Image Metrics acquires ‘photo-to-game’ tech firm

Facial animation group Image Metrics has acquired Big Stage, a company specialising in building game characters from photo data.

Financial terms of the buyout were not disclosed.

Big Stage’s software can “instantly transform photographs into realistic 3-D, animated characters to represent themselves in virtual worlds, video games, video clips and online communities”, Image Metrics said.

The California-headquartered has revealed it will merge Big Stage’s avatar creation platform into its own animation technology.

An updated product suite is scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2011.

“We are extremely pleased with the talent and technology coming from Big Stage,” said Image Metrics CEO Robert Gehorsam.

“Their advanced yet easy-to-use avatar creation technology is the perfect platform to package with our facial animation technology for a complete life-like digital solution for both consumers and developers alike," he added.