[PATV] Wednesday, November 9, 2011 - Extra Credits Season 3, Ep. 16: The Uncanny Valley

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[PATV] Wednesday, November 9, 2011 - Extra Credits Season 3, Ep. 16: The Uncanny Valley

This week, we explain the theory behind the Uncanny Valley, and how best to avoid tumbling into it.<br /> Come discuss the topic with us in the <a href="http://extra-credits.net&quot; target="_blank">forums</a>!

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EvilSanta

I've really enjoyed this episode, but I'm afraid that someone's made a small but substantial error in conducting research for it. The image first used to depict Masahiro Mori, and the likeness used as the basis of the subsequent drawings of the glasses-wearing roboticist, is actually that of Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Japan's Osaka University. I understand why this error was made, seeing as how Ishiguro's research on lifelike robots could be said to yield many images that seem to have come from the uncanny valley, but you should probably still address this issue. Otherwise, great work!

RobotGuy

Just backing up EvilSanta here. I know that you guys have probably moved-on at this point, but the likeness that you're using is, indeed, Hiroshi Ishiguro.

Succubae

Hi, I'm just passing by after seeing the TES:Online "Sign Up For Beta" video and...first thing i've thought when we first see the "mage/warlock/magicagirl" was about this video...
It was just...akward, I mean, she's beautiful, of course, her animation is amazing but her face... ierk... I just can't stand it, it's just like looking at the weirdest thing ever ! I can't be the only one, am I ?

bahhab

Am i like the only person ever who really liked Spirits Within and didn't feel uncanny valley at all?

padoyle

I think games are starting to edge far enough into photo-realism that they're at least climbing back up the curve.

In fact, I don't know if you have to actually divide the two approaches so much; I think games like The Walking Dead are a good example of making a game as realistic as possible and then using a stylized approach to smoothing out the details. The game genuinely attempts to have realistic facial expressions, voice acting, etc. but it still opts for a cell-shaded look to sort of cover up the imperfections. I think this is a really good approach.

You also kept showing pictures of Nathan Drake (I think as an example of the somewhat uncanny) but I felt like there was just the right amount of hard-to-pin-down cartoon-like look to him to make him believably human (as with the other characters in the Uncharted games).

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with going fully stylized; I think some wonderful art blossoms out of that decision. But I do think there's a spectrum; I do think that style is a good way to complete the photo-realistic approach.