Closed Captioning in Games
● Reid Kimball● Games[CC]
● [email protected]● http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com
Personal Introduction
● Currently a Designer at LucasArts● Playing videogames since 1990● Hearing impaired due to Spinal Meningitis at
16months old● Began wearing hearing aids at age of 3● Because of my unique position I have become
an expert in closed captioning for games● Started Games[CC] group to research and
develop CC for games
Today's Topics
● What is Closed Captioning?● History of Closed Captioning in Games● Examples of CC in games ● Doom3 and Doom3[CC] comparison● How Dynamic Closed Captioning system works● Future of Closed Captioning in games
What is Closed Captioning?● Closed Captions were transmitted by (PBS),
(NBC) and (ABC) in 1980 for emergency broadcasts
● Line 21 of the TV signal Contains text data
● Open vs. Closed Captioning Open: The text data is baked into the video signal
and cannot be turned off Closed: The user has the option of turning on or off
the captions● Covers both dialog and sound effects
TV Closed Captioning
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/tv_cc.avi
Size: 1.38 MBTime: 9 seconds
Early Days of Gaming
● Text based● Limited graphics● No or limited sound● After the CD-Rom, use of text was reduced● CD-Rom introduced in early 1990's
More graphics, no need to textually describe when players can see what is happening
More sounds, no need for text of dialog if it is audio● King's Quest V: Released in 1990 (CD-ROM)● Myst: Released in Sept. 24, 1993
Zork: Grand Inquisitor
● Released October, 1997● First game to feature Closed Captioning
Half-Life 2● Released November 16, 2004● Second game to feature closed captioning (7yrs
after Zork Grand Inquisitor!)
Doom3[CC]● Released December 12th, 2004● Third game (via modification) to feature closed
captioning
Examples of CC in games(or lack thereof)
● Burnout3● Unreal 2● POP: SoT● Star Trek:
Elite Force 2● Grand Theft Auto:
Vice City
● SiN● Psychonauts● Star Wars: Episode 3● Half-Life &
Half-Life 2● Doom3 &
Doom3[CC]
Burnout 3 – No CC Options
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/burnout3_nocc_setup.avi
Size: 2.10 MBTime: 19 seconds
Burnout 3 – No CC in game
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/burnout3_nocc_game.avi
Size: 5.76 MBTime: 29 seconds
Unreal 2 – CC Options
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/U2_cc_options.avi
Size: 2.49 MBTime: 11 seconds
Unreal 2 – CC in cinematic(640x480)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/U2_cc_cinematic_640x480.avi
Size: 4.92 MBTime: 19 seconds
Unreal 2 – CC in cinematic(800x600)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/U2_cc_cinematic_800x600.avi
Size: 4.61 MBTime: 18 seconds
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time – No CC Options
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/ppsot_nocc_options.avi
Size: 4.03 MBTime: 38 seconds
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time – No CC in game
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/ppsot_nocc_game.avi
Size: 2.48 MBTime: 22 seconds
Star Trek: Elite Force 2
Not clear where captioning options are (Audio or game?)Not clear what the options mean (off, normal, always?)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/EF2_cc_options.avi
Size: 5.34 MBTime: 20 seconds
Star Trek: Elite Force 2 (CC in cinematic as normal)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/EF2_cc_normal_cinematic.avi
Size: 3.52 MBTime: 13 seconds
Star Trek: Elite Force 2 (CC in cinematic as always)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/EF2_cc_always_cinematic.avi
Size: 4.31 MBTime: 16 seconds
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City(CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/gtavc_cc_options.avi
Size: 1.70 MBTime: 16 seconds
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City(CC in cinematic)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/gtavc_cc_cinematic.avi
Size: 1.23 MBTime: 11 seconds
SiN(CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/sin_cc_options.avi
Size: 6.20 MBTime: 25 seconds
SiN(CC in cinematic)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/sin_cc_cinematic.avi
Size: 3.46 MBTime: 15 seconds
Psychonauts(No CC in opening cinematic)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/psychonauts_nocc_cinematic.avi
Size: 2.38 MBTime: 22 seconds
Psychonauts(CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/psychonauts_cc_setup.avi
Size: 2.77 MBTime: 26 seconds
Psychonauts(CC in game)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/psychonauts_cc_game.avi
Size: 2.57 MBTime: 24 seconds
Star Wars: Episode III(CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/sw_ep3_cc_options.avi
Size: 1.57 MBTime: 13 seconds
Star Wars: Episode III(CC in cinematic)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/sw_ep3_cc_cinematic.avi
Size: 1.25 MBTime: 10 seconds
Star Wars: Episode III(CC in game)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/sw_ep3_cc_game.avi
Size: 1.69 MBTime: 12 seconds
Half-Life(No CC in game)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/HL_nocc_game.avi
Size: 2.29 MBTime: 8 seconds
Half-Life 2(CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/HL2_cc_options.avi
Size: 2.27 MBTime: 10 seconds
Half-Life 2(CC in game)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/HL2_cc_game.avi
Size: 6.91 MBTime: 26 seconds
Doom3(No CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/D3_nocc_options.avi
Size: 8.34 MBTime: 31 seconds
Doom3(No CC in cinematic)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/D3_nocc_cinematic.avi
Size: 3.70 MBTime: 14 seconds
Doom3[CC](CC options)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/D3CC_options.avi
Size: 4.13 MBTime: 17 seconds
Doom3[CC](CC in cinematic)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/D3CC_cinematics.avi
Size: 3.72 MBTime: 15 seconds
Doom3[CC](CC in game)
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/gdc2006/tutorial/D3CC_game_v2.0.avi
Size: 6.7 MBTime: 26 seconds
Dynamic Closed Captioning System
● Many components help it tick File System Sound Interpreter Priority System Print to Screen Visual Radar CCEdit
DCC – File System● Level loads -> find the .DCC file with the same
name
Sound Interpreter
● When a sound is played we find it in our list of captions
Priority of Sounds and Captions
● Dialog always gets priority, and so does a caption that's already scrolling.
● If the new sound has higher priority, it gets put in that slot.
● Otherwise we do a complex calculation involving priority AND distance from player.
Printing to Screen
● We send all the relevant data to the GUI and it gets rendered to the screen. Font type, text size, scrolling or not, which
caption bar to use
Visual Radar
● Designed to give vague info on distance and direction of a sound so not to give players and advantage
● Hopefully also emulates natural hearing
CCEdit
● Developed to help speed up the CC process● Reduce errors in creating the .dcc files
Missing/misplace brackets, missing priority assignments, etc
CCEdit Mockup
Future of CC in games?
● More games featuring CC I hope!● Additional customizations for users (font, size,
opacity, placement, visual radar)● Built into console hardware as a system setting
All games will use the consoles' system settings● Play the game and CC is already on, won't spoil the auto-
play cinematics
What's Next for Games[CC]?
● Games[CC] continues its effort to CC games and educate developers about the benefits of CC
● Current projects Doom3: Resurrection of Evil Quake4 CCEdit Open source software
● Doom3[CC] nominated Best Doom3 Mod of the Year for IGDA Choice Awards 2006
Thank You
● Thank you for your interest in CC for games● Please contact me for any questions, ideas,
comments, etc regarding CC for games or Games[CC] group
● E-Mail: [email protected]● Games[CC] website:
http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com
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