The end of this past year brought more of our efforts to fruition with the successful release of another WWE title[1], WWE 2K16.
Then
RETRO-MANIA!
WWE has had a long, renowned history of publishing video games over the decades. Starting way back in the ’80s, their video games have been around nearly as long as consoles have existed. (For a deeper look into WWE’s History of Video Games[2], check out these great retrospectives.[3][4] ) Very retro indeed, but it’s come a long way from the days of 8-bit graphics.
Now
Watch Triple H in WWE 2K16
WWE 2K16 is the 2nd title released on “Next-Gen”, or 8th Generation[5], consoles (Xbox One, PS4). Both, WWE 2K15 & WWE 2K16, showcase the latest technological advancements and aesthetic improvements that I’ve been so heavily involved in developing since my inception with the R&D team at Yuke’s LA, in 2013.
And it’s definitely not Yuke’s first rodeo either. This is the 17th consecutive WWE title developed by Yuke’s over the last 16 strong standing years with the WWE franchise and licensed publishers. Making it the longest-running annual combat game series[6].
In anticipation of Next-Gen consoles, I joined the team to help lead and implement new character art and rigging initiatives for production on the new platforms that were just around the corner. As you might imagine from the impressive longevity of this video game, we saw our share of it’s “legacy”. Obviously the days of 8-bit had long past, but the assets were still very far away from reaching their potential, especially regarding next-gen quality. A major overhaul of the character architecture was underway…
2K Games had just acquired the publishing rights [7] for the series from the recently defunct THQ [8], so we had access to some of the same cool, new photogrammetry technology being utilized by Visual Concepts for their NBA game.
Ultra high resolution facial expressions & full body scans captured by Pixelgun Studio.
…and btw, they even do house calls. Their photogrammetry camera rig is mobile![9]
John Cena Face Scan
The introduction of photogrammetry marked an epoch in the evolution of the series as well as the industry…
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