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Author: Lauren Brady

Pride Month: Our favourite games with LGBTQIA+ representation

Pride Month is here! It’s a time for the LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate. But it’s also a time for reflection: reflection of how far the community has come and how far it still has to go. Never forget that it was inspired by the Stonewall riots of 1969 when many fought against the oppression LGBTQIA+ people faced. That fight is, unfortunately, still not over.

But society is moving forward and representation is at its highest levels. TV shows, films, books, and video games are all mediums where LGBTQIA+ characters can shine. Strong creative voices push the community into the light to let people know they aren’t going anywhere. In the video games industry, in particular, thanks to the efforts of LGBTQIA+ members and allies alike, queer stories are being told.

So let’s celebrate the rich diversity we have and the bright future it represents. Here is a list of our favourite games with LGBTQIA+ characters and stories, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy whittling it down. There are so many fantastic examples that narrowing it to just a few was nearly impossible! But here we go…

 

The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series

Okay, it’s the first entry and I’m already cheating. But these two series – in fact, anything made by BioWare – have had queer motifs since the start. In both, the player character has multiple romantic interests they can pursue, both male and female, and open to male or female player characters.

Dragon Age always had the option available and Mass Effect added male-male romantic interactions in the third entry. Both series portrayed queer relationships as completely normal, creating worlds where the notion of queer identity was a given. Even as far back as Jade Empire, BioWare has been putting gay relationships on the map.

Krem from Dragon Age: Inquisition is also said to be one of gaming’s first transgender male characters.

 

Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is never one for subtlety, but the character of Gay Tony is one of their most nuanced characters to date. As the deuteragonist of GTAIV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, you see a lot of depth to Tony beyond his sexuality. You see his highs, his lows, and his rock bottoms. He’s a shady nightclub owner and as much of a criminal as you can expect from Grand Theft Auto. He also just happens to be gay.

It’s refreshing to see an early example where a character is defined by something other than their sexuality. Yes, he’s called “Gay Tony”, but the game goes to lengths to show you who, what, and why Tony is beyond that moniker.

 

Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed has always embraced queer characters, even as far back as the first entry. But with the latest entry, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, developer Ubisoft has given the player agency to pursue it themselves.

You can play as either of the siblings Alexios or Kassandra and can, through the course of the game, pursue opposite-sex or same-sex relationships. It’s something Ubisoft has stressed will carry on in the next game in the series, Valhalla. Having this option is a great way to validate sexual orientations of all kinds and provide an inclusive platform where people can be who they are, which puts it above games that aren’t interested in exploring that option.

 

The Life is Strange series

Life is Strange is an example where the characters’ queer identity plays more of a role in the story. As an open-ended, choose-your-own-path episodic game, it was up to you to follow that storyline, but the main character of the first game, Max, is bisexual. The protagonist of the follow-up, Chloe, is a lesbian.

This continued with the sequel, as it explored more queer relationships and identities. It hit a chord with many as its younger cast gave teenage fans a space to explore and think about their own identity. People also liked its human, ‘real’ approach to the topic of whirlwind teenage romances.

 

Gone Home

I won’t spoil this one as the main crux of the story is a mystery that needs solving. You play Katie, a young woman who returns home to find the house abandoned. As you wander around the house, you piece together what happened.

Before I go into it more, beware spoilers. If you want to experience the game for yourself (which I recommend), don’t read on. In Gone Home, you explore your home and unravel the mystery of your missing sister, Samantha. It turns out she had started a relationship with a female friend from school and their parents were less than accepting. In the end, you discover Samantha has run away to be with her partner.

It’s a hugely affecting story and speaks to the pain so many LGBTQIA+ members go through. It’s a message of self-acceptance but isn’t without its bitter-sweet note. The game was applauded for its approach to LGBTQIA+ issues and was an example of a game remaining compelling even when all you were doing was rooting around in the kitchen cupboards.

 

The Last of Us

While the first game merely hinted at it, the prologue DLC Left Behind confirmed Ellie is queer. And now in the second entry in the series, The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is the main character and the story involves her romantic relationship with partner Dina.

