KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, a global leader in the gaming industry headed by celebrated director Hideo Kojima, continues to create entertainment that transcends the conventional boundaries of gaming. The company has adopted the use of mocopi® in the pre-production stage of game development. We met with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS game designer Nobuhito Kuramochi and animator Keita Usami to learn about how they are using mocopi.
Testing made easy with mocopi, even in the early development stages
According to Nobuhito Kuramochi, game designer at KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, it is important for those involved in game development, including specialist animators as well as game designers on the planning side, to get a sense of the overall atmosphere of the game under development by checking the animations at an early stage. KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS initially began searching for a simple motion capture system in response to in-house demand for an easy way to prepare assets with animations in the early stages of development. After the lead game designer became interested in mocopi, the company made the decision to start using it.
Game Designer, KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS
"First of all, we wanted to add basic motion without increasing the cost," says Kuramochi, who described his experience using mocopi from a game designer's perspective. "For non-specialists such as us, mocopi has been very useful by making it possible to quickly create test data."
The release of a simple motion capture tool like mocopi makes it easier to experiment during the early stages of development, giving it the potential to enrich the creative process. In addition, when specialist animators and programmers join the project at a later stage, the team is better equipped to share a concrete vision and refine the game's specifications.
Keita Usami, a specialist animator, appreciates the user-friendliness of mocopi. He has been particularly impressed by the remarkable improvement in data accuracy achieved with the upgrade to the Professional mode, which makes use of 12 sensors.
Animator, KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS
In the early stages of an animation project, the team explores the creative direction through dialogue with programmers and designers, and creates an initial rough version. During this process, mocopi's motion data can quickly be imported into the game engine or DCC tools, making it easy to try out different approaches.
A process that used to take several days with conventional methods is now shortened to just a few hours with mocopi, and simple checks within the game engine can be completed in 30 minutes to an hour. As a result, 10 to 20 variations can be created quickly, allowing for detailed and specific discussions with programmers and designers about which approach is best.
Usami also mentioned that, as a professional animator, he would eventually like to see a mode that uses more than 12 sensors, as it would provide even greater precision and could be used for final animations as well. However, he also recognizes that such capabilities would reduce the user-friendliness, so he is looking forward to further improvements in precision that maintain a balanced trade-off.
Advanced motion capture specifications designed for creators have been incorporated into mocopi's Professional mode. By using two sets of mocopi with a combined total of 12 sensors, the Professional mode enables high-precision tracking and detailed motion capture. Existing mocopi users can also upgrade to the Professional mode by purchasing additional equipment.
Professional mode maintains user-friendliness while improving precision
Featuring a unique algorithm to achieve high-precision motion capture with just six sensors and a smartphone or PC, mocopi is used by VTubers and creators involved in game development, 2D video creation, and animation production. With the latest version upgrade, the mocopi PC app or XYN Motion Studio can now be used with 12 mocopi sensors together with dedicated receivers connected to a computer. This upgrade enables the use of the Professional mode, which captures motion data with higher precision.
To exhibit the motion capture capabilities of the Professional mode, animator Keita Usami attached mocopi sensors to his body for a demonstration conducted in the so-called "Flexible Room" at the company, which is not a dedicated motion capture room, and is usually used by the staff for relaxation and yoga.
One feature of mocopi is that the small sensors can be mounted on hook-and-loop sensor bands and worn over regular clothes. This makes it very convenient to use even with 12 sensors.
Attaching the mocopi sensors is incredibly easy compared to other motion capture systems, as they can be mounted on bands and worn over regular clothing. In addition, the positioning does not need to be extremely precise. Since the Professional mode uses 12 sensors, which is double the usual amount, the motion tracking is more precise.
Calibration is also very easy and can be performed by one person, simply by assuming the "attention" pose and taking one step forward. The procedure does not require a special suit or a setup with multiple cameras. Furthermore, because the sensors send information via Bluetooth to receivers that can be connected to a computer using USB Type-C ports, recording can be performed at a distance of up to 3 meters away from the computer when using extended cables.
In the Professional mode, the number of sensors is doubled to 12. This makes it easier to record actions on the spot that involve motion in both the vertical and horizontal directions. For example, an action sequence such as standing up from a chair, grabbing an object from a desk, and throwing it can ordinarily take a significant amount of time to set up even for a rough cut in a keyframe animation, and the quality can vary greatly depending on the animator's skill.
However, when mocopi is used to record the animation, the motion can easily be checked by immediately importing the data into a DCC tool or game engine. Furthermore, with the ability to keep recording once the setup and calibration are complete, greater cost performance can be achieved by capturing many shots at a time.
By using mocopi with tools such as Unreal Engine, the results can be checked in real time while recording. Anyone can create realistic animations for verification in just a few minutes, without the need for expert animators or specialized equipment. This makes it an effective means to keep the initial costs low and provide a general sense of the atmosphere when creating game specifications.
* The image assets shown here are samples prepared for the demonstration.
Kuramochi believes mocopi will continue to evolve as a tool. "Feedback from actual users is increasingly being incorporated," he says. "As the accuracy and usability continue to be improved, mocopi will gain a stronger position as a tool, and there will be more cases of it being used in various stages of game development."
Both game designers and animators appear to be impressed with the new mocopi Professional mode, which achieves more precise motion capture while maintaining the same level of user-friendliness. We look forward to seeing how mocopi will contribute to the creative process at KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS in the future.
Text: Isao Ishii (Negide)
Editing: Noriaki Fujii (CGWORLD)
Photos: Yohei Onuma