, Research Paper
Necronomicon
Ex Mortis
Jay A With
Multimedia is present in almost all aspects of life, entertainment, learning and instruction, information, and sales. This paper will focus on only one of these, the field of entertainment and will show how each aspect; text, graphics, animation, audio, photography and video not only relate to one another but also are dependent on each other to bring about a successful game. Entertainment software is designed to submerse a player in a new environment, be it fantasy, simulation or, in this case, action/adventure and can do so only by close teamwork in each of the six aspects of multimedia mentioned above.
TEXT
Each game is a miniature interactive movie, and therefore must have a background, a starting point, middle and an ending. In this aspect a script must be written. A script needs a writer and with this game the designers were able to bring back the original writer of the movie that this game is based on.
Having a sizeable fan base the designers felt in necessary to keep true to the story line and feel of the movie. Included with the script for the game a writer must also take into account a voice over script for the actors, as well as background story. This is quite evident in the opening sequence of the game. It flawlessly pulls you into the story with a short monologue by the voice over actor and a stunning array of images that could only be brought to life through the writing of a good script. To do this you need to write, and then re-write a story line, receive feedback and then finalize a solid script acceptable to the producers, actors and last but not least the players.
AUDIO
Audio plays a very important role in the gamers world, from cues and musical clues to atmospheric sounds, ambient music as well as a full orchestra for the cut scenes and key movies to give a full cinematic experience to the player and further immerse them into this world.
Tommy Tallibico was the person in charge of this great task has accomplished this through actually composing and recording the various sounds, music, and clues and then playing them back on a tape recorder as the game is played to get a feel for how they will affect the players experience.
Bruce Campbell the actor that played Ash, the movies lead, was brought in to record voice comments for the game. The voice over script must ?completely capture the voice of Ash? and convey what he is feeling at any given point in the game. According to Scott Krager, the executive producer for THQ, Bruce and Ash are not too different from each other so the transformation was painless.
All audio for the game were created and edited using ProTools and Digital ProPerformer, two high-end sound recording and editing programs.
GRAPHICS, ANIMATION, PHOTOGRAPHY and
VIDEO
Graphics, animation, and video are a huge part of the player?s experience, and with this game are all closely related to each other. Environment, the woods, buildings
and other background miscellany you see as you move about the game, were first sketched out on paper and then digitized for use on the computer using various programs such as Renderman, for rendering and pre-rendering of digital backgrounds. The animation of characters that couldn?t be filmed, such as monsters and evil spirits, plus all of the gore were created using programs such as Maya, Photoshop and Mira. This assures that no actors could be hurt in dangerous special effects scenes or stunts. All effects were created using After Effects Shake and Inferno to complete a package that not only draws you into, but makes you want to return to, the game. Graphics are also very important in the aspects of sales, a package must grab your attention from a shelf containing hundreds of other titles and make you want to buy it without actually playing it.
Video and photography were used extensively to create true- to-life movement of the characters. These were then digitized and inserted into the game. A process known as green screen or sometimes, blue screen, was used to record a characters movements against a monochromatic background onto video and then, using the computer, the green or blue screens were replaced by environments and effects that don?t naturally occur.
CRITERIA
Although all aspects of the game relate to its success on various levels there is one underlying theme of criteria used for each, can each of these aspects stand on there own as a separate entity and when combined will they give the player a rewarding experience and if not what polishing, de-bugging or re-writing is needed. In the words of the producers of the game ?Does it suck??
In the end game designers know that without each element of multimedia, each person involved they cannot move ahead and that if each aspect is not perfected the game will fail.