We Break Down The All Pro Football 2K8 Video Alongside NaturalMotion…
by Chad Lakkis on June 10, 2007 at 4:55 pm
So the question everyone seems to be asking us is “does the game include NaturalMotion technology?” Even internally here at ripten we agree to disagree as some of us think it may and others believe it won’t. That said we decided to take a closer look at the video 2K debuted on Spike TV the other day and compare it side by side to that of the football test animation video many of us have been speculating over for months now on NaturalMotion’s official website. We don’t have a firm opinion either way, but we thought we would make the screens available to our readers and get a feel for what they are thinking.
We start things off with a close up of Mr. Happy Feet himself, John Elway as he scampers into the end zone. Many of us remember the run John made towards the end zone in the 1998 Superbowl against the Packers and the hit he took on the way which spun him up in the air sideways. The clip in the video that resembles the hit in the Superbowl also showed us something else. The thing we noticed here was that his feet do not collide with that of the lineman as the lineman gets muscled backwards by the defender into Elway. This impressed us and made us think, hey maybe there is some sort of on the fly aspect to this game engine.
That feeling was short lived though as we went through the film again and noticed that the introduction huddle features less than impressive collision detection when one of the players in the huddle decides to plant his hand about 6 inches into his thigh. See below.
Forget Stickum, this guy’s using Seeum. Now you see um, now you don’t.
Alright, so we have shown you the good and the bad. Now we are going to lay out a few screen grabs we have taken of the in game tackles and falls since that is all we really have to compare with the NaturalMotion video. While we have no idea if the game will or will not be using natural motion, we do know that the process was underway for an interview with the CEO of NaturalMotion when suddenly we were informed that it would have to be postponed due to the fact they would not be able to discuss any Euphoria related information at the present time. We also believe that the video showed a good amount of variation in the falls and tackles, as you can see below.
Now all of the variations we saw could mean they have a ton of canned animations loaded into this game or they in fact are using some sort of reaction based engine similar to Euphoria or even Euphoria itself. We want you to take a look at the information above and below and voice your opinions on this topic. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
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Tags: 2K-Sports, All-Pro-Football-2K8 |
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- All-Pro Football 2K8, NaturalMotion Technology
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on June 10, 2007 4:58 pm
good stuff man, thanks for the break down. I think they are using natural motion in some way. there are alot of different falls and stuff.
on June 10, 2007 5:01 pm
Why you guys gotta be so negative man? There is no way that this game is usin the 2k5 engine and i think the game is still going to look better before it comes out.
on June 10, 2007 5:03 pm
The recognition stuff with Elway really got me thinking. Some of the falls and tackles too. I am on the fence about it, gonna share it with the guys on the 2K board.
on June 10, 2007 5:35 pm
I agree with Jon, Why is everyone so concerned about this natural motion thing? The game looks terrible and that should be of more concern then anything else. I am not convinced that i am gonna dish out 60 bucks for this game.
on June 10, 2007 5:43 pm
2K all the way baby! Naturamotion or not, this game is going to be in my 360 all day everyday. Ripten is quickly becomin my favorite site for all pro info. Keep it up guys great job.
Ben-
on June 10, 2007 6:10 pm
Naturalmotion is where the future of animation lies. Every tackle is unique. You can’t beat that. That’s realism. I heard the injuries happen in real-time due to the new engine. Unlike that other game, you can actually watch the replay and see exactly how that knee got sprained or that shoulder got dislocated.
on June 10, 2007 6:17 pm
Hi Mario,
We are very excited about the NaturalMotion technology as well, and are still very much looking forward to interviewing the CEO of the company as soon as they are able to discuss the technology openly again.
Mad-
on June 10, 2007 6:28 pm
Kill Joy:
Look at the vid in slow motion (quick time).
You’ll notice the plethora of things going on (like rain bouncing off players and drops sticking to helmets) and…
You’ll see that the reasons the game looks terrible are:
1.) The uniforms are horrible and do not flatter the graphics like NFL uni’s do
2.) The player models are decent, but they need work
3.) The grass looks like confeti.
Other than that, watching it in slo-mo makes it look better, IMHO
on June 10, 2007 6:34 pm
I don’t care if it is the 2K5 engine or not, I just want something to compete with Madden so they are forced to be more innovative.
Here is what I look for:
1) Will it be fun?
2) Will I want to play it online?
3) Does it have replay value?
