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- According to the code of the play: the developers of "War of the Worlds: Siberia" combined technology and theater
According to the code of the play: the developers of "War of the Worlds: Siberia" combined technology and theater
The Russian game "War of the Worlds: Siberia" uses digitization technologies unique to Russia, which simultaneously record facial expressions, voice and body movements. The authors plan to release a demo version by the end of 2026, and a full release is expected in 2027. The development is being carried out by the MGLA Studio, which attracted actors from the Ermolova Moscow Theater to record the scenes. Izvestia learned from a closed presentation on the theater stage what to expect from the novelty and whether there is a potential for exporting Russian culture abroad.
What is performance capchur?
Russian developers from the newly formed MGLA studio announced that they will continue work on the game, which began back in January 2023. According to CEO Albert Zhiltsov, 79 employees who were initially involved in the development have moved to the new structure. In the future, the staff is planned to expand to about 150 people. The development is carried out in partnership with Plus Studio, part of Yandex, which participates in the production and development of the media direction of the project.
One of the features of the production was the staging of story scenes using performance capture, a recording of an actor's game in which body movements and facial expressions are simultaneously recorded. Zhiltsov clarifies that this is more a description of the process than a separate technology.
— On the set, both the face and the body are recorded from the actors at the same time. This approach was chosen because of the complex directing of the scenes, where the characters actively move and interact with each other. At the same time, the team records audio and conducts additional video shooting, which is not included in the final version, but is used in production for synchronization," said the studio head.
The developers explain the choice of theater actors by the specifics of motion capture. As Zhiltsov notes, mockup (motion capture) is much closer to theater than to cinema: small movements are worse read by the system, so actors need more pronounced plasticity. At the same time, he emphasizes, the choice of format is primarily related to the convenience of staging complex scenes.
The technological basis of the project was the Unity Technologies engine, which, according to the developers, has been significantly modified. Some of the tools had to be created independently, including due to limited access to foreign solutions. These improvements relate to rendering, performance, and artificial intelligence of the characters.
The game's plot takes place in an alternate version of the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century, where Petrograd and other cities are attacked by Martian war machines. The authors rely on the motives of H. G. Wells' novel, combining elements of historical reconstruction with fantastic assumptions. The visual part of the project is based on recreating the architecture, costumes and weapons of the era with the addition of elements of science fiction.
The project is planned to be released on several platforms, including Steam, where the game already has a page. The exact release dates of the demo have not yet been announced, but the developers expect to present it during 2026.
What they say about the "War of the Worlds: Siberia" in the industry
Actress Anastasia Almukhametova, who plays one of the key roles, describes working on the project as a creative process close to a theatrical production. According to her, the studio's team perceives the development as an artistic work.:
"I can't say that I'm working on a video game, I'm creating with the guys," she told Izvestia.
The star of the TV series "Skliff", "Games" and "First Class" notes that the process is based on a joint search for solutions and experiment, and the result, in her opinion, should be the result of this teamwork.
Mikhail Lisetsky, the creator of the Streamfest and Gamedays gaming festivals, noted that the project stands out for its desire for a large-scale artistic interpretation of the classic plot. According to him, the developers are not trying to make a "safe average product", but rely on the atmosphere and drama of the novel. Lisetsky notes that the use of a well-known literary source gives the authors space for interpretation, but at the same time increases the expectations of the audience. In his opinion, in this case, not only entertainment is expected from the project, but also a complete artistic statement.
Mikhail Kitaev, the head of Plus Studios, in turn, points to the audience's interest in the project and connects the potential of the game with the experience of the developers, including participation in 1C Game Studios projects. According to him, "War of the Worlds: Siberia" can become the basis for a wider media universe.
"The game inherits the principles of film drama, which enhances the depth and scale of the story and takes the project to a qualitatively different level," he stressed.
According to him, it was the combination of game and cinematic approaches that caused the interest of the production center in the project.
Andrei Voronkov, Deputy Director General of the IRI, said that the Institute for Internet Development is well acquainted with the project. They see the maximum involvement of the team in the project and its potential. According to him, it is important to gather like—minded people, enthusiasts who are ready to put everything on the line to create a dream game, because good story games are an art, and today it is very rare.
— Our colleagues have an ambitious goal — to gain a million copies sold in Russia, proving the ability to recoup a big-budget game in the domestic market. As a development institution, the goal is very cool and close to us: the success of the project can be a good incentive for the domestic industry," he believes.
Svyatoslav Pegov, director of the Center for Sports Programming, Algorithmic Robotics, Cybersecurity and Esports at Ufa University of Science and Technology, called for a restrained assessment. He believes that it's too early to talk about the merits of the project until the game is released. The expert believes that the youth audience will be interested in the original interpretation of the classic novel "The War of the Worlds", as the Soviet retrofuturism in Atomic Heart once aroused interest.
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