LA Noire boosts Australian gaming industry
The biggest game ever made in Australian shores has finally been released on May 17. Gamers and developers across the country are celebrating this massive and ambitious game.
Sydney's Team Bondi studio had developed LA Noire for the last seven years, a far longer stretch than the originally assumed three years. The game has been passed on from several publishers from Sony Computer Entertainment to finally land with Rockstar games.
The game is set in 1947 Los Angeles and draws heavily from film noir influences. The gamer plays as an LAPD detective who rises in the ranks as he investigates cases and makes arrests. Team Bondi has been universally praised for its depth of research in the period and the fine voice acting.
La Noire's most distinct feature is its heavy use of MotionScan technology. The process requires actors to be filmed by 32 cameras to capture their facial expressions making the animation more realistic.
The Australian gaming industry has been rocked by several gaming studios shutting down, including Krome Studios, Pandemic Australia and Transmission Games. La Noire is the biggest console title to come out of the country since the 2007 blockbuster BioShock, developed by 2K Canberra in conjunction with Boston.
The positive reviews of LA Noire has given Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company a boost in stock shares, peaking at 7.75% on the day of the game's US release. LA Noire has also gone straight to top of the UK games chart, making it the fastest selling IP in the UK.
Team Bondi has announced that there a sequel for LA Noire is already in the works. There has been no confirmed word of release but it would take at least 5 years and there are plans to use ScanMotion technology to capture the entire body movement not just the face.
Watch the trailer here: