Designing realistic people in a video game can be a time-consuming process for video game developers, but the new MetaHuman Creator for Unreal Engine could make it a much simpler process. According to Epic Games, the cloud-based application has a number of different options for creating “MetaHuman” characters, including hairstyles and body types. Users start by selecting between preset faces and then make adjustments. Once the user is finished, the creation can be downloaded via Quixel Bridge for use in Unreal Engine. MetaHuman Creator will be free with Unreal Engine, offering this technology to a much larger number of potential users.
A trailer for the app can be found in the Tweet embedded below.
Introducing MetaHumans – the next generation of digital people. # UE4
Animation and ready to mocap, #MetaHumans will be created by you using the new easy-to-use MetaHuman Creator.
Get a hidden tip on this revolutionary new tool: https://t.co/oF9yUcNByn
– Unreal Engine (@UnrealEngine) February 10, 2021
Users will be able to animate these MetaHumani using a variety of different tools, including the Unreal Live Link Face iOS app. Epic Games is also working to enable support from vendors such as ARKit, Digital Domain and more. Animations created using a MetaHuman can then be used for additional projects, saving developers even more time. An early access version of the program is currently in the works, but no firm release date has been announced since this writing.
If MetaHuman Creator really works as published, it could be a major benefit for developers and publishers. The development of video games has grown more and more over the years, and the new generation of consoles leads to higher expectations from gamers. MetaHuman Creator could save an immeasurable amount of time, allowing developers to focus on other priorities.
However, there are potential disadvantages. In their responses to the Unreal Engine Tweet, some noted their concern that it could lead to some games with human characters that looked exactly the same. This could quickly become boring and lead to less creativity. It remains to be seen whether this will happen or not, but it will be up to individual developers to ensure that they create models that really stand out.
How do you like MetaHuman Creator? Do you think this will be a major benefit for developers? Tell us in the comments or share your opinions directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp let’s talk about all the games!