face mapping
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Sony takes SOEmote live for EverQuest II, lets gamers show their true CG selves (video)
We had a fun time trying Sony's SOEmote expression capture tech at E3; now everyone can try it. As of today, most EverQuest II players with a webcam can map their facial behavior to their virtual personas while they play, whether it's to catch the nuances of conversation or drive home an exaggerated game face. Voice masking also lets RPG fans stay as much in (or out of) character as they'd like. About the only question left for those willing to brave the uncanny valley is when other games will get the SOEmote treatment. Catch our video look after the break if you need a refresher.
Remedy working on new facial animation tech, aiming to overtake LA Noire [update]
Edge recently visited the offices of Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment, where the studio is hard at work implementing brand new facial animation technology. Created by lead animator John Root, the system uses motion capture to generate scans of actors (accurate to within 0.02 inches) and encapsulates 64 different facial poses. Root claims those are a basis for every possible human expression. Animators can manipulate faces in real-time rather than rely on canned recordings, and future improvements to the technology may allow them to adjust coloring based on simulated blood flow beneath the skin. The first showcase for Root's kit is a new model of Alan Wake -- a fitting subject, considering he had some trouble with lip syncing in his debut game. Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne says Rockstar and Team Bondi has "set a bar" for facial animation, but that the studio wants to push it higher. Further clarifying via Twitter, Myllyrinne complimented LA Noire, saying it remains "the benchmark for emotional characters today." It looks like Remedy doesn't have any hard feelings toward Rockstar for that whole, you know, May 2010 thing.
Vegas, face mapping, and you: a video
We recently brought you Major Nelson's Vegas face mapping results, but those were merely pictures. Today we bring you the holy grail of face mapping evidence: video. It seems that the overall goal of face mapping, however, is not to map normal faces. If our previous commenters are to be believed, Vegas players have been trying all kinds of head gear, from sun glasses to Spiderman masks. It's fitting, then, that this video features a woman using the face mapping feature to give Xbox Live a permanent raspberry. Check out the video and tell us what creative things you've done with your Vegas avatar.
Unreal Engine 3 gets Digimasked
The creative genius' behind Gears of War have a little program they call Unreal Engine 3, have you heard? Well it looks like Digimask and their face mapping software is officially a part of the Unreal Engine. Digimask is the same company that incorporated face mapping technology using the Xbox Live Vision camera into World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions and Rainbow Six Vegas. You just can't help but to speculate whether or not our beloved Gears of War (which utilizes the Unreal Engine) will incorporate the new face mapping technology through a future auto update. Though the more I think about it, I highly doubt we'll see this happen because that would totally mess up the feng shui Cliffy B has painstakingly worked to achieve in Gears. We can always hope that we'll see some Digimask face mapping in the uber-hyped, Xbox 360 exclusive, Unreal Engine based game: Jazz the Jackrabbit 4.