The trailer from E3 2018 even showed us an intimate moment between the two of them, a huge leap for queer representation. Stories like this normalise queer nature because it is just that – normal. The game hasn’t been released yet, so we don’t necessarily know where the story goes, but it has given LGBTQIA+ people another strong character they can get behind. It pushes forward the goals of the community as we seek greater representation.

 

And the rest!

If only I could go on about every game with LGBTQIA+ characters and motifs. These last few years have seen an explosion of representation and that doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon.

We could have mentioned Fable, which has the BioWare school of ‘be-who-you-want’ representation. Or Stardew Valley which gives you a bevvy of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes you can explore and marry. Other indie games like Dream Daddy or Night in the Woods. And The Sims! Riot has also added a variety of pride flags to League of Legends, so many people can proudly display the flag they most associate with.

All of these are examples of games that have done so much for queer representation. They are the trailblazers. They have given us worlds where we can find people just like us. Where queer people can feel a sense of belonging. To some, they might just be video games but, to others, they are a lifeline. They are home. What matters most is developers keep fighting to include that representation. Not every “letter” in the community has a character they can look to and feel pride in, which is why we must carry on with this representation. The more games – AAA, indie, or in between – that stand by the community, the closer we can get to true acceptance.

At REALTIME, we’re flying the pride flag with, well, pride! To all our LGBTQIA+ members of staff, clients, and readers, we’re with you for this month and every month to come.

Why the cloud could be the future of gaming

2020 will see the highly anticipated arrival of the next generation of video game consoles. Game enthusiasts across the globe are waiting with bated breath for the next sliver of information from the likes of Microsoft and Sony. This autumn we will see what the future of gaming holds. Or so we think.

In truth, many are anticipating the future of gaming to come from less likely suspects. As I said in a previous blog, quoti,.7ng Google, “the future of gaming is not a box; it’s a place”. The battlefield for the next generation of the console war will be in the cloud. And Google won’t be the only newcomer.

Amazon, Apple, and Facebook have all already heavily invested in gaming and 2020 might be the year they unveil their efforts.

 

Head in the clouds

The cloud isn’t new, both as a concept within gaming and in a wider sense. But its usage in gaming is about to see a significant increase from familiar faces in the industry and new ones from outside it. We’ve already mentioned Google who launched its Stadia service towards the end of 2019. Despite its rocky start, Google still seems committed to growing its library of games and the number of devices which can take advantage of it. And no doubt Microsoft’s xCloud will be a cornerstone of its next-generation plans along with its console the Xbox Series X.

But they won’t be the only competitors on the field. Amazon is already knee-deep in the world of games, now owning massively popular game streaming service Twitch. They are also working on a number of their own games and their website sums up their intentions: Amazon is all in on games.

What will prove to be a huge boon for them are their already established AWS servers. Many games already use these as the backbone of their own online servers, so it stands to reason Amazon will want to further the gains on their own cloud server investment. This strong foundation could even put them above Google; the strength of their servers might eclipse Google and solve the latency issues many report with Stadia. But as average internet speeds increase across the world, could their rivalry become the new Sony vs Microsoft?

 

A new challenger approaches

They won’t be the only ones in the fight though. Both Apple and Facebook have made their gaming intentions clear. In fact, all of the above companies draw in a significant amount of revenue through gaming. Apple’s comes from the App Store, with them taking 30 cents for every dollar. But now they have added Apple Arcade to their repertoire; a subscription service that offers cross-device compatibility akin to Stadia.

For just £4.99 a month, you can access a library of over 100 games made for mobile devices. While Apple aren’t yet looking to replace your home console like Google is, they are carving a niche for themselves which could serve as a jumping-off point in the future. Their service eliminates advertisements and shady microtransactions that plague other App Store games. They have created a wholesome closed environment which is – so far – one of a kind.

Then there’s Facebook, who acquired Oculus VR. They already had a storied history with gaming; for many, it was the gaming platform of choice if you had a penchant for virtual farming. But the purchase of Oculus signalled a serious move into the gaming world, with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg setting the lofty goal of putting a billion headset in gamers’ hands.

 

The war to come

Google. Amazon. Apple. Facebook. Currently, these four companies stand as some of the biggest in the world. If they wanted, they could accumulate the money to dominate the market. In their own way, each has already invested in new technology and gaming studios to bring something exclusive to each of their services.

