C2E2 part II

Who is not immediately impressed to find a sketched work of art that's about 15-18 feet tall and then 3 days later see it completely chalked in to look AMAZING? This work of art by Eric Maruscak over 30 + hours is the remarkable talent you would find at the C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) this past Friday thru Sunday.

I was blown away both days that I was fortunate to attend of the three day event. On this Sunday, the first thing I had done was stopped to stand in line and see the preview of BattleField 3. As I tweeted immediately after witnessing the preview "#Battlefield3 #C2E2 Frostbite Platform...impressive...immersion for the player in the graphic and audio environment." (be sure to follow me @pj_froggy). The Frostbite Engine provides an experience utilizing the capabilities of technology today.This engine provides very realistic physical interactions within the game. Based on speculation in conversation with hosts and other attendees it appears the game will require a 64-bit OS, Quad Core Processor, and 4GB DDR3 RAM to maximize the benefits and enjoyment. Obviously more is always better and the question of graphics card requirements immediately comes to mind which appears to stand as Nvidia with DirectX 11 support and 512 MB recommended video memory. Once again more is better so I would think these requirements fit the 'Recommended' category and not necessarily the 'Minimium'. The team present at the Expo was very cautious in sharing too much and did not allow photos, video or other mobile technology to be used during the preview.

As for the game itself, well having a 15 minute preview on an HDMI 1080p largest screen you have ever seen with 5.1 surround sound in a darkened room certainly did not set the experience back at all! The graphics were visually stunning and it was easy to become immersed in the game. Lighting was a key element to the games imagery. Darkened hallways, ceramic tiles which reflected light and shadow on individual squares, thick smoke rising as the sun tries to break through, gun fire, explosions and general chaos tax the senses. This looks to be very promising overall.

DC Digital had an great display which allowed consumers to pick up and play with the hardware that is supporting the digital comic age. As I mentioned in C2E2 Part I there is no current support available for the Android system. Zooming into the small areas of the text is as simple as any touch screen device that you are familiar with using and the best part is the quality of the artwork is maintained with no pixilation or degrading imagery. Dark Horse Comics took the exposure another step further by offering an iTunes App Store Free Download of a new issue of the Mass Effect comic title.

So here's a bit of awesomeness for my design readers....

J. Anthony Kosar was displaying his talent with the building of a sculpture bust. Spending some time discussing art and education with him was very interesting. He specializes in Fine Art, Illustration, Make-up Effects, Design and Sculpture (obviously) and had shared the opportunity to participate in FX Classes, which was a four week course on Saturdays here in Illinois. We shared interesting conversation on the traits, desires and skills of aspiring individuals. If you have interest in more about his classes, please take a look at Kosarteffects. Classes and workshops are always beneficial to expanding your talents as well as gaining new ideas and perspective.

Today many products are engineered with 3D design software because it provides the engineer with a real world frame of reference for designs. Modeling in any medium will not only provide the same real world frame of reference but it will equally improve drawing and animation techniques in the multimedia profession. Shadows, texture and movement are part of the additional spacial considerations.

So what else was missed if you did not attend?Oh lets see....Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, Batman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, The Joker, The Fantastic Four, Zombies, Black Ops, Spiderman, Ghost Hunters (Steve Gonsalves & Dustin Perry & Paranormal State crew), Laurie Holden & Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead series), Eliza Dushku (Faith from Buffy and FOX's Dollhouse) and so many more actors, actresses, celebs, writers, artists and of course the crazy masses of people having a great time and sharing common interests.