at this point.

Hopefully that seen will be interactivity. Te draw distance is pretty nice too. Definitely looks great.

@Nomadsoul: The eyes are definitely reflected in realtime, but the water on the face isn't. Something like tat would require a lot of processing power because of the deformation of the surface. As I stated before, its not different from a sport game. Its just a layered shader that shows specularity and not a real time reflection.

I've would beg to differ.

If you can't see brilliance in this game already you are blind :D

Wait till you see the first in-game footage, you will throw all your GTAs and MGSs away :P

Hehe, I bet. After being blown away by Indigo Prophecy, I wouldn't expect any less.

This title will clearly be one of the defining games of this generation of consoles and many devs will hopefully watch it very carefully and learn from all of its innovations and nuances. Can't wait for more info at Leipzig!!!

I hope that the innovations won't stop at the graphics only :)

I've already learned that if I could have the backing of Sony I'd be able to do wonderful things...

:D

Your better of creating your own company so that corps like Sony won't tell you what you can or cannot do unless you say 'Sony is AWESOME'.


Anyways, anything new? New video maybe?

"Sony IS awesome."

No new video, but I got a new telly a few weeks back.

This might be the most pregnant reply that we have heretofore witnessed on this forum. Never before have I craved placenta more!! :D

(Are Juniper Crescent's Sapphire Claws tearing into the PSN imminently?? Is Mr. Smoozles going nutso on the network?? The anticipation is weighty and palpable!!)

EDIT: Hmm, just read it again...maybe you just have an inside scoop on how brilliant this title is? Either way its all good gravy for us fans. *cheers*

I was really just being facetious, sorry. Because no matter what innovations Quantic Dream comes up with, other devs probably couldn't emulate or build upon without the kind of budget that working with a company like Sony provides.

Which actually raises a different point. Because Sony will not really entertain adventures on its precious system, it suggests to me that Heavy Rain is not going to be an adventure as most of us might classify the genre.

True, but Sony have of late been much better about getting the information and tools to best utilize the PS3 and its unique architecture to devs who are in need of help or who need that extra push that will make them take PS3 development seriously. Back in April, the guys at Insomniac Games seemed to have similar thoughts and started their Nocturnal Initiative. This article describes it pretty well. It is heart-warming to see a developer that does have such a close relationship to Sony (and is yet independent) want to share in that and help out others who may be in need of assistance when it comes to getting their beautiful new idea off the ground. PSN games like Flower, the PixelJunk games, and the upcoming Linger in Shadows demonstrate that there are some there that do actually care about artistic expression and creativity. Need I even mention LBP?

A very good point, but either

1. maybe this is what the genre as we know it needs. Perhaps we need to rethink what makes an adventure an adventure.

or

2. Sony has clearly been so smitten by Mr. Cage and his lovely ideas that they are making an exception in this case and where there is one exception there can be more exceptions....

I think that we pretty much know what makes an adventure an adventure: welcome will be every evolutions of the genre, every new brilliant idea in terms of game-play and mechanics. But, at the core, we know what make a good adventure: to me, story and character. And, as a matter of fact, I surely hope that they managed to develop a better story than Indigo Prophecy (just a personal opinion, but - in the end - didn't the plot feel a little contrived and silly?), because when it comes to technique David Cage is certainly a forerunner.


A teeny, tiny little hope, but a hope however ;)

Well to buy sony interest one has to show something of interest , atleast something, and that e32006 demo was muchmore than something.

Tommorow or dayafter first public view of game, here is great interview as appetizer

http://gamereactor.no/grtv/?id=2804

Since its interactive game against shooters and racers as he put it, i believe it will be an adventure game , more like nextgen of interactive storytelling not nextgen just in graphics but also in gameplay.

Seemingly it is a horror game.
First in game footage - Crappy youtube quality makes it hard to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dot2PF5CUTY

Looks very fahrenheit, lots of context sensitive areas and quick time cutscreens.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/38635.html

Better Video.

Graphically it certaily looks superb.

http://gamekyo.com/video12723_heavy-rain-new-video.html



here download directfeed

http://www.mediafire.com/?fx5rtzj32gl

artdirection,atmosphere and camerawork is 10/10 , it gives vibe of stillife and condemened with all mannequins and stuff, there was more demo footage shown at show i hope that those 2 demos (explained on gamespot,1up etc.) will hit online.

