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Beyond: Two Souls Cost About $27 Million

Ben-Dutka 13 Comments

It sounds like a lot, but some massive AAA productions require well over $100 million in development, marketing and distribution costs.

According to a report in French publication Le Figaro (as cited by CVG ), Quantic Dream's promising new PlayStation 3 exclusive title, Beyond: Two Souls , cost about $27 million (£16.8 million/€20 million) to make.

We don't know if that number includes marketing but we know that Quantic's previous project, Heavy Rain cost $22 million to create, $10 million to distribute, and about $8 million to advertise. Of course, as the critically acclaimed drama ended up generating $100 million, the developer definitely turned a profit. It looks like they're aiming for a similar – or even greater – financial success with Beyond . With many more PS3 owners now as compared to 2010 when Heavy Rain launched, it's definitely possible.

Beyond features some serious star power, with Ellen Page ("Inception," "Juno") assuming the lead role and Willem Dafoe ("The Boondock Saints," "Spider-Man") playing a scientist. Kadeem Hardison ("A Different World," "White Men Can't Jump") is also involved, and they even got Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King," "Pirates of the Caribbean" to produce the soundtrack! Beyond: Two Souls is slated to arrive on October 8.

Related Game(s): Beyond: Two Souls

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Beyond Will Be Useful In Combating The GTAV-Fueled Hate

Ben-Dutka 29 Comments

By the time Quantic Dream's Beyond: Two Souls releases, the industry will have been inundated with negative headlines and general outcry due to Grand Theft Auto V .

The mainstream media will cover every last one of those headlines, because it's what they do. Beyond will never once be mentioned but then again, neither was Heavy Rain , or Journey , or any other game that proves that not all video games are about violence and offensive content. But that doesn't mean those in-the-know can't use titles like Beyond as ammunition against those who ignorantly accuse gaming of being the root cause of countless human tragedies. They have to point the finger somewhere, obviously.

As far as the press outside of gaming is concerned, the only games that exist include guns. This is despite the fact that Quantic Dream boss David Cage has said dozens of times that in fact, he doesn't believe games need guns to be entertaining. He's been running counter to that idea for years now. Of course, he won't be featured on CNN any time soon; all we'll see are so-called experts who sound so out-of-touch, it's shockingly embarrassing. That doesn't mean we don't have our ambassadors. We just have to politely remind the haters and accusers that in fact, they probably shouldn't lecture anyone on an industry about which they know absolutely nothing. They're embarrassing themselves on a daily basis.

Beyond should feature great drama, with fantastic acting performances, top-notch writing, complex themes, and even moral dilemmas. Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe head the cast, and everyone is looking forward to a singular, defining experience. And yes, this might include many of the same people who are currently enjoying GTAV. Believe it or not, members of the obscenely biased mainstream press, video games are art. And that art doesn't have to involve bullets and dead bodies; in fact, very often, it doesn't involve any such thing. So, when Beyond gets here, let's remember that it'll be useful in combating the rising tide of game haters who see no need to be educated on the issues.

Related Game(s): Beyond: Two Souls

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Beyond Demo Detailed And Dated, New “Making Of” Video

Ben-Dutka 9 Comments

Personally, I've been sold on this game ever since it was officially announced.

But if you're still on the fence, or you simply want to dive in early, you should check out the Beyond: Two Souls demo. As revealed over at the PlayStation Blog , a playable sample of Quantic Dream's latest potential masterpiece will hit the PSN on October 1. That's one week before the game is scheduled to launch.

Also, there will be "opportunities" for a few lucky gamers to check out the demo on September 24. Those details haven't arrived just yet, so keep checking back for that info. As for the demo, itself, it will feature two scenes from the game:

Jodie & Aiden: Join a very young Jodie as she takes part in an experiment at the Department of Paranormal Activities. As officials put her abilities to the test, you take charge of a mysterious, invisible entity .

Hunted: Skip forward a number of years and help Jodie escape the clutches of government agents as the mysterious entity unleashes its truly astonishing powers .

And by the way, they've also released the third installment in their four-part "Making Of" video series, which is below. This time, Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe talk about set design and motion capture, and how it differs from movies. Forget the new generation for now; this is the one game I desperately want this fall.

Related Game(s): Beyond: Two Souls

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Beyond: Two Souls Trailer Highlights Two Complex Relationships

Ben-Dutka 10 Comments

Quantic Dream and David Cage brought us Heavy Rain . And on October 8, the talented French team will deliver another unique dramatic thriller.

Beyond: Two Souls features fantastic acting talent and a lengthy, complex script, mostly written by Cage. In this latest Gamescom trailer, we see protagonist Jodi Holmes' development from gifted child to conflicted teen and beyond. She is played by accomplished actress Ellen Page.

Actor Willem Dafoe, whose film and television credits are simply too long to list, plays scientist Nathan Dawkins. He first meets Jodie when she's a child, and she admits to him that another soul is somehow tied to her. That soul, who she calls Aiden, never leaves her and is capable of affecting the world around her. Like any researcher, Dawkins wants to experiment with her, which in turn limits her social growth (as evidenced by one emotional scene in the video).

The anticipated Beyond: Two Souls launches exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on October 8 in North America.