Cinematic Effects Aid Gaming Realism

rtt writes "When Valve recently added support for HDR technology into their 'Source' engine, they quickly discovered that in games such as Day of Defeat, a WW2 based game, the rendering quality far surpassed the video quality that would have been possible in the time that the game was set. In a new round of updates, VALVe have researched and developed cinematic effects commonly used by the film industry - motion blur, color correction, and depth of field amongst others - to aid realism for the set period of the game. bit-tech has up an article detailing each of the technologies, along with video clips to showcase the effects at work in the Day of Defeat mod."

Are we not simulating life, not film?

[FromWithin]

I don't understand. HDR as an effect is good because it's similar to how our eyes work, but adding cinema effects from the time period of the game plot? That's sounds completely bizarre.

Soldiers in World War II didn't all have eyes with built-in film grain. Sounds like somebody is working in the wrong industry. Games should try to be games, not try to be films.

Good Move

[Dr. Eggman]

I applaud Valve's move. It seems a rather humorous artistic take on the modern "realism" period in games today. Taking a WWII shooter, a very common "reality" subject, and applying affects to it in a way that is unrealistic but at the same time much closer to the way its primary audience knows WWII as "real" (we only know the second great war through its grainy footage, and I doubt there are many WWII vets playing DoD.)

I for one love this artistic move by Valve. We have enough realistic games and WWII shooters and this satirical take on modern graphics is a welcome change.

Well done, Valve! Keep up the great work!

Re:Are we not simulating life, not film?

[FullCircle]

The problem is that the computer can't tell what you are looking at. Depth of field and motion totally break realizm if they aren't in sync with what the viewer is focusing on.

If you are being guided through a cut scene or movie, depth of field can make you focus on the path the story intends. If you are in an FPS with "free" control, this can blur the object you are trying to see.