Closed Captioning in Games

● Reid Kimball● Games[CC]

● reid@rbkdesign.com● 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: reid@rbkdesign.com● Games[CC] website:

http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com