Sony swings for a home run with latest baseball video game: Sorrento valley operation produces hits for huge firm

San Diego Business Journal, Feb 5, 2007 by Mike Allen

David Wright, an All-Star third baseman for the New York Mets, swings his bat at an imaginary pitch, then grabs the bat's head, shaking it derisively when he misses.

Wright's reaction, including his apparent disgust at his swinging strike, is just one of a series of vignettes filmed inside a studio at Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. in San Diego for the company's latest baseball video game, "MLB 07 The Show."

As Wright goes through a series of familiar batting reactions at home plate inside a cavernous studio, 42 different cameras attached to surrounding iron scaffolds capture his every move and twitch.

He wears a bodysuit with sensor lights lining his torso and around his head. At a bunch of computer monitors off to the side of the filming area, the lights make up a digitized image that will later be transformed into Wright's likeness in the MLB 07 game when the production is completed within a few weeks, and in retail outlets later this month.

"We're able to do so much more with this multimillion-dollar studio than we could before, which was at a much smaller space (in a building nearby)," said Troy Mack, SCEA's product marketing manager, who is based in San Diego. "This is the largest motion capture studio in the North America and one of only four in the world."

SCEA, based in Foster City in the Bay Area, invested about $12 million into the nearly 15,000-square-foot facility in Sorrento Valley, one of six buildings in San Diego.

The company's investment, which occurred in 2004, has been well worth it from SCEA's perspective. While it doesn't break out financials, the gaming subsidiary is one of Sony Corp.'s largest cash cows.

Sales from the division, including its still top-selling PlayStation 2 consoles and newest device, PlayStation 3, along with software and all the games, accounted for 12 percent of Sony Corp.'s $63.5 billion in revenue last year, according to its 2006 annual report.

The Wright Stuff

Last year, the MLB 06 game sold 1.1 million units at nearly $40 a pop, generating about $44 million. Between 12 and 16 games are made at the San Diego motion capture studio each year, including such popular ongoing series as the NBA (National Basketball Association) and ATV (all-terrain vehicles).

Some 70 people are part of SCEA's motion capture team in San Diego, but less than half that number were working on the recent session involving Wright.

The attention to detail in the latest games, particularly in the players' faces and hands, is one of the reasons the MLB series is so popular, say SCEA staffers.

"With this session, we're adding only about 20-25 moves to the game. Most of it is already finished. Every year you want to make it look more realistic," said James Scarafone, who supervises SCEA's motion capture studio.

Wright's appearance at the studio is rare for a professional athlete. Most players have their faces scanned by SCEA personnel during spring training.

The company, which started its MLB series in 1996, uses about five actors, amateur athletes or former minor league players, as stand-ins to mimic the individual mannerisms every batter goes through as he takes his swings against a pitcher.

The Devil Is In The Details

Players' fielding tendencies and running styles are also carefully recorded and incorporated digitally into every game to make the games as realistic as possible.

Before stand-in athletes are filmed, they'll view game video of the particular player for hours and then rehearse the movements to ensure it's realistic, said Chris Clements, SCEA's San Diego-based producer for the Wright filming.

After Wright was filmed in a variety of batting situations, including a home run swing, he switched to fielding imaginary ground balls and throwing actions.

Then he took some time to play the latest MLB video game at a setup console, promptly showing off his highly refined gaming skills. On the first pitch from his opponent, playing as the St. Louis Cardinals, Wright smashed the ball over the fence at Shea Stadium, the Mets' home ballpark.

Wright, 24, said being selected as the cover athlete for "MLB 07's The Show" is "quite an honor" and right up there with several other off the field accolades that he's collected in his short three years in the big leagues.

Asked to compare his skills with his virtual image in the video game, he said the virtual David was so much better. "I tend to make a few more errors," said Wright, whose image graces the package of Sony's latest MLB video game.

He'll appear at a number of media functions to promote the game. SCEA officials declined to reveal the financial terms of the contract.

Wright was selected over some other better-known baseball players based on a variety of factors, including his hitting prowess, both in terms of overall average and power production, fan popularity, the sale of his jersey, and his community involvement, said Mack.

He said Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was a close runner-up for the cover spot.

Other stars who have graced MLB covers include David Ortiz, Vladamir Guerrero and Eric Chavez.