In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Foundamiere talked about how we should stop thinking of innovative games as unprofitable.
"These projects have been and are profitable, to some extent. I'll give you one example that I know about: Heavy Rain. Let's say it's $22 million to produce. With marketing it's maybe $30 million. With distribution, $40 million. Sony earned $100 million with the game, so it's very profitable. It's the sort of margin that most publishers would strive for, for any game."
We're not sure Sony actually made $100 million off Heavy Rain - that number likely also includes what retailers took.
"Heavy Rain was the ninth best selling game in the year it was released, so we made the top ten. It's true of Journey, too. I don't know the details of the budget, but I know from speaking to members of ThatGameCompany that it was a profitable game for them and for Sony. We should stop thinking that innovation rhymes with unprofitable."
Still, de Foundamiere has a point. Innovative games can certainly make a profit.