Another change we might see is the resolution, as Apple is lagging behind rivals there and sharper screens are apparently being prototyped, including one that’s more than 1440 x 2560, though that sounds like too much of a jump. Finally, the size might change, or an extra size option might be added, with both 5-inch and 5.8-inch sizes rumored. 5 inches would slot between the existing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes, while 5.8 inches would dwarf them, but even larger phones have been launched by other companies.
And beyond the visual differences, there’s a chance Apple will also improve 3D Touch, making it more sensitive and accurate than it is currently, according to one source. The iPhone 7S might also feature True Tone technology, allowing the screen to adjust its colors based on the ambient light around you. The iPad Pro 9.7 already has this feature, so it’s a very believable addition.
When Antoniades says the stage is “next door” he’s not kidding. Just a few feet from where we’re sitting is a full filming studio fitted with motion-capture cameras, suits, a performance stage and an editing suite, where the game was created. When we asked how much it cost to put the 3x3 meter stage together, the team told us it was around the price of a small smart car – a fraction of what a major studio would pay. The rigging, holding just nine motion-capture cameras, was sourced from Ikea, and the lighting squares from Amazon.
Before it had this studio, Ninja Theory’s team would have had to book out slots in expensive motion-capture studios in far-flung locations, film everything it could and then work with what it had at a later date. “There are many good things about the motion-capture tech,” he told us. “Building games is hard, and each game has its own structure, so you tend to iterate a lot. Having a stage next door means we can literally just jump over and shoot scenes as we need them. It’s a much more fluid way of working, and it means you save a lot of money.
”The combination of facial and body motion-capture technology that Ninja Theory used enables what the studio calls ‘real-time cinematography’. Essentially, the studio is able to capture an actor’s performance and transfer it in real-time into Sequencer, an editing tool for the Unreal Engine 4 game engine.
In this editing suite, the studio is able to edit the game footage like a film, with the added benefit of being able to change things like lighting and camera angles. Essentially it makes creating a game more similar to filming a small-scale film, something Hellblade’s creative director Tameem Antoniades says has made a huge difference in terms of time, cost, and production value.
Understanding how to work on a smaller scale and keep your ambitions in check is part of this, but Ninja Theory also had some seriously cool tech on its side. Using advanced motion capture and facial recognition technology, the team was able to create a game that looks as good as any Triple A game out there, yet also significantly cut both production and release costs.
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