JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Special Issue Composites for Sports, Health & Leisure - November 2020 - 14

TRENDS opportunities

The Gaming industry asks
composites players: are you ready?
Whether they put you in the driver's seat, give you the
opportunity to don the hat of a private eye as he roams
the streets of a postmodern city, or even make you an
all-powerful god at the head of a civilisation or world, video games open up a world of possibilities in terms of fun
and entertainment. From the most cutting-edge aviation
simulation to the creation of an ultramodern universe,
how are composite materials represented? What do they
symbolise when they appear in these play worlds? How
do these two creative domains influence each another, at
times going so far as to obliterate the boundaries between
the tangible and intangible?

he booming video games
sector brings together millions of players throughout
the world, all of whom are eager
to rub shoulders in the virtual
worlds devised by fertile minds
overflowing with ideas. Today,
the games released give composite materials unexpected visibility. They're featured as an integral part of game mechanics, or
represent a decisive factor in the
performance of a gamer's avatar.
At the crossroads between the
two worlds, this article offers an
overview of the virtual realms of
composite materials. It's a relationship that could very well operate in both directions.
Similar development drivers
Ultra-specialised and on the leading edge of their respective fields,
the video game and composite
materials industries share deeply-rooted vehicles for development. Both are the culmination of
the most advanced technologies
on offer today. In particular, the

growth/expansion of IT has made
it possible to improve tools for
composite materials simulation,
all while enhancing the visual
definition of video games. At the
same time, it has contributed
to increasing the complexity of
playability as a result of ever-augmenting computing power. The
unharnessing of technology and
greater accessibility have played
a decisive role in the progress of
these two sectors, by fostering
the utmost creativity in their respective fields. Whether in terms
of materials engineering or in
photorealistic graphic rendering,
computer programming has made
it possible for an entire generation
of "artisans of the impossible" and
"dreamers" to impose their vision
on the world.
Though they began at a marginal
position on mature sectors, both
video games and composite materials have risen to the top of
industries that are sustainable, in
particular, due to rapid growth

and high earnings potential that
attracts investor interest. This is
why development of a 5-star video game (see glossary) can exceed
the budget of some internationally acclaimed Hollywood blockbusters. If the sector enjoys such
a high investment capacity today,
we shouldn't forget its humble
beginnings, a time when its adult
customers were often perceived as
eternal adolescents.
The fact that we find it difficult
to envision building an airplane,
an electric vehicle, or even a pair
of skis without using composite
materials also represents a tremendous success for the pioneers
of this industry. They had to clear
the ground on their own, through
repeated demonstrations and
their powers of persuasion-in
areas of applications which were
at times clearly averse to newcomers. The composite materials industry, sharing similar conditions
for its advent, as well as for development and representativity, benefits from contact with the video

jec composites magazine / November 2020 / SPECIAL ISSUE Sports, Health & Leisure

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Special Issue Composites for Sports, Health & Leisure - November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Special Issue Composites for Sports, Health & Leisure - November 2020