For years, it’s been difficult to find accurate representations of textured hair in video games. But now games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales are showing us that it is, indeed, possible to have a dope fade in games. But what changed, if anything? Josh talked to the devs at Insomniac and Guerilla Games to learn how hair is made, and how we’re getting better at it every day.
0:00 Finding a dope fade in games
0:48 How is video game hair made?
1:29 Where hair design begins
3:16 Hair textures
4:03 Hair construction
6:31 Lighting hair
7:18 Creating textured hair
9:37 Creating Miles Morales’ sweet fade
11:34 The future of video game hair
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finally the bionicle representation i've needed
An entire video about tender Ng video game hair without mentioning TressFX™ lol
Naw but seriously this was fascinating! Awesome video.
This was such an awesome and informative video. The visuals really helped me understand the technical process!
thanks so much for doing this video.
Joshs energy rubs me the wrong way in every video— but his video topics can be fun. Big “can i have a hug” guy energy. The editing/sound is a little inconsistent too.
Absolutely fascinating video! I've always found video game hair so interesting and Josh explains it wonderfully!
i think the real answer is “yes it’s difficult. all hair is difficult to make. BUT people find non-afro hair easier to make because white people were always center stage. more effort was put into creating technology and base meshes for non-afro hair. people think its more difficult because the game industry never learned how”
This is a really interesting and informative video! Introducing the problem and then describing the process of making hair in general, and following it up with the differences with textured hair was a really nice way to set up the structure of the video! I'm also glad to know more about the actual mechanics vs game companies biases.
Creating textured hair in games: almost as hard as delivering the line "getting clowned on in the group chat" without a hint of youthful trauma. Well done both Insomniac and Josh.
This guy talking about haircuts when all I can see is the worst beard known to man.
Why do guys try to make it look like they've got a chin by shaving it like that? Just work out more and eat less cheese
Josh, this is fantastic.
I love when it's time to learn something niche and absurdly interesting with the Polygon crew.
Yes yes yes yes! Absolutely love this video, more videos like this and more of Josh please, Polygon!
You are an absolute delight and I hope you know that
Listening to you talk about fades made me realise how much black culture I missed out on growing up mixed with my white mother :/
Polygon's talking about polygons in a video game, we've finally reached Polygonception.
I love the detail that this is set in a barbershop, lol
I feel like this is the universe telling me to get a haircut lmao
Especially that quote at the end like "I know barbers are expensive but it's a sign of maturity and care" like okay, I'm gonna!
Thank you Josh
Why are these super niche topics so engrossing?
I always kind of assumed that this was a similar situation to movie/tv hair stylists and artists where their inability to work with kinky hair was simply that they didn’t put in the effort to learn how. I suppose it’s mildly comforting to know that it wasn’t an act of malice but rather technological limitations that prevented good textured hair from being in games, thorough I certainly hope they become more prevalent as technology improves
Ha ha, my hair doesn't require as much data as yours to be rendered!
I recently watched a video about the evolution of animation, specifically Disney movies, and how during the production of Brave, they had to make new tech to make Merida's hair stiff but bouncy and behave like naturally thick and curly hair. I wonder if stiffening the movements and making the hairs shorter on that system would mimic an afro?
im so glad theres more josh
When procedural hair tools become a bigger thing we can make Horizon designers very cranky
I love this!
The exaggerated reticulating splines of a black teenager.
"a fade is a sign of maturity for people with textured hair"
Literally out of the colonizers head and into your mouth.
Assassins creed odyssey was so good because of the variety in POC hair 🔥🔥🔥
this is such a great vid! always love to see josh and this is a great & important topic that ties in well with other vids on animation and rendering and whatnot in games. hell yeah!
This was really fascinating
they can do Bobs ponytails but they cant make an afro or some fades? lol
actually informative… thought provocative and inspirational…id not only recommend this video to those who wanna game design…but also artists and animators…as not only the detailed explanations… but the visual examples and the questions asked ..and then answered…bring up great ideas for the future…
even added this to a private playlist for future reference… Definetly deserving a like..more views and ..if i wasn't already subscribed… XD
As somebody who's been getting a buzzfade partly because gary smith, of the 2006 game bully, has that hairstyle, that intro hooked me hard because that miles hair looked SO GOOD by comparison!
Then again bully characters arent exactly great looking in general..
This was so cool! Now I have way more understanding of and sympathy for the game designers who kept making me choose between a lumpy afro sphere and locks. I’m really excited for processing power to catch up to my coils! Seems like it’s on the horizon.
Go off Josh
Was that the lady from In the Valley of the Gods at 6:34? I game I was excited about until it was pretty much cancelled causing me immeasurable disappointment? Cuz she was the first thing I thought of with the textured hair title cuz I remember seeing people who were working on that game putting in work to make her hair look right.
This was fascinating! I've been bemoaning hair textures and styles in RPGs for years. (And why modders could make infinitely better hair than what was in the game?!?) I've learned so much about the technology behind all those janky do's. Amazing.
Km
Whoa, didn't know Loish does concept art! I mainly follow her on DevArt for her Disney-esque style. 🙂
Superb video explainer
You know where your Sea of Thieves pirate can get a haircut? Barberdos
I think this is the video where Josh finally found his voice. excellent work
I'm sorry but what's his tattoo from ? I know this image but can't remember what it is, help 🙁
Aloy's hair is so jank 😂 it looks great, but it defies gravity haha camera cuts to her face and her hair looks like they just switched the gravity on and it drops haha
I loved this, and Josh is great