If even two of those three are answered, then count me in!
on June 10, 2007 6:39 pm
A.Clown,
I will look at the quicktime video in slo mo. This might be a case where I was just expecting more because the wait to see anything has been so long. Just not very impressed at the moment but I will give it a look.
on June 10, 2007 6:48 pm
It’s interesting to me the one image you show that leads us to believe it’s not NM is the cutscene. Could it be that NM is reserved for all “live” gameplay animations, and not include “cutscenes?”
Great article. Thanks
on June 10, 2007 6:52 pm
DQ,
That very well may be the case. Great point.
Mad-
on June 10, 2007 8:22 pm
Wow that looks SOOOOO bad, how about play with some old players when i can use real players who play in the nfl today. 2k sucks at mlb,nba,nfl. nhl is ok so stick to that
on June 10, 2007 9:57 pm
2k sucks,
While we can definitely understand how an individual could dislike a game, your reasoning baffles us.
First you referred to the list of players as “old”. The players you are referring to for the most part paved the way for the players we all watch on our TV sets today. The players you admire in the NFL will eventually be old themselves and if they are lucky some of them will join the “old players” you are referring to in Canton Ohio, but most will not.
As far as your comment about 2K sucking, well the name you chose to post on this site says loud in clear what you think of 2K without you needing to say a word. However if you click here you will see that you are in fact the minority on this subject. Being a minority is not all that bad though, in this case it just means that more people than not disagree with you, and those same people probably think that you yourself suck.
Mad-
on June 10, 2007 10:34 pm
Mad, what are your thoughts on all of this?
Do you believe 2k is in the game?
And do you believe Monday’s trailer will be different than what we say Friday/Saturday?
on June 10, 2007 11:21 pm
‘2K Sucks’ Mad Gamer Owned You, LMFAO!!!! EA Cock Boy!!!!!
on June 10, 2007 11:21 pm
I think the video on Monday will be new, better, and longer. Just looking at “The Big’s” first official video tells you that it will be awesome.
SpikeTV’s video seems like a video they made months ago for a possible release to the public, but than they changed their mines. (EA stealing ideas)
Monday’s video will be TIGHT!
on June 11, 2007 12:33 am
2k sucks…
BAUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Could it be any more obvious that you are sucking EA’s cock?
You’re one of the dumbasses who do not understand REAL FOOTBALL that EA caters to. Why do you think there is the “drooop” sound on deep passes in Madden 07? Because EA is trying to make a game that retards like you will enjoy.
How does that rock hard EA dick taste, 2k sucks?
on June 11, 2007 1:01 am
APF2K8 is about real football period. If anyone out there bases their purchase on the NFL License and not on getting the best experience for the money then I say let those persons keep their heads up their asses.
on June 11, 2007 1:04 am
madden is not real football there are no money plays or drums when there is a long pass thrown. also a quick slant means just that not backing up 25 yards and putting it on the money off your back foot. you tell me the last time a “real” football game had scores of 75-63
on June 11, 2007 4:59 am
The game developers have already stated they used the NFL 2K5 engine…
on June 11, 2007 11:35 am
One thing to remember is that Euphoria runs along side the existing engine. It does not replace it.
Also, There are cases in the video that would lead me to belive some animations are “canned”, but there is one instance in particular that I keep going back to.
38 seconds into the video, During Payton’s run. The emphasis is not on Payton, but on a blocker (#81) upfield. He is pushing the defender away from Payton, and while he does, he falls to his knees.
Now, what happens next is pretty wild. Another defender (#20) gets tangled up with the guy #81 is blocking. He falls to his feet, gets back up and continues pursuit. All the while, the original blocker (#81), after falling to his knees, continues to block and EVEN SHIFTS HIS BODY to continue the block.
Again, We can’t say the game is definately using Euphoria. We just don’t have that information, but this game is using a very refined animation system that includes the possibility of some very complex character responses.
on June 11, 2007 1:58 pm
They have already said they are using the 2K5 engine. Seeing as how that engine still runs better than some of the alternatives, I don’t see a problem with polishing and reusing it. Euphoria/Natural Motion can run beside an existing game engine. It doesn’t have to be it’s own engine. They could have added it to the 2K5 engine.
Do I think they are using it? I’m not sure yet. It will be sweet if they do, but the animation in the game already looks amazing regardless of what they are using.
on June 11, 2007 9:11 pm
dQbell/ScottyP,
When we were told the interview would have to be postponed the exact words used were “we are currently unable to discuss any euphoria related inquiries.”
