Almost every kid, teenager as well as adult now plays some kind of games on their mobiles, PCs and so on. Some of them like to invest money and time in video games as well. And if the main reason for popularity of these games is asked, the simple answer would be character animation. Video games are not new and they have been played for almost 30 years now. But in those video games, the characters would be 2-dimensional and had superficialities. With advent and development of animation technology, great changes have come in the animation industry. People are looking for immersive, intensive and real-feel animation characters in the games and this is possible with advanced animation.
Designing characters for animations – attempt of creating believable characters
Follow any avid computer-gamer or video-gamer and you will notice that these people have created their own unique world with the animation characters. The animated characters are designed in such a manner that they look like real life characters, who are set to achieve complex missions. Great empathy is created for the characters so that gamers develop close connections with the characters and get more engaged and involved in the game. Creating and designing characters for animations are not an easy task as the main protagonist of the game is the player himself/herself. However, with use of sophisticated and advanced animation technology, characters in animations are being made complicated to provide real-life feel.
Animation in video/PC games vs. animation in movies
Expert and experienced animation creators have opined that there is vast difference between animation in movies and animation in the gaming industry. In the gaming industry, the animated character is actually the player and he is in total control of the game. Therefore it is a very personal experience. The decision that the player takes in the game will decide the expressions of the animated character. It is difficult for the designer or animation creator to understand what decision the player might take. Therefore he has to keep animations for various action sequences ready. So along with creative ideas, the designer should also have sense of innovation. It is said that avid gamers can suggest animation creation ideas best.
Movie animation might be on a much larger scale but animation is created once the script is ready. Also there are no options for people controlling the movie and take future decisions for the movie to proceed. Animation in video gaming industry is highly dynamic and decision dependent.
Video/PC gaming – integral part of fast paced animation industry
Speed has become a prerequisite nowadays – whether in normal life or in video/PC games. The animation industry has provided added dynamism to these games. Animated characters in the games run, climb, jump, sit, operate firearms and sometimes even soar high in the sky to deal with the enemies. It is obvious that all these actions have to be fast-paced for best effects. For creating such awesome animations, it is very important to have a strong fundamental base of animation along with understanding of body mechanics. It is evident from these facts that video/PC gaming has become an integral part of the animation industry and demands for the same will keep on increasing with passage of time.
