Quantic Dream head-honcho David Cage recently had a lot to say about his studio’s interactive-drama hit Heavy Rain.

Aside from thanking both fans and highfalutin industry types for all the support the game has received, both in sales and praise, he also pointed out the effects the game has had, and hopefully will continue to have, on gaming.

Here’s what Cage had to say in his interview with PSM3:

"This game granted credibility and respect for the ideas that we believe in, and I am convinced that Heavy Rain has and will open doors to others to approach interactivity in different and more mature ways.”

The most interesting here is Cage's use of the word mature. Of course some might take it to mean that Heavy Rain has opened the door for more mature content - Heavy Rain certainly does handle themes of loss, sexual relationships ,and violence with a level of maturity and real-world respect that the majority of games don’t even aspire to try to reach. However, that doesn’t seem to be all Cage is saying here.

The game designer appears to be saying that Heavy Rain has raised the bar in terms of interactivity - not just content. It might seem like a vague point - but when juxtaposed against Gears of War designer Cliff Blezinski’s famous comments, that shooting is a primary way that gamers interact with virtual environments, Cage’s remarks come slightly more into focus.

It could be argued that one of Heavy Rain’s primary forms of interaction is quick-fire decision making. This is certainly a more adult method of interaction than the typical twitch shooting propagated in many games. Quantic Dream's use of actual consequences (permanent player deaths) also heightens the emotional interactions of the game - another avenue for other genres to explore.

Of course, Cage isn’t about to sit around and let all the other developers out there do all the innovating. He had this to say about what’s next for Quantic Dream:

"We are working hard to invent the next revolution after Heavy Rain, and to surprise all the people who believe in our vision and to convince the others that games can become a more meaningful medium."

Do you think that Heavy Rain has or will have an impact on the way other games will look at interactions? Was it just a fun experiment, or are we about to see Heavy Rain’s impact ripple through the industry for years to come?

Heavy Rain is currently available exclusively for the PlayStation 3.

Source: PSM3 [via CVG]