Cloud Imperium Games Adds Faceware Player-Driven Facial Animation To 'Star Citizen'

[kcarbotte]

Cloud Imperium Games announced that it adopted Faceware Technologies’ real-time, player-driven facial animation technology to bring your real facial expressions and movements into "Star Citizen" to add a new level of immersion and realism to the game.

Cloud Imperium Games Adds Faceware Player-Driven Facial Animation To 'Star Citizen' : Read more

 

[CaseyP]

I wonder if the Intel Realsense web cams would be good for this.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Great, more useless features added to a game thats never going to be finished. I love how every 25 gb update adds new ways for it to crash. And that after all these years its not even vaguely near being a coherent game. But hey at least we can make the on screen avatars make funny faces.

The game crashing during todays Gamescon Demo was priceless.

 

[danlw]

"Even if it’s available today, it wouldn’t matter; Faceware is still mum about the expression tracking camera that you would need before using the new chat feature."

That statement is inaccurate. According to their presentation, you can use a normal webcam, and the technology will work. Faceware's camera, like a GTX 1080ti, is only necessary if you want the BEST experience. (albeit presumably not nearly as expensive as a 1080ti)

The issue is one of the camera's FPS and lens. Again according to their presentation, standard webcams record at 30fps and at a relatively wide angle. FaceWare's camera will record images at 60fps (enabling smoother animation), have a lens with a narrower field of view (making the players face larger, and thereby allowing greater accuracy in tracking expressions), and use an image sensor better suited to low light situations (since a lot of us play with the lights off.)

Also, the story missed another major point - it also has head tracking, making the $150 TrackIR with it's silly hat clip obsolete. And so as long as their camera costs less than $150, I'm sold.

 

[Stanislaw]

Star Citizen ...Star Citizen ... Ah I remember its that tech demo that supposed to be a finished, released game something like 3 years ago, right? Its Duke Nukem Forever all over again...

 

[alextheblue]

Great, more useless features added to a game thats never going to be finished. I love how every 25 gb update adds new ways for it to crash. And that after all these years its not even vaguely near being a coherent game. But hey at least we can make the on screen avatars make funny faces.

The game crashing during todays Gamescon Demo was priceless.

I don't think it's a useless feature... but it isn't essential. At this point in their, errm, "Development Cycle" they should have a locked-down featureset and be focused on fixing/polishing their concrete plans. NOT adding new non-essential features. This kind of thing could be added to the game in a major update down the road. They need to get the core game full operational and work to boost performance (not drag it down). Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge, so they add new features which delay it, which means more tech comes out in the meantime that has to be added to stay cutting edge... Codename: Project Quagmire.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Great, more useless features added to a game thats never going to be finished. I love how every 25 gb update adds new ways for it to crash. And that after all these years its not even vaguely near being a coherent game. But hey at least we can make the on screen avatars make funny faces.

The game crashing during todays Gamescon Demo was priceless.

I don't think it's a useless feature... but it isn't essential. At this point in their, errm, "Development Cycle" they should have a locked-down featureset and be focused on fixing/polishing their concrete plans. NOT adding new non-essential features. This kind of thing could be added to the game in a major update down the road. They need to get the core game full operational and work to boost performance (not drag it down). Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge, so they add new features which delay it, which means more tech comes out in the meantime that has to be added to stay cutting edge... Codename: Project Quagmire.

Thats my exact feelings

 

[OriginFree]

I can't wait to play the finished game .... come on 2057 get here already.

 

[Stanislaw]

I don't think it's a useless feature... Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge...

Cutting edge technology? Last time I have seen SC it look like few years old game with crappie textures and not impressive 3D model's. Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2. I tell you its Duke Nukem all over again next they gone start to mess with the engine and game will be delayed even further and then they run out of money and go bankrupt. Didn't they already took bank loan ?

 

[Rogue Leader]

I don't think it's a useless feature... Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge...

Cutting edge technology? Last time I have seen SC it look like few years old game with crappie textures and not impressive 3D model's. Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2. I tell you its Duke Nukem all over again next they gone start to mess with the engine and game will be delayed even further and then they run out of money and go bankrupt. Didn't they already took bank loan ?

