Founder of Quantic Dream and game designer David Cage will deliver the 2013 BAFTA Annual Games Lecture on Tuesday 3 September.
London, 19 August: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced that the acclaimed game designer David Cage will deliver this year’s BAFTA Annual Games Lecture, sponsored by PlayStation and BEYOND: Two Souls, on Tuesday 3 September at BAFTA’s headquarters, 195 Piccadilly in London.
The founder and co-CEO of Quantic Dream, makers of the triple BAFTA-winning game Heavy Rain, will be sharing his views and predictions on creativity in the games industry.
BAFTA’s Annual Lectures showcase renowned creative talent in film, television and games, providing a platform on which individuals share their personal vision for the future of their industry. Previous speakers at the Annual Games Lecture include Will Wright, Peter Molyneux, Hideo Kojima and co-founders of Bioware Drs Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk.
David Cage began his career as a professional musician for film, television and games, before founding games studio Quantic Dream in 1997, with a goal of using interactivity to create emotive, innovative, immersive storytelling. He is also director, lead game designer, and screenwriter at the studio and, over the years, he has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as David Bowie, composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive), and screenwriter Hampton Fancher (Blade Runner).
Cage has developed a writing technique for interactive storytelling which he calls “bending stories”, made famous in Heavy Rain and featured in the forthcoming BEYOND: Two Souls. The player, through their actions and choices in the game, changes the course of the story, making them both the main actor and the co-writer of the experience.
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “David Cage is a true innovator in the games industry, and his passion for supporting the evolution of the medium is self-evident. We’re excited that he will be sharing his insights with our audience of games professionals, career-starters and enthusiasts.”
David Cage’s first game Omikron: The Nomad Soul, released in 1999, was followed in 2005 by Fahrenheit (known as Indigo Prophecy in the US), a cinematic interactive drama that received critical acclaim and several industry awards. His 2006 release The Casting introduced a virtual actress capable of expressing complex emotions. The dark thriller Heavy Rain has sold over two million units to date and gained three BAFTAs in 2011 for Story, Technical Innovation and Original Music, was nominated in a further three categories, and was shortlisted for the publicly-voted GAME Award of 2010.
Cage’s latest project is the unique, interactive psychological thriller BEYOND: Two Souls, starring BAFTA and Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page (Juno, Inception) and Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Fantastic Mr Fox, Platoon). The game, published by Sony Computer Entertainment, will be released in the UK on 11 October 2013.
The BAFTA Annual Games Lecture starts at 7pm on Tuesday 3 September, preceded by a champagne Taittinger reception from 6.30pm. Public tickets are available now at BAFTA Games.
A recording of the event will be published on BAFTA’s online learning channel, BAFTA Guru.
For further information, please contact:
Rosie Mann / Hollie Rendall
Tel: 020 7010 0843 / 020 7010 0829
Email: Rosie Mann / Hollie Rendall
About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round Learning & Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures, scholarships and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit BAFTA and BAFTA Guru.
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution of PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE has revolutionised home entertainment since they launched PlayStation® in 1994. PS2® further enhanced the PlayStation® legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP® is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy on-the-go games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3® is an advanced computer system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PS Vita is an ultimate portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. SCEE also delivers the PlayStation® experience to open operating systems through PlayStation®Mobile, a cross device platform. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories.
More information about PlayStation products can be found at Playstation.
PlayStation, PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSP are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
About BEYOND: Two Souls
Featuring a brand-new game engine and a compelling, original story; BEYOND: Two Souls showcases a new generation of interactive drama gaming.
Following the life of Jodie Holmes, a young woman who possesses supernatural powers through her psychic link to an invisible entity, you will experience the most striking moments of her life, as your actions and decisions determine her fate.
As Jodie traverses the globe, she will face incredible challenges against a backdrop of emotionally-charged events, never before seen in a video game.
