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Quantic Dream announced that the company is now totally independent, fulfilling an ambition that the studio has held for a long time and enabling new opportunities to arise (via Quantic Dream).
Established in 1997, CEO and director David Cage and co-CEO and head of publishing Guillaume de Fondaumière reflected on Quantic Dream’s achievements over the years in an announcement on its blog. “It would be impossible to mention all the extraordinary artists and creators we have had the good fortune to work with, but each and everyone has been a special collaboration and a unique moment in our 23-year journey,” read the post. “But, even by those standards, the last two years have been exceptional: the success of Detroit: Become Human; the growth of an incredible global community; the launch of our games on PC—these are just a few of our highlights. Thanks to Detroit: Become Human, we’ve been able to realize the vision we held dear since the creation of Quantic Dream.”
The company is now able to self-publish all of its future titles. This will let Quantic Dream capitalise on “technological and strategic opportunities of next-generation platforms,” which would not have been possible if a publisher was setting its own terms. Echoing its past statements about becoming a “boutique publisher,” the studio will lend “investment and development support” to other developers to engender new and original gaming experiences. “Quantic Dream will never be just another studio. We want to face new horizons, to keep our passion alive, and keep trusting in the idea of making games that are different,” continued the announcement. “We continue to believe that interactivity can be a means of artistic expression, that passion and sincerity are our best allies in reaching gamers, and that the values of humanism, solidarity, and inclusiveness that we have championed in our games for 23 years are more necessary now than ever before.”
In November 2019, the Conseil de Prud’hommes found Quantic Dream guilty of “violating security obligations” to its employees. The studio was accused of letting “homophobic, misogynistic, racist, or deeply vulgar” images and comments thrive in the workplace, and was fined €5,000 in indemnities and €2,000 in legal funds to the plaintiff. Quantic Dream did not appeal the ruling.
