Valve dabbles in cinematic effects

LAST WEEK, VALVE INVITED members of the technology press to its offices in Bellevue in order to show off a collection of cinematic effects that have been added to the Source engine. The effects, which include color correction, film grain, motion blur, and depth of field, are all designed to deepen immersion and imply greater scene complexity while making life easier for game designers, artists, and even mod authors. All the effects are showcased in a recently released Day of Defeat trailer that was created entirely in the Source engine with in-game assets. Some effects will even make their way into Day of Defeat: Source and the Half-Life 2: Aftermath expansion pack. Here’s our take on what these new effects can do, how they’re implemented in the Source engine, and why they may drive the development of the next generation of graphics hardware.

Check out the full look here! I can’t wait to see this finally implemented.