Creating a 'Virtual Me'

Chief Technical Officer Glenn Entis of EA says graphics are just the tip of the iceberg in making games more realistic.

According to BBC News, Entis spoke at Siggraph, the computer graphics conference held this year in San Diego, where he told game makers that even when graphics look true-to-life, they must also react in a realistic manner.

Entis said humans are hypersensitive to how other people move and behave. Thus, tiny differences can deter even the most lifelike physical representations possible on next gen systems like Xbox 360 and the PS3.

EA is using motion-capture technology to bring out subtle things like stance, gait and facial muscles combined to depict human emotions, allowing gamers to relate more to the characters they control.

EA is also focusing its efforts on gamers' love to create, much like the user-generated revolution that has taken hold online.

Entis cited EA research that found that more than half the people that played The Sims spent more than half the time creating characters and customizable extras like furniture. EA is currently working on a European Xbox 360 title called Virtual Me, which allows players to control the looks and wardrobe of the character they create.

Apparently realism can apply to the ad work that appears in games as well. Last month EA joined forces with Microsoft to release a dynamic in-game platform, making popular group games, such as Madden 2008, open fields for ever-changing ad messages.