Many elements go into making a video or PC game, especially these days when the budget of a game regularly runs into the millions. Now company NaturalMotion has come up with a new animation tool for games called euphoria (with a lower case "e") that aims to bring more realism into game animation. FiringSquad got a chance to chat with the CEO of NaturalMotion Torsten Reil to find out more about euphoria which will be first used in LucasArts' upcoming Indiana Jones game:

FiringSquad: First how did NaturalMotion come to be formed?

Torsten Reil: NaturalMotion was formed as an Oxford University spin-out, commercialising research in the Zoology department on the biology of human and animal movement.

FiringSquad: How did the idea behind developing euphoria come about?

Torsten Reil: Our technology (Dynamic Motion Synthesis) has always been capable of creating animation in real time. We decided to first introduce the concept through a stand-alone animation application called endorphin, which is now widely used in visual effects for movies (e.g. in the upcoming Poseidon). The real holy grail, of course, was to run the technology 'live' in games. That's what euphoria does, on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

FiringSquad: What makes the euphoria development tool different than normal animation tools used for games?

Torsten Reil: Traditional animation for games is usually pre-produced, and then simply played back at more or less appropriate moments in the game. This approach is fundamentally limited, as it never looks quite right, is repetitive and non-interactive. Even worse, everything you see, you know someone has seen before. It's not a new experience. With euphoria, animations are synthesised on the fly during game play. The CPU simulates the character's body, its muscles and - most importantly - the nervous system that controls the body. (The technology is based on robot control theory and biology). This means that everything you see on the screen happens there and then - it's your experience. In euphoria titles, you get these unique game moment where you say to your buddy 'wow, did you see what happened just there?'.

FiringSquad: Using the upcoming Indiana Jones game as an example, what sort of animation effects does euphoria allow that could not be done in normal game animation?

Torsten Reil: Imagine Indy standing on a rope bridge and his enemies shaking it violently to throw him off. With euphoria, Indy will try and keep his balance, stumble shakily to keep upright, hold on the ropes, get up again and (hopefully!) make it to the other side. Or not. It all happens while you play.

FiringSquad: How hard is it to use the tools and how hard is it to integrate into a graphics engine?

Torsten Reil: The basic integration is straightforward. The adaptive behaviours are, however, quite advanced, so we work very closely with our partners (often on-site) to get high-quality results very quickly. The partners we're working with, like LucasArts, are very committed to pushing the game experience for the player and create something truly next-gen, so it's a lot of fun.

FiringSquad: Besides the Indiana Jones game what other upcoming titles will use euphoria for their game animations?

Torsten Reil: We haven't announced them yet, but you'll recognise the names instantly!

FiringSquad: Looking toward the future, what upcoming animation effects are you planning to put in future versions of your software?

Torsten Reil: Our goal is very simple: we want to make all animation in games fully interactive and dynamic. It should never feel like animation - it should feel like the real thing.

FiringSquad: Finally is there anything else you wish to say about NaturalMotion and euphoria?

Torsten Reil: Look out for the NaturalMotion logo on game boxes. If it's on there, it is euphoria enabled.

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