Though the scenario shown was serial killer thingy, cage said that full game will have variety of scenarios, all different themes.

And laslty the rain looks amazing , notice the ass movements when she walks upstairs there so many subtle details.


I wish to have this demo on PSN now lol.

Here is some serious info from the PS3 forums:

Before the demo began, we had a good look at the menu screen. The menu zoomed in on the eyes of a woman who resembled Mary Smith from "The Casting" demo. She filled the screen with her eyes as she glanced furtively left and right. It was a bit unsettling and rather hypnotic, but the detail was exquisite because the eyes looked so real. Cage explained that they created a technology to motion-capture the micromovement on the eyes of a real actress. The details on the skin and the shadows were also impressive because we saw the blemishes and inconsistencies of the skin, not an airbrushed close-up of an actress who no longer has pores. The graphics have improved significantly from the last demo, and by looking into Mary's eyes, it was as if you could see into her thoughts. The chilling piano theme playing in the background added to the mystery as we eagerly waited for the presentation to start.

We first saw a journalist named Madison as she rode a motorcycle in the rain, headed toward the house of a taxidermist. Several women have disappeared, and he has been linked as a possible suspect. Madison is only interested in getting the scoop on whether this man turns out to be the true origami killer or not. Once she arrived at the house, Madison stepped onto the sidewalk and we began to see how the controls work. Rather than using the analog sticks to maneuver her, the R2 trigger will let her move forward and the left analog can be used to move her head. It's difficult to think of this game within the traditional conventions. As the player, you are there to progress the story as you see fit, and options will be available to you as they come up. Similar to Indigo Prophecy, icons will appear in the lower right portion of the screen to indicate what you can do, whether it's moving the analog stick or tapping buttons. Madison moved forward to look in the mailbox, but whether she puts her hand in slowly or backs off is entirely up to you. You'll be in control of how the animation unfolds, and there is never any load time. The house appeared to be a more run-down version of a typical suburban home. The weather was dreary and Madison was wet from the rain. Her movements were realistic, and when left standing idle for a while, she fidgeted.

When Madison approached the door, she was prompted with options to either knock or ring the doorbell. Using the Sixaxis controller, you can also select what you want to say, given that Madison will have different thoughts come up. This thought interface will give you the pros and cons of the situation. It doesn't tell you what to do or not to do, and it's contextual, so it will change depending on where and when you are in the story.

Of course, that was the perfect time for the taxidermist to return, and the screen split to show the taxidermist on the left, headed into his home, and Madison on the right as she tried to figure out what to do. The music also picked up here to drive the gravity of the situation as Madison tiptoed slowly across the hall to try to sneak out through the garage. Staying quiet, Madison got out of the house by using the garage switch, and she quickly jumped onto her motorcycle, which took a bit of button mashing before it would start. She finally got her helmet on and sped away. After this scenario, Cage explained that this was only one possible story. Like it would in the actual game, the next scenario would take this information and continue to tell the story based on what had been done. Considering that this demo wasn't following the actual storyline of Heavy Rain, we were brought back to the scene in which the taxidermist returned to his house, but this time what followed was completely different. The taxidermist heard Madison upstairs and came looking for her. We were told that there are as many as 20 to 30 hiding places in the house. As Madison hid behind a door, a sequence of buttons appeared that needed to be held to simulate the same uncomfortable feeling of being stuck. She moved to another hiding spot, at which point she came face to face with the creep. He attacked, and Madison fought back with an object that she grabbed off of the nightstand. She ran downstairs and tripped, subsequently heading to the front door to find it locked. Then she ran to the kitchen window, which wouldn't open anymore. She finally made her way to the garage, flipped the switch, and ran to her bike with the murderer close behind. She frantically tried to start her motorcycle, and when it finally did, she took off and left her helmet behind.

(cont.)

This was a much more intense, action-filled scenario, the kind in which you feel like you're in serious danger, but these were only two of the possible scenarios that a player could have gone through. We were told that the player controlling Madison had messed up numerous times but still managed to escape. You could have killed the villain in various ways; you could have stayed hidden and called the police. Madison could also be killed, and the fascinating part is that the game would not be over. Events would merely continue with that information taken into account. Cage was tight-lipped about any further details as to how this would work or how things would continue, but we do know that there is no game over in Heavy Rain.

