Casebook: Episode 1 - Kidnapped
Encyclopedia
Casebook: Episode I - Kidnapped is the first episode of a computer game released by Clocktower Games, an independent game developer now called Areo. It is a forensic crime game, in which players explore crime scenes, hunt for evidence, and solve crimes. It was released through Big Fish Games
in 2008.
One novelty of Casebook is its environment, produced using Areograph
, which creates 3D digital spaces entirely out of photographs. As such, Casebook' s world is particularly realistic and fully explorable, although essentially static. As a result, Casebook is one of few games currently available that uses full motion video (FMV)
sequences in its narrative. Rendered games typically resist using film components in their storylines as these sequences contrast too strongly with the game engine
. Because Casebook is composed from real locations rather than rendered
polygon
environments, its video sequences meld smoothly with its gameplay elements. Thus much of the narrative is carried by actors filmed in real-world locations, putting it in the lineage of FMV games.
Casebook is also regarded as being part of the episodic game movement, along with games such as Sam and Max.
Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games is a provider of Internet media delivery software and game services based in Seattle, Washington. The company was founded in 2002 by Paul Thelen , and currently employs more than 400 people...
in 2008.
One novelty of Casebook is its environment, produced using Areograph
Areograph
Areograph is the commercial name of a photographic technology that assembles photographic components into 3-dimensional environments. Anywhere from 100,000 to several million photographs are stitched by software into a navigable scene, akin to those in a first person shooter...
, which creates 3D digital spaces entirely out of photographs. As such, Casebook
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
sequences in its narrative. Rendered games typically resist using film components in their storylines as these sequences contrast too strongly with the game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
. Because Casebook is composed from real locations rather than rendered
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...
polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
environments, its video sequences meld smoothly with its gameplay elements. Thus much of the narrative is carried by actors filmed in real-world locations, putting it in the lineage of FMV games.
Casebook is also regarded as being part of the episodic game movement, along with games such as Sam and Max.