Heavy Rain
5198384
225563290
2008-07-14T09:34:00Z
Sceptre
274040
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/86.96.227.74|86.96.227.74]] to last version by Sceptre (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Future game}}
{{Infobox VG
| title = Heavy Rain
| image = [[Image:Heavy rain.png|256px]]
| caption = Possible poster of ''Heavy Rain''
| developer = [[Quantic Dream]]
| publisher = [[SCEE]]
| designer =
| engine =
| version =
| released = TBA 2008<ref name="QD_pressrelease_2006">[http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/heavyrain/index.html?tag=result;title;0 Heavy Rain (working title)]</ref>
| genre = [[Mystery (fiction)|Mystery]]/[[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
| ratings = Rating Pending
| platforms = [[PlayStation 3]]<ref>[http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=actionadventure&message.id=93091 SCEE and Quantic Dream announces PS3 exclusive - Heavy Rain]</ref>
| media =
}}
'''''Heavy Rain''''' (possibly [[subtitle (titling)|subtitled]] '''''The Origami Killer'''''<ref name="origami_poster">{{cite web | title = ''Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer'' poster | url = http://www.quanticdream.com/images/HR_web.jpg | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref>) is an upcoming [[video game]], developed by [[France|French]] studio [[Quantic Dream]] for the [[PlayStation 3]]. The game is being directed by Quantic Dream's [[entrepreneur|founder]] and [[chief executive officer|CEO]] [[David Cage]]<ref name="QD_pressrelease_2006" />, who also wrote and directed the studio's two previous games, ''[[Omikron: The Nomad Soul]]'' and ''[[Fahrenheit (video game)|Fahrenheit]]''. The game is scheduled to be released in [[Autumn|Fall]] [[2008]].<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview">{{cite news | last = Dunham | first = Jeremy | title = Heavy Rain Interview | publisher = [[IGN]] [http://www.ign.com/ Link] | date = [[2006-06-07]] | url = http://ps3.ign.com/articles/711/711613p1.html | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref> The game was announced at [[E3]] [[2006]], where a [[technology demo|tech demo]] entitled ''The Casting'' was presented to the media and general public.
==History and background==
[[Quantic Dream]] started working on ''Heavy Rain'' in [[February 2006]].<ref name="Mayerem_Chat">{{cite web | title = Mayerem forum questions (from UL) answered by David Cage | url = http://www.mayerem.com/topic-1161.html#post77318 | accessdate = 2007-06-16 | date = 2006-06-14}}</ref> The project was announced on [[May 7]], [[2006]], and three days later, a real-time [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[prototype]] [[technology demo]] was presented at [[E3]] [[2006]] on [[Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment of America's]] booth<ref name="QD_pressrelease_2006" /><ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" />. The demo, titled ''The Casting'' features a [[virtual]] [[actor]], while showing various technical features of the [[game engine]] in an almost five minutes long emotional scene, although the story and setting of the demo has nothing to do with the story of ''Heavy Rain'' itself. The prototype was allegedly created in less than three months, including writing the script, developing the engine for the console, making auditions to find the virtual actress, recording the scenes, etc. The demo was initially supposed to be an internal prototype, not to be shown outside the company, but after [[Sony]] saw the team's work-in-progress a few weeks before E3, they've been asked to finish up a working demo to be presented to the audience, while the team had originally planned to finalize the demo before the end of June.<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" />
===Details===
Details about the story and gameplay of ''Heavy Rain'' itself remain scarce. It is known that the game is not a sequel to ''[[Fahrenheit (video game)|Fahrenheit]]'', but a completely new game, with new story and new characters.<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" /> Director [[David Cage]] noted that ''Heavy Rain'' "will be a very dark [[film noir]] [[thriller (genre)|thriller]] with mature themes", without any supernatural elements.<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" /> The game will feature a story that is [[interactivity|interactively]] "bendable", similarly to ''Fahrenheit''.<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" /> It's been told by the creators, that "the character control mechanism is an essential part in playing ''Heavy Rain''", and is different from the system used in ''Fahrenheit''. The player will be able to control different characters in the game.<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview"/>. In a recent interview given by Quantic Dream co-CEO and executive producer Guillaume de Fondaumière to www.gamedaily.com, characters will be true virtual actors capable of showing highly realistic emotions.
