14 DAY TRIAL // The use of FMV (Full Motion Video) sequences in games was very popular a few years ago, since it was more profitable for gaming studios to employ actors, more or less known, than to make high resolution models and then pre-render them for the game cutscenes. Some videogames, like the Command & Conquer strategy franchise, have become famous for their elaborate FMV cutscenes, made with the help of very good actors, like Joe Kucan, who became famous for his portrayal of the evil mastermind Kane in the Tiberium saga of Command & Conquer.
But technology has advanced a long way from the days of FMV sequences and now it’s easier for gaming companies to just pre-render the character for the cutscenes. But there still are some studios that want to keep the FMV scenes in order to maintain the identity of the game. Such is the case with Electronic Arts, which used cutscenes for its modern Command & Conquer strategy titles, like Tiberium Wars and the expansion Kane's Wrath. Now, with the upcoming release of Red Alert 3, the FMV lineup of actors is very interesting, with the likes of J.K. Simmons or George Takei playing different roles in the game.
"There aren't a lot of games with live action video anymore. And in this game in particular, I think we did a lot more than the previous games to inject it into the gameplay. It's not just this thing that's off to the side, where you play a mission, you watch a video, and so on, especially since you're playing with these co-commander characters. Hopefully it will help pull the whole experience together again in a unique way to make this game not just stand out from other RTS games, but from other games in general," said Greg Kasavin from Electronic Arts.
He then went on to state that, for the first game in the recent history of EA, C&C 3: Tiberium Wars, the decision to use FMV cutscenes was a pretty risky one, though it definitely paid off. "It must have felt pretty risky for Command and Conquer 3, since that was the first game in a while to do full-motion video. But, I think, with Red Alert 3, we felt pretty confident in taking that approach that it would work out well for the game."
It's really nice to see companies committed to keeping the identity of a game and doing everything it takes to maintain the credibility of a franchise in the eyes of the community. A lot of gamers with some history think fondly of the FMV cutscenes from previous titles in the Command & Conquer universe and it would be a shame if EA didn't include them in the future titles.