In-game cinematics

Video game concept

platforms

Uses the game engine (the same thing used to display normal gameplay) itself to run cinematic sequences rather than playing some pre-rendered FMVs or such.

Notable people involved: Rhianna Pratchett

Alternate names: in-engine cinematics
Name variations: In-game cutscenes, in-game cinematics

WIN 1999-10

WIN 2013-03-26

WIN 2001-11-10

OSX 2010-05-26

WIN 2016-03-01

WIN 2012-10-10

X360 2008-01

WIN 2011-11-22

PS4 2014-02-25

PS3 2014-02-25

PS4 2014-02

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

WIN 2013-09-03

This has become increasingly popular as home systems can render at about same quality real-time as you would get from pre-rendered scenes most companies would bother paying for. Has the added benefit of making the game experience more consistent.

Not to be confused with cinematics pre-rendered (partially) using the game engine.

Parent group

Cinematics

Games by year

The first In-game cinematics video game was released on November 1982.

Ubisoft, Square Enix, Eidos Interactive and Capcom published most of these games.

Platforms

Windows	23
Linux	8
Mac OS X	5
PS3	4
X360	4
Xbox One	2
PS4	2
PS2	2
3DS	1
MS-DOS	1
Atari 2600	1
Atari 400/800	1

Most common companies