Jim Henson hears the Call of Duty

[Nessus]

I came across this story today and just wanted to pass it on because it makes me happy to hear the Henson Co is doing well, and I figure the more ways they go about paying their bills, the more time they have to spend making more Farscape and similarly high quality shows.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/05/10/news_6096740.html

QOUTE:
For Finest Hour, the developers at Spark wanted to humanize the soldiers you'll fight alongside, mainly by using facial animation. Traditionally, trying to develop realistic facial animation is a long and technical process, but Spark CEO Craig Allen was able to draw on his experience as former general manager of Jim Henson Interactive to develop a much easier way.

This new way is called the Henson Digital Performance System. It's derived from the elaborate tools and techniques that the puppeteers at the Jim Henson Company use to control the facial animations of giant animatronic puppets.

The difference between standard facial animations and those created with the Performance System is considerable. Skilled puppeteers, according to Allen, have years of experience capturing the subtle movements of the human face, and so the result is more lifelike and human characters.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Awesome. :aok:

[faustus]

a good game to boot

[Fyodor]

I don't see how they are going to work that system in games.... I mean, isn't it for controlling the puppets only?

[faustus]

IK aka Inverse Kinetics it's a way of moving parts using a spline handle as a compared as means for controlling animation.

My best guess is the Henson Co will just revert what they learned in puppets to the computer.

[shamecube]

Here's hoping that this helps pave the way for an awesome Farscape game. I am just now playing Star Wars: KOTOR and I keep thinking how awesome it would be set in the Farscape universe instead of the Star Wars one.

[MaveZ]

Here's hoping that this helps pave the way for an awesome Farscape game. I am just now playing Star Wars: KOTOR and I keep thinking how awesome it would be set in the Farscape universe instead of the Star Wars one.
lol.. little off topic, but...
I just concluded my adventures in that game with player called Aeryn Sun... A soldier.. ;)
Sadly though, I went to the dark side ;(

[Spedoinkel]

That game was fun. I really only played through the whole thing once cuz, I do everything possible on the way so there isn't any suprise or need to go through it agian. RPGs don't have much in the way of replay value for me. But that would be so awesome in the Farscape universe.

And what game is the article talking about.

[faustus]

the console version of call of duty
time to bug bioware to make a farscape game;)

[Scaper-Wannabe]

Thats friggin wicked! That game is gonna sell like.... something that sells really good.

[faustus]

ohhh yes selling really good is.....em.....good

[Spedoinkel]

Boiware + Farscape = :bluenana::banana::colors::bounce::joy::djdisco:
:disco::boogie::woohoo::bgb::cloud9::spin::dancin: :groove::crazydanc:
:clap::thewave::love2:





:reach:Is this not funny or what?

[shamecube]

Bioware would freaking go nuts in the Farscape universe. KOTOR was hampered (I think) by a really uninspired world. But I am one of those that think all that Jedi and Republic nonsense is just covering for poor writing. Granted, even Lucas probably didn't know how far-reaching his mythology would be. Still, an RPG in the Farscape world would be kickass.com

[faustus]

yes it would. and then we could ask VALVE to make an FPS for us.

[Spedoinkel]

Bioware - RPG
Valve - FPS
Eidos or Konami - FPSneak
Vivendi - single player dungeon romp.

[faustus]

we also need a space sim. fly around in the module or a prowler.

[Spedoinkel]

Just mod Freelancer with Farscape ships. I haven't seen any, but it would be nice. I tried to make some but then realised I hade no Idea what I was doing.

[faustus]

I've only seen a mod of homeworld

[Spedoinkel]

Yeah i saw screen shorts of that. I haven't played the game though.

[faustus]

need homeworld first

[MaveZ]

Bioware - RPG
Valve - FPS
Eidos or Konami - FPSneak
Vivendi - single player dungeon romp.

Or lets ask Codemasters, if they would make us a Farscape rally game...
I really want to drive with those cool looking sand cruisers, what we saw in "Till The Blood Runs Clear"...

[Spedoinkel]

Well that would be a mini game.