Q

Anonymous asked:

I feel like I or someone else asked you this, but do you think that gameplay will ever get to the point where it looks like the fancy prerendered cutscenes? Even the outstanding visuals we have now, don't really look like say, Sonic Unleashed's opening cinematic from.....Christ, 2008 was really 15 years ago. Anyway, Is there a way to match that that look in style and fidelity or is it just kind of a "physics" thing where that's basically not possible? What stops that if that's the case.

A

I don’t believe that gameplay will ever look like fancy prerendered cutscenes because gameplay has certain needs that cutscenes do not, and cutscenes have certain needs that gameplay does not. Here’s what I mean.

When you’re watching a cinematic in a game like Spider-Man, what are you seeing on screen? Usually what you want to see is Spider-Man doing some amazing, spectacular action. Something like this:

image

Note how closely pulled-in the camera is, so that you can see all the details of Spider-Man’s body and posing. The camera zooms in to see him narrow his eyes. Look at how the camera movement can barely frame him, conveying how fast he is moving. You’re not looking for where to go next, because it’s all pre-planned out for you - the purpose of this short cinematic is to tell a story - Spider-Man has to get out of here quickly.

Let’s compare that to what you see on screen when you are playing Spider-Man:

image

See how the camera is framing everything very differently? Spider-Man takes up a very small amount of the screen. The vast majority of the information being conveyed here is showing the player exactly where Spider-Man is going and how fast he is getting there. We’re seeing him move acrobatically through the air, but we’re not seeing his emotions or his face. We’re focusing on what matters - navigating through the city to wherever we (as the player) want him to go.

image

The needs of gameplay are different than the needs of cinematics. Even if the technology improves to the point where everything is beautiful and gorgeous, it still won’t look the same because the purpose of regular gameplay and the purpose of cinematics is different. Gameplay visualizes the things the player needs to see and engage with at any given time. Cinematics visualize the aspects of the story that the designers want to tell. Even if the tech can do it, the purpose of the visualization isn’t the same so it won’t happen.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

Oct. 31 2023
#cinematic design #visual design #core gameplay #game design principles
107 notes

Notes

  1. thecatwriter reblogged this from theivorytowercrumbles
  2. commentator-ihy reblogged this from askagamedev
  3. timnickens73 reblogged this from askagamedev
  4. impact801 reblogged this from askagamedev
  5. thebearmuse reblogged this from askagamedev
  6. astralkane reblogged this from askagamedev
  7. beornwulf reblogged this from teronap
  8. teronap reblogged this from morkaischosen
  9. morkaischosen reblogged this from robin-redbreast
  10. kinosworld reblogged this from askagamedev
  11. supercomputer276 reblogged this from askagamedev
  12. robin-redbreast reblogged this from theivorytowercrumbles
  13. monsieurhedge reblogged this from thefrostyknight
  14. fuzzysandwitch reblogged this from victory-for-sylvanas
  15. zoniventris reblogged this from askagamedev
  16. george-oswald-dannyson reblogged this from theivorytowercrumbles
  17. offbrandotters reblogged this from mypunkpansexualtwin
  18. devilmaycrye reblogged this from theivorytowercrumbles
  19. oregoncoastfox reblogged this from askagamedev
  20. mypunkpansexualtwin reblogged this from theivorytowercrumbles