One of the things that I have been tackling with my own animation is the more stylized, cartoony look for my characters. I really enjoy the look of films like the Incredibles, Tangled, and How to Train Your Dragon.
The nice thing about this stylized look is that it tends to age very well. Games like X-Squad, Metal Gear Solid 1, and films like Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within looked amazingly realistic at the time that they were made, but as the years go by their realism becomes tarnished. Stylized films like Toy Story, on the other hand, still look good even 10 years after they were made. They made no attempt to look realistic, and in doing so they were able to create a more eternal style.
I bring this up because I really liked what I saw of WildStar at PAX. Here is a short video:
Crikey, that would have made for an interesting film.
Yes, I understand that it is a cinematic demo, and if we’ve learned anything it’s that cinematic videos can’t be trusted if they don’t actually show gameplay. Fortunately, I was able to catch some gameplay, and it looked like a decent World of Warcraft clone with a much cuter, stylized look. It seems to tap into that fantasy style that I’ve always liked in the Disney and Pixar films, and I dig it.
We’ll see how the game is. They wouldn’t say at PAX whether Wildstar would be free to play or based on a monthly subscription. Either way, I will probably give it a trial. Who knows: this might be a good target for a noobtoob MMO Invasion in 2012.
On a side note: If you are looking for some comedy gold, check out this article about an MMO being accidentally deleted. Amazing.