Heavy Rain cost $21 million, made $131 million, Quantic Dream says
Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Fondaumiere says the Heavy Rain's strong return proves that new ideas can also be profitable.
Heavy Rain was a showpiece for the PlayStation 3, and could have even been thought of as a vanity project. But the game actually did very well for Sony, according to Quantic Dream's producer Guillaume de Fondaumiere, reinforcing the studio's belief that new ideas can be financially successful.
Speaking at a conference in Poland reported by Eurogamer, Fondaumiere claimed that Heavy Rain took only 16.7 million euros (approximately $21 million) to make, but Sony earned more than 100 million euros (approximately $131 million) in return. He used the example to illustrate the point that game developers shouldn't think of innovation is always unprofitable.
He also pointed out that people traditionally outside the video game market, like wives and girlfriends, would play it with their partners. That might tempt those same people to go buy their own games with similar narrative strengths. "Creating new experiences is also a way to expand the market," he said.
Fondaumiere also noted that the perception of games is shifting. In 2004, he said he met with actor Leonardo DiCaprio about doing games, but he was hesitant. Beyond: Two Souls, by comparison, has snagged both Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.
-
Steve Watts posted a new article, Heavy Rain cost $21 million, made $131 million, Quantic Dreams says.
Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Fondaumiere says the Heavy Rain's strong return proves that new ideas can also be profitable.-
-
It's always a good time to post this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FSiZHPuq5Y
Guy and his Dad play Heavy Rain and talk about how ridiculous it is. -
-
-
-
You definitely need to try it then. My wife plays no games and always rolls her eyes and makes fun of me for the games I play, but when she saw Heavy Rain she sat down and started watching me play like it was a movie she wanted to see. She got so invested in it she yelled at me for playing some while she wasn't there to see it - all that without ever picking up the controller.
-