And each is backing something slightly different. Will the future of gaming be entirely in the cloud? Will a subscription service become the new norm? Or will VR finally reach the mass market? No doubt the solution will be a mix of everything, but the involvement of these companies will only serve to diversify the market and bring about newer, greater innovations for gamers across the globe.

People are ramping up for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but these four companies are lurking in the shadows and may be about to bring about the true future of gaming.

At REALTIME, we’re ready for whatever the future holds. We know that no matter what, your games will always need first-class trailers that set the world on fire. If you want to talk about your upcoming project, get in touch with me at [email protected].

The detailed guide to previs

Every step in the TV production process plays its own important part in the creation of the final product. No matter the production, there is an intricate machine of moving parts going on behind the scenes that eventually coalesce to create something special.

Today, there is one area in particular we want to focus on. It is a really useful planning tool for any production that can never be underestimated. We’re talking about ‘previsualisation’ – previs for short.

 

Defining previs 

The Visual Effects Society (VES), the Art Director’s Guild (ADG), and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) define previs as a ‘collaborative process that generates preliminary versions of shots or sequences, predominantly using 3D animation tools and virtual environment’. They also say ‘it enables filmmakers to visually explore creative ideas, plan technical solutions, and communicate a shared vision for efficient production’.

Previs is a valuable communication and collaboration tool for directors, writers, producers, VFX supervisors, directors of photography (DOPs), and production designers – plus many more involved in a production. Previs helps everyone visualise and plan for a shot, sequence, or even an entire production, as now happens with animated features and productions that use virtual production pipelines.

 


The different types of previs

Like many other areas of VFX, previs has grown to encompass an entire suite of terms. Along with typical previs as defined above, the VES, ADG, and ASC also recognise these sub-genres of previs:

  • Pitchvis – As the name implies, pitchvis will help visualise the potential for a project while it is still being financed. Sequences or environments for the project will be created to help secure finance or a green light.
  • Technical previs (techvis) – This version of previs incorporates actual camera, lighting, design, and set layout information to show how a shot can be realised using real-world measurements.
  • On-set previs – This creates real-time visualisations on set to help the director, VFX supervisor, and crew understand how and where any 2D or 3D VFX elements will appear in a shot by combining live-action footage with 2D or 3D elements to get immediate visual feedback.
  • Postvis – This happens in post-production once you have shot your master plates. There are more evolved 3D animation ‘blockouts’ of creatures or other 3D assets that need to be incorporated into a scene. Postvis can be helpful during post-production to enable VFX producers to get the ‘sign off’ from executives and to help with planning and budgeting for complex scenes.

 

Previs techniques

Before digital technology came to prominence in the film and TV industries, filmmakers used a wide variety of techniques for visualisation. One technique still in common use is to create storyboards. These are often also used to help create a visual idea for a CGI previs sequence.

Other techniques that are used include:

  • Animatics – An edited assembly of storyboards and other key frames from an animated film or sequence to give an idea of the pace and look of a film.
  • Riopmatics – An assembly of existing live-action footage, often used to help plan an action sequence. George Lucas famously created a ripomatic of WW2 plane ‘dog fights’ to help plan for the original 1977 Star Wars.
  • Slap comps/precomps – These are often created by VFX editors or the editorial team during post-production to help tell a complete rough visual story for a production. These are often 2D backgrounds or matte paintings for early assembly edits of a production.

 

Who uses previs?

Previs has traditionally been used as a planning tool. The VFX supervisor and producer will commission previs of complex scenes or shots, usually involving 3D animation or set builds, to help the director, DOP and other head of departments understand what the final shot or sequence might look like.

For example, you might have a flying creature, such as a dragon, which flies through a CGI cityscape while your live-action cast members look on. In order to understand how and where the dragon will fly and ‘behave’, previs can be a helpful tool for the team to understand how to frame shots, what camera lenses to choose, and where greenscreens might be needed to insert backgrounds later. Previs can be helpful for the whole team to understand the scale of a creature or cityscape in a shot. By planning ahead, you can ensure you shoot the right coverage and framing for your CGI creatures and sets.