Some [[game physics]] will be made available by the use of [[PhysX]] by AGEIA. It is used for console physics in general in the game.<ref name="Mayerem_Chat" /> Originally for the PC, there were going to be two separate versions of the game to handle cases of a computer being equipped with the appropriate [[physics processing unit]], and to handle cases when it is not present on the system.<ref name="Mayerem_Chat" /> However, now that the game has been announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive,<ref>[http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=actionadventure&message.id=93091 SCEE and Quantic Dream announces PS3 exclusive - Heavy Rain]</ref> it is assumed that that won't be necessary. In the demo, the physics of the [[hair]] made use of the AGEIA technology.<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" /><ref name="Mayerem_Chat" /><ref name="AGEIA_Video" /> However, recently in the Dutch Magazine Chief on March 11th, Executive Producer David Cage gave gamers a teaser by announcing a few details about the game. He alludes to one of the main characters being a father trying to justify his actions by saying "Its purely about a father's love." "The main story will revolve around 4 different characters, and we're putting the spotlight on their perceptions. The question 'what is good and what is evil' is the key here, that will be just a matter of viewpoint...I believe heavily in moral choices, I'm going to use them A LOT. They're not about being good or bad, but about finding the right balance." On the setting, David Cage responded by saying, "I don't want to do a big free-roaming city like GTA, because the flow of the story will then be hard to control. Nevertheless, I do want to incorporate big sets, with a crowd, heavy populated areas like a mall and a subway are going to be in there. Of course, the gameplay has got to make use of that aspect too."
===''The Origami Killer'' poster===
Some time in early [[2007]], a [[poster]] of ''Heavy Rain'' appeared on Quantic Dream's under-construction website.<ref>{{cite news | last = UL | publisher = [http://omikrongame.blogspot.com Omikron Game] | title = Renovating Quantic Dream Official Site | date = [[2006-01-09]] | url = http://omikrongame.blogspot.com/2007/01/renovating-quantic-dream-official-site.html | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref> It features an [[origami]] model with [[blood]] dripping from one of its corners, and a new [[subtitle (titling)|subtitle]] to ''Heavy Rain'', reading ''The Origami Killer''. Also notable is a list of (presumably virtual) actors (Ethan Mars, Scott Shelby, Madison Paige, Norman Jayden), and a tagline: "How far are you prepared to go to save someone you love?".<ref name="origami_poster" /> A small image of the poster can be seen on the updated website, under "Game Studios", "Heavy Rain".
==''The Casting'' technology demo==
[[Image:933123 20060519 screen001.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mary Smith]]
''The Casting'', shown at E3 2006, is an almost five minutes long non-playable real-time [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[prototype]] [[technology demo]]. It was running on a non-final [[PlayStation 3]] console development kit in [[720p]] [[display resolution]]<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" />. The demo's main feature is the presentation of a [[virtual]] [[actor]] (hence the other name "Virtual Actor Demo"), showing numerous expressions. It also shows various technical features of the [[game engine]], all embedded in a short emotional story. However, the plot of the tech demo has nothing to do with the story of ''Heavy Rain'' itself. The story was written and directed by [[David Cage]].
The virtual actor in the demo is based on young [[French American]] actress [[Aurélie Brancilhon]]. Not only her likeness was used in the prototype, but her complete acting performance.<ref name="QD_pressrelease_2006" />
Quantic Dream highlighted, that the technology demo is just a sample of things achievable in a limited amount of time, and that during the making of the prototype, they still were in the middle of [[research and development]] efforts.
===Plot of the demo===
In the demo a young woman comes into a white room. Her name is Mary Smith, aged 24, and she has come to [[audition (performing arts)|audition]] for a part in an upcoming [[film]] titled ''Heavy Rain''. Asked about her acting background, she admits that she has only had [[extra (actor)|minor parts]] because she is often seen as unfit for major roles: "Too tall, too short, wrong hair… There's always something wrong with me!" The male speaker (now known to be the [[film director|director]]) asks if she has her lines down, to which she says yes. A male assistant raises the [[clapperboard]] for ''Heavy Rain'' to start filming Mary's audition.
