INSANE (engine)

INSANE is a proprietary INteractive Streaming ANimation Engine developed at LucasArts, primarily by programmer/game designer Vincent Lee. Using custom video compression technology, it greatly compresses moving images so that high quality full-screen videos can be displayed even in hi-res graphics modes on the PC.

An early version was first developed for Star Wars: Rebel Assault, and was followed by a much enhanced version in Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire and then in Full Throttle, Outlaws, and The Dig. It was also used in the 1998 games Star Wars: Droid Works, Mysteries of the Sith, and Mortimer and The Riddles of the Medallion, and its compression technology was incorporated into Star Wars: Behind the Magic, Star Wars Episode I - Insider's Guide, and Jar Jar's Journey Adventure Book. The use for Full Throttle caused some problems since INSANE was intended to be photorealistic, contrasting to the general cartoony feeling. The rendered environment had to be scaled down to match to the rest of the game world. Later enhancements were made to the compression technology to optimize it for the cartoon style imagery used in Outlaws.

LucasArts adventure games
Indiana Jones series
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  • Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992)
Maniac Mansion series
  • Maniac Mansion (1987)
  • Day of the Tentacle (1993)
Monkey Island series
  • The Secret of Monkey Island (1990)
  • Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (1991)
  • The Curse of Monkey Island (1997)
  • Escape from Monkey Island (2000)
Stand-alone titles
  • Labyrinth (1986)
  • Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988)
  • Loom (1990)
  • Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993)
  • Full Throttle (1995)
  • The Dig (1995)
  • Grim Fandango (1998)
Cancelled projects
  • Full Throttle: Payback
  • Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels
  • Sam & Max: Freelance Police
People
  • Clint Bajakian
  • Hal Barwood
  • Sean Clark
  • Noah Falstein
  • David Fox
  • Ron Gilbert
  • Dave Grossman
  • Michael Land
  • Brian Moriarty
  • Steve Purcell
  • Peter McConnell
  • Tim Schafer
  • Michael Stemmle
Technology
  • INSANE
  • SCUMM
  • ScummVM
  • ResidualVM
Related
  • Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts
  • Maniac Mansion TV series
  • Telltale Games

Famous quotes containing the word insane:

    Actually we are a vulgar, pushing mob whose passions are easily mobilized by demagogues, newspaper men, religious quacks, agitators and such like. To call this a society of free peoples is blasphemous. What have we to offer the world besides the superabundant loot which we recklessly plunder from the earth under the maniacal delusion that this insane activity represents progress and enlightenment?
    Henry Miller (1891–1980)