For producers, previs is often a tool that helps control costs. CGI and animation are expensive, and by creating previs of a key scene, you can help control the shot count and the overall cost of any animation. Previs is also helpful to producers for both internal ‘selling’ of key sequences to financiers, but also for creative and budgetary sign-off during post-production. It’s far better to get ‘buy-in’ from your funders to the overall pace and look of an animation sequence before you start the expensive process of full animation.

For Directors, DOPs and production designers, previs is a creative and logistical planning tool. For this reason, it is also important that these departments are involved in the previs planning, to ensure they feel involved and can give their input on their respective areas.

 

What are the benefits?

Two key benefits of previs are the time and money it can save you. It’s no wonder it has been a reliable staple of the production process for so long. It is a great way to condense creative and logistical approach visually, which helps ensure the entire production team understands the overall vision for a sequence or shot. You can collect the scattered thoughts from you, your team, and your creative partners and bring them together to create a singular, coherent vision.

By saving yourself time, you are also saving yourself money. Your budget will constantly be under intense scrutiny, and to prevent it from spiralling out of control, you can plan your future decisions down to the finest detail.

And, at the end of the day, it helps you tell your story. Be it a historical fantasy series or a whimsical space adventure, previs allows you to communicate your story visually in the most effortless way possible. 

At REALTIME, we work on all types of previs. So whether you need some postvis, a ripomatic, or some storyboards to plan your project, our team of artists, creatives, and directors will guide your project through this step with their wide range of expertise. If you would like to discuss your upcoming project, feel free to get in touch with me at [email protected].

The smart technology set to change the automotive industry

The term ‘smart technology’ isn’t as alien now as it once was. Everything in the home is ‘smart’ and every gadget can seemingly link up to your phone. You know, just in case you need to set the kettle boiling from the comfort of your bed.

But there is no bigger gadget than the car; the automotive industry is readily embracing the ever-changing world of tech and is on course to undergo more change in the next decade than it has in its entire history. How we drive – if we drive – will change for the better, so let’s look at what’s on the horizon for the automotive sector.

 

The future inside your car

Everything is seemingly connected to everything else and your car isn’t exempt from that. We already have examples of how your mobile phone can integrate with your car, connecting via bluetooth to control various aspects and that idea will only continue to grow.

Predictive vehicle technology is a burgeoning market; it uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to personalise your driving experience. Basic implementation of this can already be found in some cars – aspects like entertainment settings and seat adjustment can be set to individual profiles but this is only the start. It will no doubt expand to feed you all the information you want and need. It might notice you like to stop for a coffee on your morning commute and find you a route to work that passes by a Starbucks.

It goes beyond convenience; new safety features are a guarantee. One technology currently emerging in the high-end market is virtual wing mirrors. Instead of the usual wing mirrors, the idea is to affix a camera to either side of the car and have a live video feed play inside the car. Without the bulky mirror, you reduce drag, increasing the efficiency of the car. It’s a worthwhile pursuit, especially since the question of range is such a hot topic right now for electric vehicles. As they say, every little helps. It’s an innovation you can already see in a couple of hypercars very close to REALTIME’s heart and as with most new car technologies, it will most likely filter down into the mass market eventually, it’s just a matter of when.

We will no doubt reach a time where every part of the car is smart; we already have discussions around ‘intelligent tech’ – intelligent windows that show you a heads-up display, intelligent lights that automatically adjust to protect other drivers and intelligent tyres that alert you when they suffer a puncture or need replacing. Soon enough we won’t even be driving cars ourself is self-driving technology reaches the consumer market. Owning cars might become a foreign concept in our lifetime.

 

The future outside your car

That’s a drastic statement and slight hyperbole – some could never let go of the idea of owning a car – but we are already seeing the emergence of ‘cars as a service’ (CaaS). Or, to put it another way, ‘Netflix for cars’. They already exist and are subscription services where you don’t own a car or even lease it, you are effectively renting it. Yet it’s an appealing offer: For a flat rate every month, you get everything you need and can change up any time. Long-term or short-term, it doesn’t matter. They have yet to see mass adoption but given society’s proclivity for subscription services, that day may soon be here.

