WHO WORKS HERE

People Staff Interview

• Aspiring to be a civil engineer in the wake of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

  I was quite a sporty kid. In elementary and junior high school, I was in the soccer club following after my older brother. Then, in high school I joined the ice hockey club. The reason I switched to ice hockey was fairly simple, the year I joined the school, they had built a new ice rink, so I really wanted to make the best of the new facility and try a new sport.

  Then at university, I decided to pursue a career in civil engineering. I was born and raised in Osaka, and when I was 5 years old, my hometown was hit by a major natural disaster, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Fortunately, the area where I lived wasn't affected that badly, but the earthquake completely changed the landscape of Kansai and it's an event that I won't ever forget. As I watched and listened to what was happening around me, I began to think about how I could acquire knowledge and skills that would be useful for the development of social infrastructure and create a city where people could feel safe.

• Using my knowledge and experience in surveying at Polyphony Digital

  In university and graduate school, I majored in environment and urban engineering, where I studied what is known as "surveying." In general, it's a kind of research that uses photogrammetry and laser scanning to create accurate 3D environment maps.

  When most people hear the word surveying, they think of people taking land measurements with theodolites and total stations, but I conducted most of my research with computer analysis. At the time, I think I was perceived as a bit of an "outsider" in the industry so after finishing my studies in civil engineering, I felt a little uncomfortable going to the regular candidates for employment like contractors, railroad companies, and the energy industry. I wanted to work somewhere I could make the most of what I had learned so far.

  I decided to take the employment exam for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), where I could find other computer specialists. For the interview, I of course brought with me my survey data and some assets from surveying techniques that I had been working on in graduate school. The SIE interviewer told me that Polyphony Digital might be able to put my knowledge and experience to use. Gran Turismo is famous for its high detail graphics that can be mistaken for real live scenery. I thought that if PDI is utilizing a wide range of equipment and computer imaging technologies in their CG production, then I may be able to put all my research to work. And that's when I decided to join PDI.

• Using 3D analysis to enhance landscape detail in Gran Turismo

  After joining the company, I was put in a group that specializes in circuit surveying for the team that produces landscape CG. My job is to process data including circuit surveys conducted with laser scanning and drones along with global satellite data such as SRTM and ALOS.

  So how is this data actually used in the game? I'll give you a simple example.

  Let's say you go to a circuit and analyze the data of fine irregularities in the road surface in three dimensions. This data is passed on to the CG artist who is actually in charge of modelling the track, and the artist uses this data to recreate the details of the road surface. The road surface has a great influence on the behavior of the car, so the more realistically the road surface can be expressed, the more realistic a driving simulation can be achieved. Many people are aware of how detailed the graphics in Gran Turismo are, but it is all the result of thorough calculation.

  Of course, my job is only to provide the data that serves as the raw assets for CG production, and I can't produce any of that CG all by myself. It's important for me to understand though what kind of data would be useful for the artists, and what kind of data is necessary for them to produce the most detailed results possible. I look forward to continuing working closely with our CG artists in the future and produce even better results.

• A company that listens to new proposals

  

  At PDI now, when conducting circuit coverage, we use laser scanning and drones to measure them, but in the past, they used to use GPS based methods that took much longer. Team members would have to carry heavy GPS instruments and walk several laps of courses that are several kilometers long. It must have been quite a challenge. The use of drones is something that I proposed after joining the company, and I think they have really increased the efficiency of surveys. The quickness of PDI to incorporate such "new proposals" if it feels necessary, is exactly one of the company's strengths. There's also an atmosphere in the company that you can always give your opinions not only on projects but the work environment in general. Everyone's always ready to talk.

• People who should consider Polyphony Digital

  PDI is made up of professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds. Having arrived in the game industry from the world of civil engineering, I may be somewhat of an outlier. However, with a firm confidence in my skills and knowledge of 3D surveying, I knocked on the door of PDI. For those who want to take up the challenge as I did, come with confidence in your knowledge and skills. Even if you may not feel like your knowledge has anything to do with the game industry, if you're a hard worker, you will be able to play an active role at PDI.

• Technical Artist Job Description