I dont mean to sound prophetic or clichéd but the future is here. The guys at NaturalMotion have unveiled another demo video showcasing their breakthrough Euphoria Engine, which is set to debut in Rockstar’s upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV.

The technology uses a combination of AI, physics and the power of modern hardware to generate, in real time, unique and seamless character animations. This means developers can once and for all do away with pre-canned animations entirely, replacing them with simulations that create completely interactive characters and unique game moments.

NaturalMotion is the first company to create software of this kind based on Dynamic Motion Synthesis, a technology that simulates the human nervous system. Based on research conducted at Oxford University, NaturalMotion’s euphoria synthesizes 3D character animation to create a level of authenticity that was previously unacheivable.

The technology is going to appear for the first time in GTAIV, which is released (to law abiding citizends) next week. Those of you sick of hearing about GTAIV will also be releived to know that the software is also being used in Lucas Arts’ upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and NaturalMotion’s own Americal Football title, Backbreaker.