Twitter thread of real football photos that look like FIFA screengrabs


Football video games have become scarily realistic in recent years.

A decade or so ago, every character in the game would look similar - nothing like the actual player they were trying to represent.

Nowadays, the likes of FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer conduct 3D head scans so that the characters in the game look as lifelike as possible.

In fact, each year, it just seems to get more and more realistic.

You’ve probably had your parents or grandparents walk into the living room when you’re playing FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer and for them to take a while to realise that it's actually a video game on the TV.

And football writer Adam Hurrey has compiled some brilliant examples of real-life photos and videos that look as though it’s come straight from FIFA.

Hurrey started a Twitter thread in June 2016 following a photo of Aaron Ramsey and Dele Alli from the Euro 2016 clash between Wales and England.


In the next three years, Hurrey has 68 - and counting - brilliant examples of real-life photos, GIFs and short video clips that look like they’ve been taken straight from a video game.

Here are some of the best:

p1di8jvpcdi1b12q1qpd1dj0138qh.jpg p1di8k03hliaaja1ub0119rjr5j.jpg p1di8k0c0ided1h3a1ol31ueed5hl.jpg p1di8k0uq71q6a7hslm81g8cqhfn.jpg p1di8k16kt19431jdd1akg3i7lr0p.jpg p1di8k1f8g1h2u4cb1jo1e1nat6r.jpg p1di8k1n6h1imv1n62u5k19fmk3et.jpg p1di8k1vrqvgdatd21jev9qjhv.jpg p1di8k29k9d97v4v1jo9125o3ls11.jpg p1di8k2has12uoa6eerm1r4oqh613.jpg

Brilliant stuff.

Paul Boulet, Motion Capture System Specialist for EA Sports recently explained the process that goes into recreating the in-game likeness of many of today’s footballing stars.

"The face-scanning technology uses a process called photogrammetry, which basically creates a map of a person’s face using photographs," he said.


"We take all the photos and the team here in Vancouver starts the process of creating each of the players heads. The images are run through special programs, which look at each picture, and the software finds “unique identifiers” - details such as freckles or skin pores. Once all these images are compared, the software then creates a map of that players face. By using these unique identifiers and that map, their 3D representation can then be created.

"Each head scan then goes to artists who refine them, as raw scans are generally a bit rough. The Artists smooth out rough portions of each scan, then using the original pictures of the footballers as reference material, a final modelling and texture pass is completed to ensure the 3D heads are as authentic-looking as possible.

"The biggest thing that head scans do is to bring more realism and immersion to the game. I don’t think anyone wants to play a game using their favorite footballers when these look nothing like themselves in real life."

News Now - Sport News