DarkReign
02-18-2010, 11:07 AM
Rockstar games is blowing the doors off their open-world formula (apparently).
0sk9YjbbyJw
The premier of this game was featured in this month's issue of Game Informer, and theyre using some new cutting edge facial (and body) recognition software.
Its going to blow the doors off Mass Effect 2 and Heavy Rain in terms of computer animation.
I read the article and hope some of you have as well, but the lead designer was quoted as saying "We dont even have one animator on staff" using this technology.
I dont know whether that means something to most of you or not, but that is a HUGE deal. They went real in-depth about the tech's ability to produce final-cut footage in less than a day.
Using analogies like "what would take an animator a month to perfect takes 20 minutes".
This is revolutionary. Game making just got cheaper and faster. One drawback though is, in order for any game using it to have continuity amongst the cast, every single character in game must be portrayed by a real actor. Every single one, every pedestrian on the street, every spoken, every everything (if they didnt, the non-acted characters would be instantly and jarringly recognizable).
They kept referencing the uncanny valley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley). That this tech is so incredible, you dont get that feeling.
Obviously, its all very one-sided information and the only trailer of the game never shows a moment of this tech (purposely).
Honestly, the game to me, sounds great, but I am more interested in the tech behind it. If it is true what they say (and tbh, the way they were talking about it, it has to be or their reputations are ruined...this is Rockstar after all), then the way games are made has changed forever and the line between movies and games just got extremely blurred.
Apparently, the actors only have a 45º range of motion, which is limiting to say the least, but definitely workable. In the years to come, I can almost guarantee that limitation will be widdled away until 360º is possible.
Again, for the unindoctrinated, making games like Mass Effect 2 is an extremely laborous process for a number of reasons...the biggest is the facial animations and character movements (the animator's job). This process takes literally years of labor time over the course of development and costs literally millions for your top shelf productions.
This tech eliminates that completely. Completely. Think about that...Rockstar's self-admitted "most ambitious title" to date doesnt have one fucking animator working on it! Not one!
To be honest, I hope this tech does what it says (i think it will). It seems LA Noire's gameplay revolves around it, in that you the player should be able to tell when an NPC is lying by their facial expressions. If thats true, shit done changed.
Reading the actors take on the tech is funny. They step into a sound-proof room and get interaction from the director. They step out of the room and 20 minutes later their likeness shows up looking and talking like them. They say it is eeiry accurate.
I hope this cuts game production costs and becomes widespread. It adds the all elusive human element to games that not even the most talented animator in the world can re-create. It employs humans to do video game work, will probably launch the careers of otherwise unknowns and eliminate the rigid, robotic animations of current gen games with fluid, easily recognizble gestures and motions cheaply and effectively.
I hope it works like a charm and becomes an industry standard. Your favorite games will get out a lot sooner with far better animation and spoken dialogue.
The creative director and the actors said (i paraphrase) "Its really weird, you can mute the scene youre watching and lip-read what theyre saying.
I am stoked.
0sk9YjbbyJw
The premier of this game was featured in this month's issue of Game Informer, and theyre using some new cutting edge facial (and body) recognition software.
Its going to blow the doors off Mass Effect 2 and Heavy Rain in terms of computer animation.
I read the article and hope some of you have as well, but the lead designer was quoted as saying "We dont even have one animator on staff" using this technology.
I dont know whether that means something to most of you or not, but that is a HUGE deal. They went real in-depth about the tech's ability to produce final-cut footage in less than a day.
Using analogies like "what would take an animator a month to perfect takes 20 minutes".
This is revolutionary. Game making just got cheaper and faster. One drawback though is, in order for any game using it to have continuity amongst the cast, every single character in game must be portrayed by a real actor. Every single one, every pedestrian on the street, every spoken, every everything (if they didnt, the non-acted characters would be instantly and jarringly recognizable).
They kept referencing the uncanny valley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley). That this tech is so incredible, you dont get that feeling.
Obviously, its all very one-sided information and the only trailer of the game never shows a moment of this tech (purposely).
Honestly, the game to me, sounds great, but I am more interested in the tech behind it. If it is true what they say (and tbh, the way they were talking about it, it has to be or their reputations are ruined...this is Rockstar after all), then the way games are made has changed forever and the line between movies and games just got extremely blurred.
Apparently, the actors only have a 45º range of motion, which is limiting to say the least, but definitely workable. In the years to come, I can almost guarantee that limitation will be widdled away until 360º is possible.
Again, for the unindoctrinated, making games like Mass Effect 2 is an extremely laborous process for a number of reasons...the biggest is the facial animations and character movements (the animator's job). This process takes literally years of labor time over the course of development and costs literally millions for your top shelf productions.
This tech eliminates that completely. Completely. Think about that...Rockstar's self-admitted "most ambitious title" to date doesnt have one fucking animator working on it! Not one!
To be honest, I hope this tech does what it says (i think it will). It seems LA Noire's gameplay revolves around it, in that you the player should be able to tell when an NPC is lying by their facial expressions. If thats true, shit done changed.
Reading the actors take on the tech is funny. They step into a sound-proof room and get interaction from the director. They step out of the room and 20 minutes later their likeness shows up looking and talking like them. They say it is eeiry accurate.
I hope this cuts game production costs and becomes widespread. It adds the all elusive human element to games that not even the most talented animator in the world can re-create. It employs humans to do video game work, will probably launch the careers of otherwise unknowns and eliminate the rigid, robotic animations of current gen games with fluid, easily recognizble gestures and motions cheaply and effectively.
I hope it works like a charm and becomes an industry standard. Your favorite games will get out a lot sooner with far better animation and spoken dialogue.
The creative director and the actors said (i paraphrase) "Its really weird, you can mute the scene youre watching and lip-read what theyre saying.
I am stoked.