Planet Zoo’s animal animation tools are “too good for games”
Never work with animals or children, that's what they tell you in the ‘biz. Too unpredictable, need lots of attention, and can’t be controlled. But Frontier has instead leant into these seemingly negative attributes with new management sim Planet Zoo, and flaunts them as proof of each animal’s authenticity.
The many birds and beasties that feature in Planet Zoo are incredibly detailed, and to get them to that point, the studio has had to get all eyes on them. While speaking to us about how Planet Zoo is a wild, endearing hybrid of the studio’s previous games, Planet Zoo game director Piers Jackson highlighted the research and work that goes into creating each of these believable creatures. The way the animals move, look, and behave was a top priority for Frontier, and solving this challenge lay in capturing the unpredictability of wildlife.
Much of the responsibility for nailing this fell onto the shoulders of the animation department. While at the studio we took the opportunity to speak to Planet Zoo lead animator Chris March and principal animation programmer Ollie Powell about the challenge of building something so organic and natural using tools that rely on structure and code.
from PCGamesN http://bit.ly/2UVw4dT
Post a Comment