Smart technology will also undoubtedly make its way to our roads too. AI will be able to determine when and where certain changes are needed. Opening and closing lanes, adjusting speed limits, closing roads to divert traffic – all are possibilities with smart roads. Of course, it requires a level of investment in infrastructure far beyond many local councils and governments, so expect this to be a slower build.

But it can get even more futuristic; some have floated the idea of lining roads with photovoltaic panels to store electricity. This could be used to charge electric vehicles as they drive, heat roads to prevent ice build ups, and – if they have LED lights in them – create dynamic road crossings for pedestrians.

It all seems very Westworld, but these aren’t hypothetical ideas – they are being worked on as we speak. In many ways, we are already living in the future, so these concepts don’t seem too out of place. It’s an exciting world we live in and I for one can’t wait to see where we are 10 years from now.

The future is bright, and you’re taking us there. If you have an exciting project you would love to talk about, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Free Resources For Artists

If you are not working at the moment, perhaps now is a great time to learn new skills or brush up on old ones. Maybe it’s more about how you market yourself or manage your freelance business. Or managing fellow artistic brethren. Or anything related to your career – no limits!

So I’ve been chatting to our artists and some of the awesome partners we collaborate with and have pulled together a little list of free resources – here’s some cool content that we think could help you level up (whatever level you are now!), ready for that next challenge when things pick up!

  • The Foundry’s Nuke – we love it! It was a dream on our Game of Thrones trailer. 

You have to check out the workflow Wednesday playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi2GhhsPL-RrqMRhbMNX6D2SN8ilI2601

There’s some really cool live events that are short bursts of info covering lots of techy topics https://www.foundry.com/events/virtual-events

And you can trial Mari the brilliant texturing tool and nuke for free here – MARI / Nuke

We’re a max studio so it would be crazy not to share with you what the wonderful people at Autodesk have been putting together!

Win, manage and keep clients as a freelance 3D artist https://area.autodesk.com/life-in-3d/win-manage-and-keep-clients-as-a-freelance-3D-artist/ 

3ds Max tutorials https://area.autodesk.com/all/tutorials/3ds-max/

Download assets https://area.autodesk.com/downloads/ 

There are lots of resources here from managing teams for the first time, know-hows on running a business, to portfolio/asset creation advice. Not all are free – but many are.

We use V-Ray so it only makes sense we encourage you to as well. It also discusses working with V-Ray in MAX and Unreal (which we also use – brilliant!).

And – for those of you wanting to use Maya there’s a free edition of V-Ray PLE so you can learn how it works,

THE resource for getting to grips with UE4 if you are relatively new to it.

Great resource for tips, tricks and how-to’s when it comes to MAX modelling and ZBrush sculpting.

Talented concept, key frame and illustration artist sharing his workflows and process for digital painting and more. Recommended by our Art Director, Stu

Immense resource for training and learning on all things art – they cover a very wide range of topics, programs and technical aspects – including essential art fundamentals. Recommended by one of our Senior CG Generalists, Chris.

Tutorials made by, or hosted by, SideFX. Terrific resource for this powerful program.

  •         Materials and Shaders in UE4

Thomas Harle and  Ben Cloward are highly experienced tech artists from the games industry and in their channels they do a great job of breaking down how to handle some intermediate material and shader examples in UE4.

  •         ActionVFX

Great website for junior and seasoned VFX Artist alike so you should check them out. They have a wide number of tutorials and educational content you can learn from. Not to mention a raft of free assets to leverage what you have learnt!

Allan is legendary in the world of VFX and has done much to help people develop their careers, skills or personal brand in FX – he has a ton of resources you can grab at his site (many are free) but here are a select few of his recommendations specifically around marketing yourself and being productive while remote. All very useful in the current climate:

o The Ultimate Demo Reel Guide (also includes some videos)

o Mastering Your Freelance Career

o Extreme Workflow and Productivity Hacks

o Killer Tools to Help You Get s!#% DONE!

o Working from Home

 

There’s more we could share, and MUCH more out there, we just want to give you a head start on some resources we would recommend. This selection of resources is a great starting point if you are in between projects and looking for inspiration to become the artist you aspire to be.

Got any suggestions not on this list? Let us know and we can get this shared!

Thanks for being awesome and stay safe. Much love.