Microsoft Rejected Heavy Rain Due To Child Abduction Plot

[Gahars]

Quantic Dream, the makers of Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit if you're foreign and like croissants), followed that effort up with a little game called Heavy Rain. The title revolved around a serial killer with a penchant for kidnapping children, and was ultimately a PS3 exclusive.

However, as it turns out, that wasn't always the case...

...It was almost an Xbox 360 title, Quantic Dream's head of development David Cage, revealing that the developer first pitched the game to Microsoft, who rejected it due to the aforementioned child abduction plot.

"We were pitching Heavy Rain to different publishers, including Sony, and we went to Microsoft," said Cage at this year's BAFTA annual games lecture. "They got scared by the fact that Heavy Rain was about kids being kidnapped, and they said, 'This is an issue, we want to change it'. Well, we could have kidnapped cats, it would be a different experience!"

The Escapist

It's a good thing they decided against Microsoft, then. Artistic restrictions can totally be a heavy drain.

Anyway, Cage goes on to explain that Sony was much more receptive to what they were trying to accomplish (whether they actually accomplished that or now, well... your mileage may vary). While this story is hardly pressing material, it's still an interesting little insight into how the two publishers deal with developers. Will anything change as we enter the next generation? Well, we'll have to wait and see.

Plus, it's funny to imagine we all could be yelling, "Press A to Jason!" Remember that? That was amusing.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

plus....those Heavy Rain PS3 graphix

 

[ShadowSoldier]

JAASON!
JASON!
JAAAASSSSOON!

But yeah, glad it didn't go to Microsoft's console, they missed out on a great game. If the plot would have been different, it wouldn't have been as good a game.

 

[Terenigma]

Doesnt suprise me at all. Cage should remake Fahrenheit for PS4 but this time actually finish the game as intended instead of rushing the ending with the most WTF endings to a game ever. Right up untill you discover the laundry investigation the game was fine. I played and liked Heavy rain too but i always prefered Fahrenheit, i really wanna see the game properly finished and hopefully change the ending and add some more mystery and plot-twists.

 

[GameWinner]

Microsoft missed out. The game was award-winning and sold really well. I expect the same too for Beyond.