‘No dead end’ for LA Noire mo-cap tech

The group behind LA Noire’s cutting-edge facial animation technology has revealed to Develop ambitious plans to capture full-body motions.

That tall objective, if achieved, could have an enormous impact on future animation and mocap processes.

It would also prove one outspoken critic wrong. Quantic Dream CEO David Cage described the tech, known as MotionScan, as ‘an interesting dead-end’. He said it could not expand to capture full-body performances.

Yet the technology’s owner, Brendan McNamara, revealed to Develop that plans were already in place to achieve the feat.

In a new interview published today, he said MotionScan “embodies the future on a few levels”.

“When this technology can capture full body performances, the level of realism will be hard to differentiate between game, film and television,” McNamara said.

McNamara, the co-founder of Australian independent studio Team Bondi, will put the technology to the mercy of the public with LA Noire.

The game, set for release in May, features cutting-edge facial animation captured on a massive 3D rig.

Details of the technology were explored in the latest issue of Develop, available now.