Mar 31 2009
Live Actor Videos: Yay or Nay?
Years ago, in the early days of CD-ROM, live actor video footage was very common. Today, this is almost completely unheard of. Computer generated graphics are the standard. I recently tried the PS3 demo of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 and was shocked to see live actor footage in a new game.
During it’s popularity, live actor footage had a bad reputation among gamers; it was the quick time events of the early 90’s. Gamers generally disliked it for a few reasons:
It’s presence implies games that you watch rather than games that you play.
It creates a discontinuity between gameplay graphics and cut scene graphics. In other words, playing a 3D rendered character and then switching to watch a live actor can kill the immersion of the game.
Part of the allure of video games is that they are a showcase for flashy technology and programming. CG cut scenes show of the [...]
Original post by Darrin