It’s hard to say that video games can get the public’s attention just like movies. Sure, they may be more addictive and last longer, but ask yourself when was the last time you cried or even felt emotional during a game? Personally, despite going through some of the most interesting stories in a game, I’m still feeling a little emotional. Does your main ally die? And? Video games, no matter how hard they try, just can’t match movies when it comes to emotional attachment to the story or the characters.
LA Noire Facial Animation.
Video games have enormous potential to attract the viewer of games as a waste of time. This is mainly because there is still a video game that can attract the public’s attention just like movies. All of these can change. New technology introduced by Rockstar Studios has enabled the full facial animation of a character’s face, meaning that every little facial movement can be captured and put into play. The first game to use this is LA Noire, a police thriller. Sure, the animations may not be ultra-realistic and the faces of the characters may look a little weird, but this is just the beginning. This game has the potential to bridge the gap between games and movies in terms of history and audience involvement. As technology develops and more studios start using it, video game stories can become as fascinating as a Hollywood box office hit, rather than a mediocre B movie.
The gaming industry has realized the need to have a good story in almost every genre, most recently in the sports genre. EA’s upcoming Fight Night game has a significant element of the story that has never been made before. You can tell by the level of excitement in this game that incorporating the story element into sports games is a new and highly popular idea. Why stop at boxing though? The next FIFA game should have a story that puts you as a youngster and overcomes the problems of playing football professionally. I believe FIFA’s being a pro, which allows you to create a player and play them throughout your career, is the first step to that. If Fight Night sells well, maybe it can catch.
Fight Night Champion
I don’t think it will be long before we see the actors on the A list, not just providing voiceovers for video games, but acting on them capturing their facial animations. Imagine if Natalie Portman can perform the same way she did on Black Swan with a video game. Okay, so this may be a long way off, but it’s possible. When that happens, I really believe that video games correspond to movies.