How realism is shaping the future of gaming
Video games continue to come in all shapes and sizes to provide million of gamers with unique gaming experiences that can create endless hours of entertainment and fun. From sports titles and shooters to fantasy and arcade games, developers base their creations upon a fictional concept or attempt to simulate real life animation and physics within a virtual world. The emergence of next generation technology has further reduced the gap between reality and the virtual world, with high definition graphics and audio making gamers feel they are at the heart of the battlefield or sports field. Integrating elements of realism is not always required within certain genres, but others are primed for animation capturing and the latest graphics to not only push the boundaries of capability to new realms, but also make video games feel more realistic than ever.
Feel every kick, tackle and emotion on the sports field
Sports games have, for many years, attempted to recreate the true adrenaline rush and feeling of being at the heart of the action and making every animation look as close to reality as technologically possible. Previous titles succeeded in their efforts to recreate football, ice hockey, rugby and other sports within a virtual world, but the emergence of next generation consoles and graphical capability has made everything look and feel real. The Fifa games series is a prime example of titles which have gradually grown in quality, with the days of 32-bit cartridges for the Sega Mega Drive rendered obsolete by animation capturing technology that has recreated a considerable number of kicking, running and celebration motions into the virtual world. Comprehensive research is carried out across a number of leagues to ensure every individual player has accurate stats close to their true ability to make Fifa even more realistic, yet the game itself carries the unpredictable qualities of underdogs winning against all expectations and making accurate predictions on http://www.bookies.com impossible.
Dance and work out to the beat
Motion sensor technology has welcomed a new wave of gamers who have been blown away by the ability to use their body to control their gaming experience. Kinect sensors for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One effectively track your body movements to put you in complete control without the need for a controller, with a number of games designed to put gamers at the heart of the action. Dance Central is one of many dance-orientated games that require you to make a combination of dance movements in accordance to demands seen on the screen to enjoy a particular song, while Nike+ Kinect Training is tailored to provide a source of workout in the comfort of your own home. It may not be as rigorous as going to your local gym, playing sports or leisurely exercise, but the realism aspect comes to the fore through games which help you to keep fit and potentially lose weight.
Cinematography
While considerable advancements have been made in gaming animation and graphical capabilities, many games now come with enriched cinematic qualities that make gamers feel like they are watching a film during cut-scenes. Game developers utilise motion capturing technology to not only take body movements, but also record speech movements and facial expressions to make character look more realistic. L.A. Noire provided the ground-breaking movement towards advanced cinematography in video games, with Rockstar utilising MotionScan to capture actor’s mouth actions and voice to add more context to the film noir concept and gripping storyline. Other games have since picked up the baton, with the recently released Advanced Warfare featuring Kevin Spacey who underwent hours of motion capture sessions at Activision studios to not only re-create his real life appearance, but also include his voice and accurate facial movements when he speaks to add a unique touch of realism that makes the latest Call of Duty instalment dynamic and enjoyable.