Computer-generated facial animations have always towed the line between creepily realistic and just plain bad. All the nuances and complexities of the human face probably make it the hardest thing to replicate convincingly in any medium, if not pixels and polygons. Some new tech developed by Pendulum Studios’ Alter Ego team, however, might be the first big step outside of the uncanny valley and into the Holodeck.

Using trademark “facial performance software” in conjunction with special motion-capture techniques, the faces Alter Ego renders are almost unbelievably detailed, extremely expressive, and look convincingly alive.

The implications for the movie industry are huge, of course, but the games industry’s going to be along for the ride as well, with Dark Sector and Silent Hill 5 making use of Alter Ego’s technology. With games like Heavenly Sword and Metal Gear Solid 4 out there and tech like this, could the age of the digital actor finally be on the horizon? See for yourself after the jump.

Tags: Alter Ego, big brown brian beats his big brother bobby with a base, Pendulum Studios, Realistic 3D Facial Animation

• Call Ripley’s — This Woman Is Not Real!
• Animation Developers Behind GTA IV & Star Wars: Force Unleashed Flex Muscle at GDC 08
• Uncharted on the 360? Not Bloody Likely
• LittleBigPlanet: User Created 2D Side-Scrolling Shooter is Retro-Amazing
• The Three Coolest Things About Havok Cloth
• Fable II Fan Refuses to Shave Beard Until Game Comes Out
• Rumor: Partial GTA IV Soundtrack Revealed
• PSU.com Makes Stealth Edit to GT5 Prologue Preview – No Car Damage

1 Comment » Dan Landis on August 14, 2008 1:00 pm The woman doesn’t make very good angry faces, and she also doesn’t look happy when she laughs… come to think of it, that’s pretty realistic after all. RSS feed for comments on this post. Comment Now Note: Commenting on Ripten does not currently require registration, however to be eligible for contests on the site, you must be a registered user. Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Commenting Rules: No hate speech allowed. If you must argue, please debate intelligently. Comments containing selected keywords or outbound links will be put into moderation to help prevent spam. Ripten reserves the right to delete comments and ban anyone who doesn't follow the rules. Thanks. Notify me of followup comments Tired of the Goomba? Upload your own custom comment avatar.