After visiting E3 2011 I thought it was time to interview my friend Umberto Bossy, chosen by Electronic Arts as Lead Animator, to understand a little more about the change that video games are going through. Today's games are real experiential, fantasy, realistic adventures. At E3 it was like attending a film festival where we went from star wars to adventures set in fantastic landscapes like Lord of the Rings and even life simulations like Sims Life. The trailers are masterpieces of effects, music and interpretations.
Umberto, with a respectable past as an animator of games such as "Ready to Rumble", "Lord of the Rings", "Command and Conquer". Passed between Midway, Sammy Studios and finally arrived at Electronic Arts, today he deals with animation… His career was not born by chance. Always passionate about animation and a lover of the movement of the human body, he studied at the IED in Milan and at Sheridan College in Canada before moving to San Diego and starting his work experience.
It goes without saying that Umberto is a big fan of video games. His culture dates back to the times of the AMIGA, so from software such as Deluxe Paint, Lightwave, Sculpt 4D,… His computer graphics have always portrayed humanoid robots and people, whose movements he scrupulously studies to improve their digital transposition . As he himself admits, the big step forward arrives in Canada, attending one of the best colleges in the world dedicated to the subject of animation. Not only a cultural but also a professional training ground, the first contacts with video game companies were born from the College and the first job offer at the Midway, currently Warner Bros and publisher of games such as Mortal Kombat, Rampage, Gauntlet, Ready To Rumble, Spy Hunter and all Atari Games licenses.
What brought you to the US?
“Dreams from when I was a child. The passion for animated films even before video games. Life did the rest, I researched which were the best computer graphics schools and in the end I chose to go and study in Canada. There I had the opportunity of a lifetime, a job opportunity at MIDWAY at the time publisher of games such as Mortal Kombat and 2006 acquirer of the Atari Games brand. In a short time, dreams and passions suddenly mixed and everything turned into my current profession. From there I began to apply rigorous discipline to prevent the dream from taking me away from my goals. I currently live in Los Angeles and work at Electronic Arts. But it won't end there :). “.
What do you think of the current video game market?
“Well, things have definitely changed. First of all it is an industry. The world moves much more money than related sectors such as music and film. Technologies have advanced in both the production and experience of video games. More money consequently entailed more commitments, more rigor, more strategies and so the market was structured and organized into publishers, producers, distributors, internationalisation, post-production and advertising agencies." – A real car that according to analysts of Screen Digest will come to consolidate in 2014 a turnover for advertising only in video games of $1 billion thus definitively marking the consecration of a new way for the world of commercials to reach its consumers.
More video games or real experiences?
“Here is the twist! The video game concept of the 80s-90s and early 2000s has evolved and differentiated in an incredible way. It is not a question of simplicity but of the "side dish". Today we play online, in paid communities, we share results and matches on social media, we play on Facebook, in stores, on our smartphones, ... Some products have now left the realm of the "little game" and have become real own INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES able to immerse the user in complex stories and vast worlds where the decisions he makes create repercussions in the characters and situations around him. And on this statement, adventures with a cinematic flavor a la Mass Effect, Lord of the Rings, God of War, Metal Gear Solid, Assassin's Creed, Bioshock were born ... but also cartoonish games like Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Sonic, ... that have extended the level of involvement, the story telling in favor of broader and more immersive gaming experiences. – This transformation arises from many triggering factors, certainly including the crisis, the evolution of the consumer and of technologies (Wii, Kinect and iPad, Iphone) and the monotony of "always the same" which favors the need to excite people involving them in entertainment.
What surprises you about this rapid evolution and convergence towards spectacularisation?
“I work in one of the three most important video games companies in the world and this also allows me to have a special observatory on research and development. Obviously I can't reveal anything to you, fortunately ideas in the US are protected and we are scrupulously proud of this. Future productions will be increasingly spectacular and engaging stories, playable on a multi-platform basis and with all the most sophisticated tools to enhance the gaming experience and sharing on social media. If spectacular means quality of story and game, I'm in favor. I also think that the technologies are important, see the large investments by Microsoft on the Kinect and the fantastic result obtained, but in the end the story and the experiential dynamics of the game count a lot. Right now I'm personally rooting for an old Carrier Command video game dusted off by Bohemian Interactive from their Amiga days. There is history, dynamics and technology. I hope they find a distributor.”. – EA at the end of Q1 2011 it reported the following financial data: “Non-GAAP net revenue was $995 million, exceeding guidance of $850 million to $950 million. Non-GAAP EPS was $0.25, at the high end of guidance of $0.15 to $0.25.”.
What are the aspects on which you think there is still a lot to do?
“It is not easy to answer this question. I feel too personally involved to be able to give you an objective answer. In my opinion, in general, we must continue along the current path and improve the stories within video games by increasingly bringing the player into worlds and adventures that can not only entertain him but immerse him in situations where only the his imagination could have transported him. Everyone will be able to see themselves again in their character and face their own "virtual life". On a personal level, I think that technologies still have a margin of development such as to be able to further enhance the experiential factor in the coming years. I'm thinking of 3D, voice recognition (look at Mass Effect 3 what it will allow you to do and we're only at the beginning), gestures of the future, total immersion a la Tron. Future? definitely but not very far.”. – To date beyond 9,8 million Kinects sold for a total turnover for Microsoft of 53 million against Nintendo Wii at 13,7 million of units sold in 2010, down in 2011 from still unofficial data.
We close with a useless question! where is Italy?
“Italy! I love this country, I grew up there and my artistic talents are given by the blood and passion that that country has given me. We have in our favor and against the usual things. Unfortunately, we always talk about the same problems and the same opportunities. In my career I have met a few great Italian animators, many of whom are here like me in the US. In Italy they are dispersed in markets adjacent to that of video games, albeit perhaps with important skills and abilities. For now, we in the US see it as a consumer market. Let alone competition. Italy could first of all strengthen its cultural position through targeted education courses and seek above all to create professionals, hoping one day to be able to recall them. In any case always FORZA ITALIA!”. - Thank you Humbert! it was a pleasure to discuss it with you because your eyes demonstrate your passion and also the sacrifices you have made to carry on what you believe in. See you online at the next experiential adventure!
And all that awaits us is to… play! and to find ways to bring emotional experiences into other processes of our life as well.
Stay tuned at IDEOLO.
