Curmudgeon Gamer: Heavy Rain tech demo from E3 2006

24 September 2006

Heavy Rain tech demo from E3 2006

As I do more combing through Tokyo Game Show 2006 videos, I ran into this technology demo from E3 2006 for a game called Heavy Rain which is slated for release on the PlayStation 3. It shows a virtual actress trying out for a role in Heavy Rain and despite some glitchy mouth animations and odd modelling around the jaw, it's effective. Regrettably, it says absolutely nothing about the game itself. I sure hope Quantic Dream, the developer, puts this technology to good use and makes a game as interesting as this demo.

There is some strong language toward the end, just so you know.

Heavy Rain technology demo trailer on YouTube.

--jvm at 00:46

link

Comment [ 8 ]

Comments on this post:

You know porn company's are going license that tech for "virtual" casting couches. hehe

By Anonymous, at 24 September, 2006 01:27

companies* even. Argh, I have crappy grammar. =(

By Anonymous, at 24 September, 2006 01:29

I agree with the mouth comments they are a bit wierd . but i have had a pic from that trailer as my wallpaper for months love the whole not really saying much.

By Jethro217, at 24 September, 2006 17:56

That was an awesome trailer. I wonder how its going to translate into gameplay, it's kind of exciting in a way.

By Bigelow, at 25 September, 2006 02:01

Horrible jaw. The whole skull looked vaguely out of tolerance.

There's supposed to be that space right between such poor recreation of the human image that we'll accept that a person is what it's supposed to represent and that spot right before it looks absolutely real -- like with wax sculptures -- where we pick out every little nitpick and get a little weirded out. I can't tell if the jaw bit is a nitpick or if it's still too far away that, overall, the reproduction doesn't bother me. I think the latter.

And weren't those blanks in the gun? Strange. Also pretty obvious who the audience was supposed to be, as I believe anon's first comment pretty accurately implied (no, not porn, but, um, wishing-they-were-playa guys). Wonder why "girls don't like to play games"?

By rufbo, at 25 September, 2006 15:42

It's called 'the uncanny valley'. And boy does it show here.

Also this sort of tech just encourages the terrible writers in video games; their fantasy that they're screenplay writers. Quantic is especially guilty, they think they're David Lynch and/or Phillip K. Dick.

m.

By Michael, at 25 September, 2006 20:28

Thanks -- glad to have the name of it again. And lookit there, she's been an example on the wikipedia page since May.

I do have to think she's on the way up out of the valley though. Aside from the skull and mouth, getting there. The eyes were particularly good on the zoom, iirc, though I guess their geometry's more regular than most.

By rufbo, at 25 September, 2006 21:52

I probably just have low standards, but I actually liked the writing in this trailer. Maybe the voice actress just made it sound good. *shrugs*

By Anonymous, at 26 September, 2006 00:58

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