FOX Sports Is Editing Eerie ‘Virtual Fans’ Into Deserted Baseball Stadiums
Video screenshot via FOX Sports
CGI is suddenly assuming a central role in helping people regain a sense of normalcy in the COVID-19 crisis. Not only are video effects simulating intimate scenes as Hollywood actors continue working from home, but they’re also helping people escape from a reality where social distancing and not being able to scream on rollercoasters have become the standard.
The creep meter continues to climb, as FOX Sports has enlisted a whole army of Sims-like characters to populate empty baseball stadium stands. You knew digital simulations would replace you one day, but probably not like this.
As the Major League Baseball games approach, the network has found enough replacements for the thousands of people who can no longer watch the matches in person. “No fans? Not on FOX Sports,” it announced on Twitter. “Thousands of virtual fans will attend FOX’s MLB games this Saturday.”
The tweet arrived with a teaser of these “virtual fans,” and there are more of them than you can imagine.
The digital spectators are shown cheering their teams on, and even perform The Wave. In ordinary crowds, there’ll always be a few who mess this up, but the freakish video game-esque characters nail it from the get-go. They always do.
No fans? Not on FOX Sports.
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 23, 2020
Thousands of virtual fans will attend FOX’s MLB games this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/z9oQU0rYuC
Wow what a terrible idea.
— MPS, Esq. (@mpsever) July 23, 2020
Why not just broadcast two twelve-year-olds playing MLB The Show on their PS4s?
I'd like to sign a petition to replace empty seats with Super Mario characters instead pic.twitter.com/oagxkgzdPa
— Bear (@BearUNLV) July 23, 2020
Will you be doing this for the presidents future rallies?
— Joe (@PhonesAkimbo) July 23, 2020
Please please please reconsider this.
— HuskyCaucasian (@HuskyCaucasian) July 23, 2020
It's gimmicky and stupid. Embrace the situation. This isn't a normal time. It's ok to show an empty stadium.
Glitches I'm waiting for:
— JM (@JJmac76) July 23, 2020
1. sections of fans disappearing randomly
2. sections of fans appearing on the playing field
[via Mashable, video and cover image via FOX Sports]
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