When Gaming Borders On Reality

While there are many exceptions, most next-gen video game titles these days are pushing the envelope on realistic gameplay. Of course, games like Mario or Ratchet & Clank shy away from this, which is only natural. But look at games like Call of Duty 4, or Metal Gear Solid, games that at times look nearly completely photo-realistic. For gaming developers, it seems that the fringes of realistic development is reserved as a hobby, a sandbox where innovative ideas are welcomed and pursued. In 2006, Lionhead Studios demoed “The Room,” a hyper realistic rendering of a room with various portals and object manipulations. Every splinter of wood accounted for, every page in a book fully detailed, and even perishable objects like a bowl of oranges aging before your eyes. I myself just finished watching it and was amazed, though even the presenter knew where such a project was destined to go. Nowhere. And it’s precisely because developers and publishers, and even gamers, don’t quite know how to deal with reality in gaming. For a hobby that aims to take us out of reality, if for only a few hours, we are moving stunningly close towards it.

Here’s another example of where gaming may indeed be heading. “Emily” is Image Metric’s rendering of an actual employee who was filmed and then was digitally rendered, each muscle in her face receiving it’s own “control system.” It’s simply amazing to watch, as everything but her eyes completely convinced me she was a real person. Wait until 1:30 into the video and you’ll briefly see the “real” Emily. Is realism going to go to extremes like this in gaming? If so, I have my reservations. Do we want to kill each other in video games when that person looks completely real, and maybe even dies realistically? Is there something strange in approaching another “Sim” that looks completely like a real man or woman, with real relationships? It’s actually rather frightening, if you ask me. Human interaction has a monopoly on realism, if computers are able to reproduce something, or create something completely genuine and real, then, in the end what is real? I’ll end this before the discussion slides too deep into metaphysics, but it’s certainly something to think about.

What are your thoughts?

Also, on a side note, if you’re a Radiohead fan, check out their latest music video, which has Thom Yorke completely rendered through computer data code, using absolutely no cameras or lighting. It’s not as realistic as “Emily,” but it’s pretty cool regardless.

Posted by on 08/20 at 09:50 AM