While I have a hard time defending them, no they didn't take a loan, they have something like $150m in pre purchases. As for the game, you must have been looking at something else, the graphics when it functions are literally beautiful, absolutely unreal quality.

 

[randomizer]

Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2.

We must remember these games differently.

 

[Stanislaw]

I don't think it's a useless feature... Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge...

Cutting edge technology? Last time I have seen SC it look like few years old game with crappie textures and not impressive 3D model's. Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2. I tell you its Duke Nukem all over again next they gone start to mess with the engine and game will be delayed even further and then they run out of money and go bankrupt. Didn't they already took bank loan ?

While I have a hard time defending them, no they didn't take a loan, they have something like $150m in pre purchases. As for the game, you must have been looking at something else, the graphics when it functions are literally beautiful, absolutely unreal quality.

I just check one of newest videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCtdyNFwQWo
and I say again graphics look outdated. Better then before when it look simply awful but still nothing special. For example Rage from 2011 looks as good if not better and Metro Last Light from 2013 look better.

 

[Rogue Leader]

I don't think it's a useless feature... Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge...

Cutting edge technology? Last time I have seen SC it look like few years old game with crappie textures and not impressive 3D model's. Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2. I tell you its Duke Nukem all over again next they gone start to mess with the engine and game will be delayed even further and then they run out of money and go bankrupt. Didn't they already took bank loan ?

While I have a hard time defending them, no they didn't take a loan, they have something like $150m in pre purchases. As for the game, you must have been looking at something else, the graphics when it functions are literally beautiful, absolutely unreal quality.

I just check one of newest videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCtdyNFwQWo
and I say again graphics look outdated. Better then before when it look simply awful but still nothing special. For example Rage from 2011 looks as good if not better and Metro Last Light from 2013 look better.

You are saying this looks just as good as that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2375yukmK8c

You need to get your eyes checked my friend.

 

[Stanislaw]

I don't think it's a useless feature... Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge...

Cutting edge technology? Last time I have seen SC it look like few years old game with crappie textures and not impressive 3D model's. Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2. I tell you its Duke Nukem all over again next they gone start to mess with the engine and game will be delayed even further and then they run out of money and go bankrupt. Didn't they already took bank loan ?

While I have a hard time defending them, no they didn't take a loan, they have something like $150m in pre purchases. As for the game, you must have been looking at something else, the graphics when it functions are literally beautiful, absolutely unreal quality.

I just check one of newest videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCtdyNFwQWo
and I say again graphics look outdated. Better then before when it look simply awful but still nothing special. For example Rage from 2011 looks as good if not better and Metro Last Light from 2013 look better.

You are saying this looks just as good as that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2375yukmK8c

You need to get your eyes checked my friend.

Yes for me it look very similar + I use ALOT texture pack and ME2 look a bit better when I play it like a month ago.

 

[Rogue Leader]

The actual polygons of everything in ME2 are like less than 1/4 of what they are in SC. Its literally impossible for ME2 to look as detailed. You may have some nice textures, but blow the image up and the difference is supremely clear. And don't get me wrong ME2 is a beautiful game that still holds up. But one thing SC was never criticized for is the fact it has the best graphics.

 

[Stanislaw]

Some time ago when there was a free weekend with SC I installed it and took a look At max setting it was choppy like hell and didn't look very impressive at all. Mostly empty world ugly models unimpressive textures and so on I don't know where did you hear that info about best graphics. In 2017 presentation I see they improved graphic quality a bit but best graphics? Beautiful? No, not at all. For god sake look how space station look in for example Alien Isolation. Star Citizen look like alpha full of placeholders.

 

[therickmu25]

These guys put on a live demo 1 or 2 years ago to show their backers the progress they've made. When they asked the developers to come on stage, some of them walked out holding beers clearly intoxicated. They didn't follow directions and the demo was an unmitigated embarrassment.

This is an amateur operation with zero focus of project management techniques at work. I wanted to believe but my money and anyone else's money is sunk at this point. Feel bad for those guys that donated thousands when reality kicks in. I can live w/o $30

 

[Rogue Leader]

Some time ago when there was a free weekend with SC I installed it and took a look At max setting it was choppy like hell and didn't look very impressive at all. Mostly empty world ugly models unimpressive textures and so on I don't know where did you hear that info about best graphics. In 2017 presentation I see they improved graphic quality a bit but best graphics? Beautiful? No, not at all. For god sake look how space station look in for example Alien Isolation. Star Citizen look like alpha full of placeholders.

