The Vicon motion capture system has been utilized by French studio Quantic Dream on the new console/computer game INDIGO PROPHECY (known as FAHRENHEIT overseas).
The breakthrough third-person action-adventure game, published by Atari and lauded for its blending of cinema and interactivity, has quickly become an international bestseller.
Quantic Dream performed 40 days of motion capture, recording the full-body and facial moves of a variety of actors, stuntmen, athletes, props and weapons to lend realistic motion and interaction to game play. The studio produced 3,500 takes and eight hours and 11 minutes of actual in-game footage.
We captured single and multiple performers with all manner of props guns, knives, bottles, chairs, money, even balloons, said Guillaume de Fondaumiere, coo, Quantic Dream. The Vicon team is helpful, efficient and aware that we have specific needs and often need very rapid answers.
Multiple performers were motion captured simultaneously while exchanging dialogue, executing stunts with and without harnesses and playing sports such as basketball and ice skating to support the games different twists and turns. Following capture, Vicon motion data was edited and processed using Vicons iQ software and fed to Quantic Dreams animation and realtime engine teams for integration into the game.
Our Vicon motion capture rig is truly at the center of our 3D graphics production, de Fondaumiere added. We are very satisfied with the system and look forward to using it as we continue to up the bar for the quality of our animations for our PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and other next-gen in-house productions.
Quantic Dreams motion-capture studio also provides Vicon-based services to third parties and has become a popular destination for French companies in games, film, advertising and music videos. The company was founded by David Cage in 1997 to offer expertise in the worlds of film, television and videogames. The studios first project, OMIKRON: THE NOMAD SOUL, published in 1999, sold more than 600,000 copies and made game history by involving international star David Bowie, who composed the original music and performs in the game.
Quantic Dream is an officially certified developer for the Sony Playstation 2 and 3, Microsoft X-Box and X-Box 360 systems and PCs.
Vicon Motion Systems (www.vicon.com) is a subsidiary of OMG plc with global headquarters in Oxford, U.K., and U.S. headquarters in Lake Forest, CA. OMG subsidiary 2d3 Ltd. produces innovative visual geometry software deriving 3D data from moving images.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
