imagemetrics
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SOEmote facial recognition tech live in EverQuest II today
Earlier this summer, we told you about Sony Online Entertainment's new SOEmote facial recognition technology. Today you can try it out for yourself in the company's flagship EverQuest II MMORPG. SOE has partnered with ImageMetrics to bring the new tech to end-users and their in-game avatars. It's not limited to facial expressions, though. New voice fonts allow players to sound like their characters, too. "For gamers, and especially roleplayers, the more immersive the experience, the better the game. SOE is using Live Driver in SOEmote to unlock levels of expression and interaction between EQII players that simply haven't been possible until now," said Robert Gehorsam, CEO of Image Metrics. SOE is also sponsoring a competition for the most creative SOEmote videos. Submit your 30-second clip for a chance to win a trip for two to SOE Live (formerly known as Fan Faire) in Las Vegas. [Source: SOE press release]
New modeling technology breathes life into animation
Ask any animation modeler about the "uncanny valley," and you're sure to get at least a grimace, if not a groan. Said term describes the long-standing barrier which refers to the perception that "animation looks less realistic as it approaches human likeness." Image Metrics is hoping that a newfangled approach used to create Emily (pictured) will finally allow animations to look more like humans and less like "corpses." As you could probably surmise, the secret is the tech's ability to survey and replicate the most subtle of movements, though even Raja Koduri, chief technology officer in graphics at AMD, doesn't see the line between reality and fiction being blurred before 2020. We'll see what Emily's posse has to say about that.[Thanks, Przemek]
