Computer Graphics World

Summer 2019

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58 cgw s u m m e r 2 0 1 9 NEW PRODUCTION METHODOLOGY REUNITES PRODUCTION UNITS BY KATHLEEN MAHER T here was a time when game engines were built specifically for certain games, and develop- ers believed the quality of their game engines defined the quality of their technologies. But as the game industry has matured, with thousands and thousands of games developed and played, and franchis- es established, game developers have come to realize that their time may be better spent creating characters, fun playgrounds for their players, and compelling story lines. As a result, game engines have become stable resources for developers, with Unity's engine, Epic's Unreal, and Crytek's CryEngine leading the pack. Sure, people still build game engines, but there are a wealth of other options for ready-made engines, plus using an established leader can eliminate some risk in an inherently risky business. Game developers have gone through many trials by fire as they struggle to meet deadlines and budgets, even as demand for new games increases. Many com- panies fail, and those that don't have to find better ways to get the job done. The film and TV industries have had similar challenges. Demand for visual effects have driven up budgets, sometimes with little benefit to the quality of the finished prod- uct, and increasing demand for content to satisfy streaming audiences is challenging traditional pipelines. So, what are the characteristics of a game engine that make them useful for content creation? One, a game engine is a central repository for all the assets needed to create a game/application. Thus, it sup- ports a wide variety of DCC file formats for models, textures, lighting, animation, and so forth. Two, it's real time, meaning ideas and changes can be applied dynamically to see how they look. Rendering is instan- taneous, so mistakes are immediately obvious – and serendipity comes for free. And three, Unity and Unreal both have large communities of active developers who submit tools to the companies' asset stores for specific applications. Game Engines Power Content Creation GAME ENGINES ARE PLAYING A ROLE IN VIRTUAL FILM PRODUCTION, AS WAS THE CASE FOR THE JUNGLE BOOK AND WELCOME TO MARWEN (TOP).

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