Heavy Rain, one of the most memorable, unique experiences to hit the PlayStation 3, could have been an Xbox 360 title. At least, that’s according to Quantic Dream head of development David Cage, who recently spoke on the topic during a BAFTA presentation. Even though Microsoft enjoyed Cage’s past work, the premise of Heavy Rain gave the company too many concerns.
"We were pitching Heavy Rain to different publishers, including Sony, and we went to Microsoft," Cage said (via Digital Spy). "We had a very long talk and they loved Fahrenheit, and they really wanted to do something with us.
"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.”
Instead, the thriller saw exclusivity on the PlayStation 3, and became a surprise hit among the console’s community. Cage assured the audience that he wasn’t criticizing Microsoft, but it’s difficult to deny that the two entities’ heads were just in different places.
"For me, that was a very interesting signal," Cage continued. "It was like, you know what, I don't think we can work together, because you don't understand what I'm trying to achieve here. They were scared of the scandal and scared of what people may write and what people may think. 'Oh, this is a developer and the publisher making games about a child getting kidnapped.’
"When you play Heavy Rain, I don't think this is what the game is about. Microsoft is a great company; I'm not complaining or criticizing. I'm just saying that there was some resistance at the time that was not in sync with what we wanted to achieve."
Look for the developer’s next game, Beyond: Two Souls, to release Oct. 8.