When we looked back through our email correspondence to them we realized that we never mentioned euphoria specifically in our request to interview them.
We simply said we would like to sit down with them and discuss NaturalMotion as a company and their products as a whole.
They may have seen the all the APF 2K8 related stories on our site and decided to postpone the interview for that reason.
Mad-
on June 12, 2007 1:19 am
I personally believe they’re using it for a few reasons:
I’ve downloaded the demo for NM. Learned alot about it. I know that it DOESN’T replace an engine, it runs along side it. So 2k could still use the 2k5 engine and NM can run along with it.
If you haven’t been fortunate enough to experience it first hand you should visit the site and download it. You can see personally and gain a stronger belief that they are in-fact using NM.
For example, when the reciever is running his route and stumbles, if you’re familiar with the program, you should know how it’s happened. With NM/Euphoria, the ground can be given specific qualities. In that particular scene it was muddy grass. The character can be given specific strengths to specific parts of the body. His legs could be moving fast enough to make him lose footing/balance if you want him too (which he did). The reciever was given a specific run animation. With NM/Euphoria, the reciever will do his best to do so dynamically. Meaning if he stumbles, NM/E takes over and the simulation occurs. He may even fall if he can’t regain his footing. Instead of spending so much time trying to capture all these different possible variations, it all happens on its own.
It’s time for developers to focus more on dynamics, animations, and uniqueness now rather than pretty graphics. A football game where every hit is different is one of unlimited replayablity.
on June 12, 2007 1:35 am
i would rather play madden anyday over 2k. madden 07 wasnt that good last year for 360 i admit, but i would still rather play it then play a fake game. i minus well play blitz the league then if i wanted a little fun game with fake teams. you idiots you would actually play with fake teams over real teams. and obviously you fags dont play on all madden if your getting score 75-65 like that douche said. Mad gamer also you need to spend more time talking to girls rather then taking 20 minutes to write that up you 30 year old gamer fag.
on June 12, 2007 1:39 am
Somebody sounds like he needs a hug.
Mad-
on June 12, 2007 8:26 am
Mad,
Thanks again for the article. From the very beginning, APF 2K8 has had so much speculation wrapped around it. At first we all wondered if there would even be a game. then when we found out there would, the speculation flood ran deep.
It’s been fun reading opinions and thoughts on the game. One things for sure, they are doing something neat with this animation system.
Hey, is 30YearOldGamerFag.com taken? I see great success with that!
on June 12, 2007 9:28 am
i see that you were upset by my 75-63 score but for some reason you did not coment on what a quick slant is. maybe because you have never played organized football you can’t understand. anyone who has put on an helmet knows a quick slant is no more than a three step drop, not 25 yards off your back foot.The other reason to drop 25 yards on madden is to get the ai to suddenly stop covering the reciever. Madden is lazy, and cater to people who have never, or could not play the real game
on June 12, 2007 1:29 pm
I still don’t know about NM. I would love to see that they put it in there, but who knows. I definately think that if 2K8 does well, we’ll see it in the next iteration of the game if it’s not there already.
Hmmm …. I guess the little kiddies don’t like us 30 year old gamers with opinions. Sad…
As for fake teams and real teams, it makes no difference to me as long as the game plays like a game of football should. I typically do franchise (which regretably is left out) and after just a couple seasons, the teams are all changed up and no longer realistic anyhow.
on June 13, 2007 2:22 pm
Another reason for me to believe they’re using NM is because they’re using an engine they’re used to. So instead of focusing on a newer engine, they can dedicate their time to intergrating NM/E.
on June 18, 2007 12:54 pm
man madden is gonna be great, 2k8 is gonna be just as good, game play wise. why are people fronting like they arent gonna play both games, I know I will. madden is better then the 2k series in some ways, and 2k has been better then madden in some ways. so now that 2k is back this is good for football gaming, whats wrong with variaty. 2k8 is gonna sell, I mean look at all the buzz it’s getting. The video grapics arent all that ill admit, but its just refreshing to feel some hype on something other then madden and ncaa football for the first time in years. This will be a great year for next gen football, so all the ea madden heads shut the fuck up and stop hating, it gives you wrinkles.
on August 12, 2007 12:10 am
Jim,
Thanks for the comment, unfortunately posts without valid emails get deleted.
Mad-