Archive notice: This article was originally published on December 23, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Autodesk technology helps game developers realize their creative vision from beginning to end. Once again this year, numerous developers used Autodesk technology to create games featuring believable characters, extraordinary environments, and gripping action.
These include Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Gears of War 2, James Bond: Quantum of Solace, Mortal Kombat® and Rock Band 2.
Fallout 3
Bethesda Game Studios used Autodesk 3ds Max software to create the post-nuclear role-playing game Fallout 3 for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 game consoles and the PC. The game is set in Washington, DC, 200 years after a global nuclear war almost completely destroyed the United States. “Fallout 3 offers an expansive world, unique combat scenes, realistic visual effects, and a great ensemble of dynamic characters,” said Lead Artist Istvan Pely. “With 3ds Max, we were able to explore our creative options quickly to make the game’s devastated world and hostile mutant creatures as shocking and provocative as possible.”
Far Cry 2
Ubisoft’s artists relied on 3ds Max and Autodesk MotionBuilder software to create Far Cry 2 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and PC. This distinctive first-person shooter features a nonlinear story set in a 50-square-kilometer environment that players can explore freely. “Far Cry 2 offers the experience of a truly open world in a dynamic environment that includes a day-and-night cycle, destructible vegetation, and realistic fire propagation,” explained Ubisoft Art Director Alexandre Amancio. “The speed and flexibility of 3ds Max were central to the unconventional pipeline required to fill the enormous game area with highly detailed artificial artifacts.”
Gears of War 2
3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, and MotionBuilder software helped Epic Games set new standards with Gears of War 2 within an extremely tight schedule. For this Xbox 360 title, the studio explored the game’s story on a deeper and more emotional level, paying particular attention to cutting scenes that support the development of the plot. “Thanks to 3ds Max, Maya, and MotionBuilder, we were able to iterate quickly and create content in record time,” noted Epic Games Art Director Chris Perna. “They also allowed us to push beyond anything that had come before. Without Autodesk software, which we were able to combine with our own Unreal Engine 3 toolset, it would have been very difficult to finish the game within such a short development cycle.”
James Bond: Quantum of Solace
Artists at Janimation used Autodesk SOFTIMAGE|XSI and Autodesk SOFTIMAGE|Face Robot software to create four cinematic sequences integrated into the game James Bond: Quantum of Solace. The game is available for PC and for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS consoles. In just five weeks, the team produced more than four and a half minutes of computer-graphics content incorporating dialogue from the films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Janimation used Face Robot for more than 85 percent of the facial animation it created. “
“Given the short deadline and the many faces we had to create and animate with lip sync, Face Robot gave me greater confidence in our result,” said Senior Technical Artist Bradley Gabe. “With Face Robot, we were able to create a realistic likeness of the characters and convey stronger emotions. This enabled us to increase the dramatic impact of the scenes significantly,” commented Ludovick Michaud, Senior Technical and Creative Director.
Mortal Kombat® vs. DC Universe
Midway recently released Mortal Kombat® vs. DC Universe for Microsoft’s Xbox® 360 video-game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer-entertainment system. For the first time, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle Batman, Superman, and other popular superheroes from the DC universe. The Midway team used 3ds Max and Maya to create artwork for the game. MotionBuilder was used for character animation.
Several other game developers used Autodesk solutions to create games released during this year’s holiday season. These include the following:
· Harmonix used 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and Maya software to create the 3D elements in Rock Band 2, which is available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 and will soon also be available for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii.
· Midway used 3ds Max and Maya as its primary artistic solution for Wheelman™, TNA iMPACT!™, and Blitz: The League® II, while MotionBuilder was used for character animation. Midway also integrated Autodesk Kynapse artificial-intelligence middleware into the Wheelman game engine to create spatial awareness for non-player characters.
· Silicon Knights used 3ds Max and MotionBuilder to create Too Human.
· Ubisoft used 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and Autodesk HumanIK animation middleware to create Prince of Persia and Shaun White Snowboarding.
· Lionhead Studios used XSI to create Fable 2.
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