You can't be serious. I've played A:I its excellent, but no it doesn't even look vaguely as good. I will give you SC was (and often still is) choppy as hell except on the best hardware, but choppy performance (it is still Alpha) is not an indicator of graphic quality.

SC:

A:I

Where did I read about SC's graphics? Literally everywhere, every review.

 

[Somasonic]

Good to see they're focusing on the important core elements...

 

[randomizer]

Some time ago when there was a free weekend with SC I installed it and took a look At max setting it was choppy like hell and didn't look very impressive at all. Mostly empty world ugly models unimpressive textures and so on I don't know where did you hear that info about best graphics. In 2017 presentation I see they improved graphic quality a bit but best graphics? Beautiful? No, not at all. For god sake look how space station look in for example Alien Isolation. Star Citizen look like alpha full of placeholders.

SC is pretty choppy, but not as bad as when they only had the hangar module. That was a shocker.

Now comparing with Alien: Isolation is a bit unfair. That game has a tiny "world" so making it detailed to the nth degree is comparatively easy. It is also finished, whereas SC is not (and may never be, but that's another issue).

 

[ganron]

150 million dollar in donation and 5 year wait for a game demo -- This gaming community is full of idiots !!

 

[alextheblue]

I don't think it's a useless feature... Star Citizen is like this eternal project that seeks to stay cutting edge...

Cutting edge technology? Last time I have seen SC it look like few years old game with crappie textures and not impressive 3D model's. Let sey something between Mass Effect 1 and 2.

You'll notice I didn't say cutting edge graphics. I said cutting edge technology... like all the simulation tech, and the real-world-emulating player voices (and soon facial expressions). There's a lot more STUFF in a modern game than just "teh grophics lulz". Hence all the middleware. The weapon firing physics and accurate head cam + bob design they've demo'd are very advanced and were NOT simple to implement. I've watched a lot of videos on their tech and if you know anything about how most games handle things vs how their game more accurately simulates things, you'd understand there is a LOT of impressive technology. This is coming from a critic of CIG. Unfortunately, the focus on fancy tech is also their weakness. The more better and accurate they try to make all the pieces, the longer they delay the whole.

That aside, the graphics are actually pretty good, much better than you give them credit for. Maybe not as compelling as some of the latest titles which are able to dedicate both developer resources and system resources more on graphics. Also performance is (as I mentioned) lacking, partially due to all the simulation tech crammed in the game. But it looks pretty good if you ignore the current framerates on midrange hardware. They need to get cracking hard on optimizing their new renderpath, that's for sure.

 

[sandal.goran]

Robert the CEO said “This is the first time any game has used this kind of technology to detect and stream the facial movements of players in real-time, and I believe it’s a revolutionary step in gaming,”. That is wrong, isn't it? Everquest 2 used facial tracking for their game as well, which was pretty nice, and that was back in 2012 or something?
Besides that, it could be a fun feature for the game

 

[Zapharus]

"DANLW
8 days ago
"Even if it’s available today, it wouldn’t matter; Faceware is still mum about the expression tracking camera that you would need before using the new chat feature."

That statement is inaccurate. According to their presentation, you can use a normal webcam, and the technology will work. Faceware's camera, like a GTX 1080ti, is only necessary if you want the BEST experience. (albeit presumably not nearly as expensive as a 1080ti)

The issue is one of the camera's FPS and lens. Again according to their presentation, standard webcams record at 30fps and at a relatively wide angle. FaceWare's camera will record images at 60fps (enabling smoother animation), have a lens with a narrower field of view (making the players face larger, and thereby allowing greater accuracy in tracking expressions), and use an image sensor better suited to low light situations (since a lot of us play with the lights off.)

Also, the story missed another major point - it also has head tracking, making the $150 TrackIR with it's silly hat clip obsolete. And so as long as their camera costs less than $150, I'm sold."


So you pretty much just summarized (repeated pretty much) everything that was mentioned and demoed in the YouTube video embedded in the article. Cool, thanks.