When he lowers it again, the set has changed entirely to a small [[kitchen]] in which Mary begins a [[monologue]]. She talks to the [[video camera|camera]] and addresses it as being the character of her husband, with whom she once had an ideal, romantic marriage. However, she started to notice little things about him that were indicators that he was [[adultery|cheating on]] her. One time after he left his office, she followed him to be sure, and watched in shock as he stopped at a seedy hotel to meet with another woman. Crushed and heartbroken, Mary explains how she went home and cried in sorrow as she stands dejectedly over the kitchen [[sink]], [[lightning]] bursting outside the window. Reaching into the sink, she monologues how she took their gun from the bedside table; on the set, she produces a [[revolver]] from inside the sink. Holding the gun to her head and shedding a tear, she says that life is cruel to make her cope with such horror - but she has a change of heart, as she wasn't the one who was cheating. She sits back in her chair, saying how she waited patiently for her husband to come home. When he got there, she merely stood up and took aim in his direction (and has just stood and aimed at the camera). She playfully acknowledges that her husband likely believes she doesn't have the courage to pull the trigger, but her mind has been made up; she wants to make an example of him, and show that women refuse to tolerate such behavior. With a final goodbye, she pulls the trigger, accompanied by another great flash of lightning.
Suddenly, the viewer sees once again the demo where Mary stands back in the empty white set, holding her fingers in the shape of a gun. She smiles and asks how her performance was, happy that she has a chance. Upon Mary's exit, the male assistant expresses his interest in her acting abilities to the director; in a bit of irony, the director says that there was no point in auditioning her, as she is too tall for the role.
===Technology===
From a technical and technological standpoint, notable features of ''The Casting'' include full body and facial [[motion capture]], real-time [[tears]] and [[wrinkle]]s on the [[face]], advanced [[skin]] shades, and some advanced [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]] features, such as [[depth of field]], [[spherical harmonics]], auto [[exposure (photography)|exposure]] and [[high dynamic range rendering]]. The technology enables animations of [[pupil]] [[Mydriasis|dilation]], [[tongue]], [[eye]]s, [[finger]]s, and dynamic [[hair]] with [[game physics|physics]].<ref name="QD_pressrelease_2006" /><ref>{{cite web | title = Next Generation Animation | url = http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7/1428/1600/HR_SETS_ANIMATION.jpg | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Next Generation Rendering | url = http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7/1428/1600/HR_SETS_RENDERING.jpg | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref>. The game engine also supports real-time [[video post-processing|post-processing]]<ref>{{cite web | title = Real Time Post-Processing (1) | url = http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7/1428/1600/HR_POST-PROCESS.jpg | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Real Time Post-Processing (2) | url = http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7/1428/1600/HR_POST-PROCESS2.jpg | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref>, with which E3 attendees could interact at the event.<ref name="GameSpot_E3_Impression">{{cite news | title = E3 06: Heavy Rain Impressions | publisher = [[GameSpot]] [http://www.gamespot.com/ Link] | date = [[2006-05-11]] | url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/heavyrain/news.html?sid=6150666 | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref><ref name="GameSpy_E3_Impression">{{cite news | last = McGarvey | first = Sterling | title = Heavy Rain Preview | publisher = [[GameSpy]] [http://www.gamespy.com/ Link] | date = [[2006-05-10]] | url = http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/quantic-dream-project/707423p1.html | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref> Hair physics is achieved by the use of [[PhysX]] by [[Ageia]].<ref name="IGN_E3_Interview" /><ref name="Mayerem_Chat" /><ref name="AGEIA_Video">{{cite web | title = PhysX by AGEIA ''Heavy Rain'' gameplay video | url = http://www.ageia.com/physx/videos.html | accessdate = 2007-06-16}}</ref> Facial motion capture was recorded using [[Vicon Peak]] MX40 cameras and system, and was enhanced with a [[muscle]] system.
==External links==
*[http://www.quanticdream.com Quantic Dream website]
*[http://www.quanticdream.com/images/HR_web.jpg ''Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer'' poster]
*[http://ps3.ign.com/articles/711/711613p1.html IGN: Heavy Rain Interview]
*[http://www.gametrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=115141 Casting of the Technology Demo]
==References==
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[[Category:2008 video games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3-only games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in France]]
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