We also know that there are 60 scenes in Heavy Rain, and each one will have different gameplay and narrative. The overall theme will be dark, given that it's a thriller. Cage tells us that the game will be full of twists and turns and will include many surprises. He says that it will offer a new way of interacting with a new kind of storytelling that extends beyond the cutscenes and never-ending dialogue. In this new genre, it's not about your reaction and how you move the controller, but about what decisions you make as a player to make the story unfold. The experience will be different each time.

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventur...ml?sid=6196255

(Trailer stuff)
We watched as Madison wandered into the backyard and noticed that the kitchen window was slightly ajar.

(A little gameplay)
Madison kicked some nearby barrels into place so that she could get into the house. Before she entered, a couple of thoughts went on in her head that you can listen to or just move on. Once inside the house, Madison walked around the living room, and we noticed that she could interact with several things in the environment. She could sit on the couch, check out the fireplace, or go through the door to the garage. We were told that you can also explore in narrow spaces and never have to worry about your character getting stuck. In the garage we saw a trail of blood and noticed that there was a garage switch on the left. She headed upstairs and we immediately noticed that the floorboards were creaking. Things started to pick up when Madison discovered a dead body in the tub and then stumbled into a room in which several women had been stuffed.

The rain, the lighting and the colors help set the mood for this short thriller.

(Ed.: Scenario 1)
Of course, that was the perfect time for the taxidermist to return, and the screen split to show the taxidermist on the left, headed into his home, and Madison on the right as she tried to figure out what to do. The music also picked up here to drive the gravity of the situation as Madison tiptoed slowly across the hall to try to sneak out through the garage. Staying quiet, Madison got out of the house by using the garage switch, and she quickly jumped onto her motorcycle, which took a bit of button mashing before it would start. She finally got her helmet on and sped away.

(Ed.: Scenario 2)
After this scenario, Cage explained that this was only one possible story. Like it would in the actual game, the next scenario would take this information and continue to tell the story based on what had been done. Considering that this demo wasn't following the actual storyline of Heavy Rain, we were brought back to the scene in which the taxidermist returned to his house, but this time what followed was completely different. The taxidermist heard Madison upstairs and came looking for her. We were told that there are as many as 20 to 30 hiding places in the house. As Madison hid behind a door, a sequence of buttons appeared that needed to be held to simulate the same uncomfortable feeling of being stuck. She moved to another hiding spot, at which point she came face to face with the creep. He attacked, and Madison fought back with an object that she grabbed off of the nightstand. She ran downstairs and tripped, subsequently heading to the front door to find it locked. Then she ran to the kitchen window, which wouldn't open anymore. She finally made her way to the garage, flipped the switch, and ran to her bike with the murderer close behind. She frantically tried to start her motorcycle, and when it finally did, she took off and left her helmet behind.

(Ed.: Truckload of awesome)
This was a much more intense, action-filled scenario, the kind in which you feel like you're in serious danger, but these were only two of the possible scenarios that a player could have gone through. We were told that the player controlling Madison had messed up numerous times but still managed to escape. You could have killed the villain in various ways; you could have stayed hidden and called the police. Madison could also be killed, and the fascinating part is that the game would not be over. Events would merely continue with that information taken into account. Cage was tight-lipped about any further details as to how this would work or how things would continue, but we do know that there is no game over in Heavy Rain.
the trailer is awesome, but the cinematic style of it makes it a little vague, there's some details here explaining how it played

so for those asking, 'it looks good but what do i do?'
- it's a cinematic,emotionally charged ,dark thriller
- the game uses QTEs and prompts you to tap certain buttons/move the sixaxis/move the analogue sticks to do certain actions (such as open a door, or squeeze into a narrow gap)
- the gameplay is something new, you can walk freely around your environment to get a complete sense of immersion, but the way you progress through the story is completely open, basically it's taking the concept of playing it how you want it, to a whole new level. you can complete your task in basically any way you like.
- there is NO game over, if you're character dies, it's written that way into the story, and it changes the future outcomes of how the game plays out.
- all actions you take in the story, are taken into account later on, so various different ways of progressing effect how the rest of the story plays through

*drops dead*

http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3.../900299p3.html

much more in detail explanation

these bits are awesome

Madison hides in a closet as the killer runs around the upper floor of the house talking to his victims as though they're spouses, spouting insane gibberish.



Cage said, could have included fighting back and killing the taxidermist, hiding out and waiting for the killer to leave, then escaping, or even failing and becoming another victim. The twist, he said, was that that the story will continue, even if your character dies.