How Facial Capture Tech Has Made Games More Cinematic

Facial capture in video games hasn’t always been easy. Before developers had the option to capture an actor's performance with an iPhone and a decent PC, It required a ton of space and specialized gear. You know the gear I’m talking about, the suits with the sensors and those headsets with cameras that track the dots on actors' faces? The point is, it’s quite expensive.
That’s all about to change, let's take a look at how the intersection of technology and art has changed the way productions look at facial capture and how facial capture technology has helped make games look more cinematic.

[@TheDorkKnight0451]

It feels crazy that you can motion capture your facial movements with just a phone now

[@Lilac_n_Cherry]

L.A Noire still to this day is the pinnacle of what facial capture should be like in video games

[@xZondor]

Can someone send this video to Bethesda?

[@hermanjohnson9180]

😂

[@fragkia3]

Like those amaxing faces from Starfield 😏

[@jasonsmith530]

This also applies to Hollywood’’s impending heavy AI usage

[@NoseNaris]

If we can use our phones, we should be able to scan our faces in character customization. Rainbow six Vegas did this years ago. Even though it wasn’t perfect the tech was there.

[@itz_akuma]

Do you realize how Creepy that thumbnail is .???? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@hermanjohnson9180]

Honestly you're the creepy one. I'll never understand facial and mocap fetish.

[@Youraveragegamer_97]

*bethesda* "what the hell is motion capture?"

[@scrubsscrubs694]

It's an expensive and completely unnecessary technology. That's what it is. It ads zero to the GAMEplay of the GAME. Probably why Bethesda didn't bother wasting time and money on it.

[@Youraveragegamer_97]

@@scrubsscrubs694 You couldn't be any more wrong, you realize most of the game played to the original mortal combat was all motion capture right? Goof😅😂😂

[@SpectorEuro4]

@@scrubsscrubs694That’d explain why Bethesda has always had the worst gameplay out of all open world games, worst animations, worst movement, and basically the dead bottom of the table compared to other big developers.

[@Mew178]

What a weird technology it somehow seems to capture males perfectly, yet all the females somehow get fatter... really odd technology. And somehow the Japanese and Korean versions of it works perfectly in games like Death Stranding but none of the western mega budget games seem to be able to fix this small issue.

[@SpectorEuro4]

Do you feel the urge to see thin women in games to enjoy your game?😂 reeks of virginity

[@xSavedSoulx]

They should hire sfm nsfw content creators

[@Bayofthe91st]

Sure, tell that to Forspoken, ME Andromeda and probably the upcoming Fable

[@bromanr7209]

If only you knew this before insulting the shift up CEO.

[@Lionelcaban]

Games should not look cinematic it should look like real life.

[@charleskuhn382]

Amazing spoilers, thanks

[@crunks2955]

Yet the majority of games coming out look WORSE than games from 2014...

[@YunGGinxTD]

Exactly waste of money

[@AshParth560]

Not really.
You just have poor taste. 🥱
Gamers these days are too picky like spoiled children. Lol

[@NoMansLand98]

​@AshParth560 Justice league and many more games, unfortunately, don't have the next gen look...

[@romanaviles5653]

🧢

[@streetside2833]

Games are taking longer to develop and they're getting more expensive to make but the graphics aren't getting better and the shipping costs are less since a lot of people get digital releases. It makes no sense. The last major jump in graphics was RTX and that was just for nice reflections other than that Graphics in games pretty much maxed out around 2015

[@M64bros]

So if I'm guessing correctly, I'm assuming they're going to use this for GTA 6?

[@swagatbiswal9263]

Art style >>> Graphics

[@juansotelo3996]

But you failed to recognize the stellar blade MC as a real women scanned with this sort of tech, why are you like that IGN?

[@TheBean87]

Thing is gaming devs have trouble with teeth. Hellblade 2 is hitting the right stride, same with that captain America/black panther game.

[@juansotelo3996]

The DEI products you mean? 😂😂😂😂😂

[@TheBean87]

@@juansotelo3996 nope, don’t know what you’re talking about.

[@oneupdawg]

They should go back to the stylized look from the 2000s-2010s. This is too uncanny valley for me

[@airixxxx]

No

[@AshParth560]

No

[@charmingpeasant9834]

@@airixxxx Yes

[@vinyfiny]

Not every game goes for hyper-realism. Facial capture is useful even In games with a cartoony art style. It just makes the characters feel more like living beings and less like 3D models.

[@fireisawesome1466]

No, it just fortnite emote generator sadly

[@ytm23ak]

Did you like your own comment lmfao

[@RoninGxng]

Yay now every game will look the same

[@GRH_Roadhouse]

Pretty cool, video just wish it wasnt right-ear exclusive
Roadhouse

[@charmingpeasant9834]

At this point just make movies. Trying to emulate real life to this degree is boring.

[@InnovativeSaint]

We’re running from the truth

[@bakasoraa]

How about making the games fun first.

[@SlyRyFry]

It really hasn't, facial animations and faces in games in general are absolute uncanny monstrosities that no one thinks are improving the cinematic quality of games besides these goobers at IGN. Name one game in the last decade that was more cinematic because of the facial animations and I'll delete this comment

[@TallSilhouette]

Something tells me your mind's already made up...

[@Druxer1]

early

[@zhiveh]

1st

[@lamlai7856]

but not more fun. please focus on gameplay

[@aspectofdecay007]

No one cares about photo realism...let this trend die

[@AshParth560]

We tell yall rn, we don't care. 😂

[@LaCokaNostra81]

Yeah, but most games are garbage now

[@lozsurviver]

nah its just made devs more easier and lazier

[@matane2465]

IE how facial capture tech has made games worse and killed creativity in game design since all games now look the same.

[@alexandercastleberry480]

It was 100% the intention of IGN to disrespect Shift Up, its employees, and their work.
Now you are lying in your “apology” and that is intentional disrespect to your readers who comprehend words.