This level of detail means that animators often find themselves using real-life examples of gore to produce the fatalities. “Mortal Kombat 11.” NetherRealms Studios. Instead of a quick animation, like they were in the very first “Mortal Kombat,” the new fatalities are in slow-motion and what’s shown on screen often looks like a nightmare X-ray. However, with the advancement of what video game graphics can show, these fatalities are no longer just a flash of blood.
Take, for instance, NetherRealms Studios’ “Mortal Kombat 11.” As is a tradition for “Mortal Kombat,” at the end of each round, the player has the option of performing what is called a “fatality:” a special move that brutally kills the opponent player.Įach fatality is graphic in nature. This isn’t necessarily new or unexpected. With video games becoming more and more photo-realistic, artists working on the games often use real-life references to animate characters and environments. Though crunch has its own set of health concerns, other issues the current state of graphics can bring. If companies can’t find a way to lessen the effects of crunch (or end crunch as a whole), the industry may soon find itself in a position where attrition has all but decimated every large-scale company. This leads to a game needing more time to be finished, which leads to longer crunch times, thus continuing the cycle. Triple A companies rely more on less-experienced workers and skeleton crews to finish these detailed video games, with the turnover rate being so high. In fact, because of how taxing crunch is, a video game developer typically expects to stay with their current employer three years or less iv (note: this may also be due to high lay-off rates within the industry). Developers often burn out of the industry altogether. Working twelve-plus hours, six days a week, can lead to a whole host of health issues, the most common being exhaustion. The obvious downside to crunch are the physical effects it can have on a person. Rockstar Games’ former vice president, Dan Houser, recalled the development team for “Red Dead Redemption 2” working “100-hour weeks” during their crunch time ii. In a Kotaku article, a developer describes it as being “shackled” to one’s desk, not even leaving to eat provided meals i. Developers often spent these days fitting in as much work as possible or “trapped” waiting for the next step to continue working i. However, because of the current standard of graphics, what was once maybe a couple of weeks’ worth of crunch has become months of nonstop crunch.ĭuring Naughty Dog’s making of the award-winning game “The Last of Us Part II,” developers often logged twelve hours (or more) days throughout the entire week, weekends included. In the industry, crunch is an expected thing and goes back to the early days of video games. During this time, developers can find themselves working twelve-hour days. “Crunch” refers to the time just before a video game’s initial release where the developers try to fix any obvious problems that might break the game, as well as add any last-minute details. The Problem Of CrunchĬrunch is the biggest of these pitfalls. However, making these photo-realistic video games leads to all types of pitfalls.
The graphics and visuals in Triple A video games are expected to be top tier since these companies are larger and have the ability to consistently reach that peak. Likewise, NetherRealm Studios has thrilled “Mortal Kombat” fans with anatomically realistic fatalities since 2011. When Rockstar Games’ “Red Dead Redemption 2” was released, it was lauded for the level of detail put into it.
Most games released by major video game companies (also known as “ Triple A” companies) are objectively beautiful and vast because of this. With the evolution of polygons and animation software, video games have graphically reached very close to photo-realism. As graphics become more involved and harder to produce, the artists and developers who create the video games have been forced into terrible work conditions, leading to attrition and mental stress across the board and hurting the industry in the long run. However, this race for the best graphics has come with a terrible price within the video games industry.
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