Quantic Dream

Quantic Dream is a developer and publisher.

Quantic Dream Webpage, Facebook

A Paris-based French game development studio, headed by David Cage since its establishment. The team has worked closely with Sony since 2005, producing titles for both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. However, in January 2019, the Chinese company NetEase acquired a minority stake in the studio, enabling its projects to be released on additional platforms. Since 2021, NetEase has owned the French studio.

The history of Quantic Dream

Original style…

In June 1997, David Cage founded the French studio Quantic Dream. Initially focused on using motion capture technology in film productions, the team quickly decided to enter the video game industry. In a highly unusual move for a debut game, Omikron: The Nomad Soul (1999, PC and Dreamcast) featured collaboration with David Bowie, who composed the soundtrack and voiced the protagonist, Boz. The title mixed adventure, RPG, and action elements, while also including influences from fighting games and first-person shooters. While the game was quite different from Quantic Dream's later productions, it already showcased ideas that would shape the studio's future work, particularly its focus on a non-linear plot.

…cinematic gameplay…

The studio began work on its next project relatively late, in 2002. Released in 2005, Fahrenheit - known in the United States as Indigo Prophecy - was available on PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. From today's perspective, it is safe to say that this game was when David Cage and his team laid out the direction they would follow in the years ahead. Fahrenheit stood out for its cinematic gameplay and, as with Omikron, a non-linear story presented from the perspectives of two characters on opposite sides of the barricade.

Quantic Dream's next game was released five years later: Heavy Rain, published exclusively for the PlayStation 3 by Sony Computer Entertainment (now known as Sony Interactive Entertainment). Although the game retained the key features of its predecessors, it stood out from other titles of the era due to its remarkably high-quality graphics. The game was formally announced in 2005, alongside the second entry in the Omikron series (initially subtitled Exodus, subsequently renamed Karma) and another title, Infraworld. While development of the latter project was halted after a few months due to publisher concerns, the team working on Omikron 2 was later redirected to complete Heavy Rain. The Origami Killer narrative never saw a follow-up, as Cage was opposed to sequels created merely to capitalize on the brand.

..."photorealistic" graphics…

After Heavy Rain's release, Quantic Dream earned a reputation for pushing their target platforms to the limit. A tech demo titled Kara, released by the Paris studio in March 2012, illustrated this point. Featuring Valorie Curry in the role of a self-aware android, the video demonstrated the capabilities of the graphics engine created by David Cage's team for the PlayStation 3. However, fans anticipating the next chapter of the titular Kara story had to remain patient…

…because Beyond: Two Souls, another project from David Cage's team, was released on PlayStation 3 in October 2013 and followed a completely different storyline, focusing on paranormal phenomena. The protagonist, Jodie Holmes - portrayed by Ellen Page - has been bonded from birth to Aiden, a mysterious entity that exists in our reality. Among the other prominent actors in the game was Willem Dafoe, portraying Nathan Dawkins, the protagonist's mentor and protector. Following in the footsteps of Heavy Rain and Fahrenheit, the title offered distinctive gameplay mechanics that created a movie-like experience, a branching narrative influenced by player decisions, and stunning visuals.

…and emotional storytelling

Quantic Dream unveiled another tech demo in February 2013, The Dark Sorcerer, which highlighted the PlayStation 4's capabilities. Since Kara was largely unknown at the time, it seemed the concept had been completely forgotten. This state of affairs continued until March 2013, when the French studio presented its first project for Sony's PlayStation 4. Detroit: Become Human was set after the events of Kara, transporting players to a futuristic version of Detroit, where they could learn more about Kara as well as other self-aware androids, including Connor, a police officer. Of course, the non-linear story played a key role as well - players could discover why certain androids began to behave like humans, display emotions, and even commit crimes - and the experience was once again enhanced by impressive graphics.

Before launching the new game, the studio decided to update three older titles from its portfolio. In 2015 and 2016, Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered was released on mobile devices and PCs, while remastered versions of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls were launched on PlayStation 4.

Controversy and a fresh start

In early 2018, former Quantic Dream employees spoke to the newspaper Le Monde about the realities of working at the company. The testimonies revealed that the studio was managed in a near-authoritarian manner, with certain employees being ridiculed, humiliated, and compelled to work unpaid overtime. Furthermore, sexist, homophobic, and racist jokes were reportedly common within the team; David Cage was described as disrespectful toward his subordinates, and Guillaume de Fondaumiere was accused of sexual harassment. In its official statement, the studio firmly denied the allegations; Simon Zhu of NetEase later confirmed this after spending time with the team and observing their work environment.

NetEase's presence here is no accident. Quantic Dream announced in late January 2019 that the company had bought a minority stake in the studio. From then on, the studio, led by David Cage and Guillaume de Fondaumiere, would create games for PlayStation consoles and a full range of other platforms. The initial results of this collaboration appeared quickly. In March 2019, the studio revealed that three of its games, formerly available only on Sony consoles, would come to PC: Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human. At the same time, Quantic Dream expanded into game publishing. Beyond the PC versions of its popular titles, the first games to appear in the French studio's publishing catalog were Dustborn and Under the Waves.

The company opened a new studio in Montreal in February 2021, and in December, revealed its latest project at The Game Awards. Star Wars: Eclipse is an open-world action-adventure game set in the universe of Star Wars. At that time, the project was just beginning development, and shortly after it was announced, unofficial reports indicated that the team faced difficulties, such as challenges with the graphics engine and insufficient staffing. However, in the following months, the developers became increasingly forthcoming about the project. Rumors also emerged online indicating that the studio's concurrent projects with Eclipse would feature a humorous AAA medieval fantasy game and a title for mobile platforms.

It was announced in August 2022 that Quantic Dream had been purchased by the Chinese gaming giant NetEase. The price of the acquisition, however, was not revealed. The studio was to maintain operational independence under NetEase, which sought to strengthen its console portfolio with Quantic Dream.

Quantic Dream unveils the Spotlight initiative

From that time onward, the studio maintained a period of silence, which ended in June 2023. At the time, the French studio stated that it intended to strengthen its position in the publishing market. This initiative, aimed at publishing promising projects from independent developers, was named Spotlight by Quantic Dream. The studio's first publishing efforts encompassed Dustborn, Under the Waves, and the hack-and-slash game Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior.

August 2024 didn't bring good news. It was then that we learned that Adam Williams, the lead screenwriter behind Star Wars: Eclipse and Detroit: Become Human, had left Quantic Dream. The developer decided to leave the company after nearly ten years of service to establish his own development studio.