Following on from the unveiling of the new Sony PlayStation 4 games console last month, companies such as NVIDIA, Quantic, and now Activision have been quick to roll out demonstrations of their new next-generation rendering software and technology, which has been specifically designed for the next generation of games consoles from Sony & Microsoft.
This time, it’s Activision’s turn to demonstrate their new real-time face rendering technology, which was showcased at the recent Game Developers Conference 2013 last month. Watch the video after the jump to see the latest Activision technology in action.
Advancements in Real-Time Rendering
Activision explains a little more about the video demonstration: “Yes, this is the same source data from ICT used by Nvidia at GTC, but rendered using a completely different tech.” This statement highlights the collaborative nature of technological advancements in the gaming industry, where different companies often build upon shared data to create unique and innovative solutions.
The high-resolution faces are still under development, but the Activision development team has managed to render models at an impressive 180 FPS on a PC running a single GTX 680 graphics card. This level of performance is crucial for creating lifelike characters in video games, as it allows for smooth and realistic animations that can enhance the player’s immersion.
Implications for Future Gaming
The implications of this technology for future gaming are significant. Real-time face rendering can dramatically improve the realism of characters, making them more expressive and relatable. This can lead to more engaging storytelling and a deeper emotional connection between players and the game world. For example, imagine a game where the characters’ facial expressions change dynamically based on the player’s actions, creating a more interactive and responsive narrative experience.
Moreover, the ability to render high-resolution faces at such high frame rates opens up new possibilities for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications. In VR, where immersion is key, having realistic character models can make the experience more convincing and enjoyable. Similarly, in AR, lifelike characters can interact with the real world in more believable ways, enhancing the overall user experience.
As more news is released about the new Activision real-time face rendering technology, we will keep you updated. The gaming industry is on the cusp of a new era, where the lines between reality and virtual worlds continue to blur, thanks to advancements like these.
Source: Eurogamer
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