Graphics 'indistinguishable from reality' in 10 years - Star Wars dev

By the time 2022 rolls around, graphics will have advanced to a point at which they are "indistinguishable from reality," claims Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) visual effects supervisor Kim Libreri. ILM is working with LucasArts on the upcoming third-person shooter Star Wars 1313, and in a new video interview with CVG (embedded below) Libreri said it will one day be nigh impossible to spot the differences between real-time rendering and live action.

"It's an interesting time because with modern computer graphics hardware, the way it's going, it's gonna be pretty hard to tell the difference between something that is interactive and rendered in real time, and something that was done for an animated TV show, or even a live-action thing," Libreri said.

Libreri further explained that at present, real-time rendered graphics are able to match the quality of animated movies from seven or eight years ago. And in another decade, they will be "indistinguishable from reality."

Libreri has been involved with computer graphics for a long time. Prior to attaining his current position at LucasArts, he served as vice president at visual effects and animation studio Digital Domain. Libreri is also credited as a visual effects supervisor for movies like Super 8 and The Matrix.

If graphics do become on par with reality in the next decade, 2K boss Christoph Hartmann will have gotten his wish. Last week, the executive called for photo-realism in games, saying such advanced capabilities are needed to help designers tackle emotions like love and sadness.

Star Wars 1313 is a collaborative project across the Lucasfilm organization, which includes LucasArts, ILM, Lucasfilm Animation Ltd., and Skywalker Sound. In the game, players travel deep beneath the surface of city-world Coruscant to uncover the truth surrounding a criminal conspiracy.

No release date or platforms for Star Wars 1313 have been announced.