News - Quantic Dream demonstrates realistic new engine at GDC

[HEXUS]

Demonstration featuring advanced, in-house Mo-Cap.

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[crossy]

Whilst a marked improvement over the Heavy Rain game and most certainly an impressive feat, this writer still believes actual facial expression feels less emotive than in Quantic's earlier tech demo 'The Casting' and hopes that either with time or new hardware, the firm can recreate some of fluidity of expression we saw back in 2006, tightened up and ready for an interactive game.

Ideal "justification" for getting a PS4?

Maybe I'm just out of touch, but I thought this demo (Kara) was pretty darned impressive for a real-time render. Really reminiscent of a bit from iRobot. Wouldn't mind seeing a demo in a less "clinical" setting - even try redoing "The Casting" and then at least you could do a side-by-side comparison?

[Scribe]

Ideal "justification" for getting a PS4?

Maybe I'm just out of touch, but I thought this demo (Kara) was pretty darned impressive for a real-time render. Really reminiscent of a bit from iRobot. Wouldn't mind seeing a demo in a less "clinical" setting - even try redoing "The Casting" and then at least you could do a side-by-side comparison?

I'm certainly not saying it wasn't impressive, I was very wow'd by the Kara demo. Only I thought the face still felt a little tight and under-sensitive. As you say, a side-by-side recreation would be helpful.

[BongoJoe]

Kara is awesome. "The Casting" was truly impressive, but there is little point in developing this technology only to bung it into such an attrocious game as "Heavy Rain".

[ZSTom]

I find it difficult to differentiate between what are just graphical improvements and what are animation improvements. The newer tech generally looks more fluid and natural to my eyes and I'm tempted to say that subtle expressions and muscles movements are much more apparent too, but it might well be the better visuals fooling me...

[Scribe]

I find it difficult to differentiate between what are just graphical improvements and what are animation improvements. The newer tech generally looks more fluid and natural to my eyes and I'm tempted to say that subtle expressions and muscles movements are much more apparent too, but it might well be the better visuals fooling me...

The original demo was certainly sloppy with some of the muscles moving more than they should, however I think the most subtle of movements aren't captured by the new demo. Having said this, perhaps it's that the expression overdrive as such in the first demo was key. Perhaps it's less realistic but sometimes the extra emphasis can better communicate an emotion than you'd typically expect someone to do in the real situation, in the same way you can pull off expressions in say a cartoon that aren't possible in reality.

[ZSTom]

The original demo was certainly sloppy with some of the muscles moving more than they should, however I think the most subtle of movements aren't captured by the new demo. Having said this, perhaps it's that the expression overdrive as such in the first demo was key. Perhaps it's less realistic but sometimes the extra emphasis can better communicate an emotion than you'd typically expect someone to do in the real situation, in the same way you can pull off expressions in say a cartoon that aren't possible in reality.

Yes, I see what you mean. The earlier demo definitely shows stronger expressions compared to Kara's subtler ones. Like you say, the latter is more realistic (and preferable for a movie/cutscene, perhaps) but I guess in general gameplay you won't be watching a character's face so closely and the subtler, more-realistic muscle movements would be lost on you.

[Ravens Nest]

Kara is awesome. "The Casting" was truly impressive, but there is little point in developing this technology only to bung it into such an attrocious game as "Heavy Rain".

Whats so attrocious about heavy rain? its one of the best games i have ever played.
The only flaws i could see was it a little hard to control at times and it could have been longer, i personally think it could be made into a great film.

[Knoxville]

It's worth mentioning that David Cage has made it very clear that this demo is now over a year old and the main reason for it's release is, as he puts it "fan service" and that the engine they're working with now is three iterations more evolved. I think we're going to be seeing something new from Quantic Dream a little sooner than people might think, I for one am rather looking forward to it