When Ubisoft prepared to create the sequel to Assassin’s Creed, they found themselves in need of some improved human animation software and turned to Autodesk’s HumanIK package.
“In the first version, the NPCs were limited to chase scenarios,” says Therien. “In the new version, they are right there in your face, which requires more precise animation. HumanIK was invaluable in removing excess jiggle from the NPC arms, ensuring the feet are planted correctly, and that kind of thing. The result was a huge improvement in our cut scenes. We were able to compress much more animation and still deliver great quality.”
And it must have helped, as Assassin’s Creed 2 sold 1.6Million copies in it’s first week, currently having sold over 8Million.
via Autodesk – Games – Ubisoft Montreal: Assassin’s Creed II.
