Putting On Your Game Face

Thanks to GameSpot for their editorial discussing the ability to alter in-game characters to look like yourself in videogames, specifically citing EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. The author admits to having "a definite penchant for games that allow me to play as a character resembling myself", and muses: "I've already spent an unhealthy amount of time putting myself into Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 - imagine how cool it would be if that same character could be transported to FIFA Soccer 2004, Madden NFL 2004, or even SSX 3." With other forthcoming titles such as Tony Hawk's Underground highlighting this type of feature, is playing as yourself a much-desired extra for everyone, or would you prefer controlling someone more... handsome?

Comments

Machinama

[TrippTDF]

I've only used one character-altering engine so far, but I've been very impressed what just a few sliders and other choices can do. The character I have made looks quite a bit like me, and it took under five minutes.

Combine this with the engine for HL2 or Doom3, and suddenly you can create a movie with a custom cast... put Dustin Hoffman in a movie with Humphry Bogart and Angelina Jolie... creating their characters takes under 15 minutes. To do it the old fashioned way took weeks.

Machinama is going to really benefit from such options. I give it another 10 years or so, and creating a hollywood quality CGI sequence will be as easy to do as photoshopping yourself next to Bill Clinton on Mars.

The next question is where does Hollywood go then? What if I could make Toy Story at home in an afternoon? How are they going to "wow" us then?

Re:Yeah, but everyone always plays as Tiger Woods

[sinergy]

Am I the only one who thinks that Penny Arcade is incredibly stupid?

Why?

[El]

If the sucess of Lara Croft is any indication, most geeks don't want to see themselves in their video games. Isn't that what fantasy and role playing is all about? If I wanted something more realistic, I'd go take a walk out there in the big blue room.

bad idea

[OwlofCreamCheese]

sounds cool, but the second its used in an online game every 12 year old will paste up a picture of their butt, or a picture of goat_cx's butt or a picture of something butt related. and unless quake IV is titled: the butts of butty butt, I don't want to play a game about butts.