Square Enix: Next gen to bring 'a big leap' in graphics
parallax-scroll
Stylised games may seem to plateau, but realism will raise the bar,
says technology director Julien Merceron.
The next generation of games machines will be driven to new levels of
graphics realism, says Julien Merceron, worldwide technology director
at Square Enix.
"I think that we're still going to see a big leap in graphics,"
Merceron told VideoGamer.com at Develop this week. "In terms of
technology I think we'll see developers taking advantage of physically-
based rendering, physically-based lighting. I think people will take
advantage of global illumination, or at least some form approximation
of global illumination, so that could have a significant impact on
graphics quality.
Physically-based rendering and global illumination are techniques that
allow coders to create photo-realistic effects. Both processes are
already used in CGI film-making - and this in turn could benefit game
developers.
"It's going to enable new forms of art direction, but it's also going
to enable deeper convergence between multiple media - being able to
share more assets horizontally between movies, TV series and games,"
said Merceron.
"This means that when you're doing a cartoon, or when you're doing an
animated movie, you could think about an art direction for the game
that could be far closer [than current tie-ins]. Obviously it won't be
the same, because the processing power won't be there, but you can
think about art directions being way closer. And you can think about
assets being re-used."
But merceron believes that graphical advances will be most evident in
games that strive for a realistic appearance.
"There's a lot of room for improvement, and consumers will be able to
see that in future graphics innovation techniques," he said. "Now, if
you take most of the Pixar movies from the last five to six years… do
you see a big difference between one that was released five years ago,
and one that was released last year? I'm actually not sure we see a
huge difference.
"But if you take a film like Avatar, there's a huge leap in the
graphics techniques that are being used and the level of realism. The
conclusion I would draw from that is we might end up seeing the
difference way more in realistic-looking games, rather than those
trying to achieve a cartoony look. At some point, with all these games
[that are] going for a cartoony look, consumers might get the feeling
that it's plateauing. But for games striving for a very realistic
look, it's going to be easy to see all the improvements, all the
time."
During the same conversation, Merceron expressed his belief that
social networks and similar experiences will play a major role in the
future of gaming.
http://www.videogamer.com/news/square_enix_next_gen_to_bring_a_big_leap_in_graphics.html
GameJunkie
I'd like to see improved AI versus graphics, I can't tell you how many
times I see a pretty game and the AI is standing out in the wide open
when there are multiple cover spots he can use.
Miles Bader
> I'd like to see improved AI versus graphics, I can't tell you how many
> times I see a pretty game and the AI is standing out in the wide open
> when there are multiple cover spots he can use.
But on the other hand, there seem to be pretty many games where that
_isn't_ the case as well... so decent AI seems quite achievable with
current tech.
Of course I guess it can always get better ... e.g. groups of enemies
that make elaborate plans to lure you into traps...
argh, no, wait...
-Miles
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Accordion, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.