PS3 Informer

Image Metrics Performance Capture Technology Gets Its Game Face on for Some of the Videogame Industry's Biggest Titles

Photorealistic Facial Performance Animation Pipeline Used to Develop Characters for Several High Profile Titles From Leading Publishers Such As 2K Games, Epic Games and Rockstar Games

Image Metrics has announced that its proprietary performance-driven facial animation solution was used to create emotionally engaging characters for a number of renowned videogames, including long-awaited sequels Top Spin 3 from 2K Games, Unreal Tournament 3 by Epic Games, as well as Midnight Club Los Angeles and Grand Theft Auto IV by Rockstar Games. Each of these games utilized Image Metrics' video-based facial performance capture solution to deliver titles with enhanced realism and believable characters.

"Creating dynamic and realistic characters that engage the player is increasingly critical to the success of today's video games," said Kelvin Duckett, chief operating officer at Image Metrics. "We're pleased to be able to partner with innovative studios like 2K Games, Epic Games and Rockstar Games to deliver superior facial animation pipelines in the shortest possible time while also creating vivid, lifelike characters to inhabit the games they've designed."

Shipping this spring, the third installment of 2K Games' popular tennis series Top Spin lets gamers play as some of the world's greatest tennis pros or design their own digital identity, complete with physical details and style of play. Image Metrics produced ten minutes of facial animation for the title, focusing mainly on in-game reaction shots. The company also provided its first in-game software component, created to ensure that user-generated characters have the same facial animation capabilities as the game's built-in tennis pro characters.

In Unreal Tournament 3, the latest installment in Epic Games' popular sci-fi shooter series, new characters use a vast arsenal of upgraded, futuristic weapons to battle other players online or go up against unmatched artificial intelligence. Image Metrics held a two-day recording session at Epic's North Carolina studio to create the necessary video for the game, and provided performance capture animation for six characters in all cut scenes. Unreal Tournament 3 has shipped for PC and PlayStation 3 in North America.

"It was critical to maintain our high level of cinematic quality while reducing the amount of manual animation effort," said Dr. Michael Capps, president of Epic. "We chose Image Metrics to be our partner on Unreal Tournament 3 and were quite pleased with their effort and the end result."

Available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 29, 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) by Rockstar Games introduces main character Niko Bellic, who has just arrived in Liberty City from Eastern Europe. Notorious for creating some of the most cutting-edge gameplay today, Rockstar Games turned to Image Metrics to take facial animation to the next level in GTA IV. Image Metrics produced all of the facial animation the eleventh installment in the blockbuster gaming franchise. With the enhanced computing power of the latest gaming consoles, Image Metrics is now able to deliver characters that include 3000 polygons in their faces, bringing rich expression and emotion to the game.

Unsurpassed realism in both the physical environments and human characters has gamers eagerly awaiting the next installment of Rockstar Games' Midnight Club auto racing franchise, Midnight Club Los Angeles, available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in spring 2008. Image Metrics provided facial animation for the game's rugged drivers, adding even more depth and attitude to the characters featured in the popular title. Whether drifting through a tight turn in Tinseltown or aggressively overtaking another driver on the 405 highway, the focus of the characters behind the wheel in Midnight Club Los Angeles is written all over their faces thanks to Image Metrics' contributions to the title.

Providing the first and only markerless and make up free facial animation solution in the film and games animation industry, Image Metrics' technology captures the minute details in each pixel of a particular individual's performance, allowing impressively realistic personalities to shine through the game's digital characters. 2K Games, Epic Games and Rockstar Games selected Image Metrics for their Top Spin 3, Unreal Tournament 3, Grand Theft Auto IV and Midnight Club Los Angeles games because of the simplicity of the Image Metrics technology pipeline and the Company's rapid turn-around time, as well as its experience in translating human movement into incredibly realistic facial animation.

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