Task 24: Personal review of the second year: Where do you want to go, and how do you get there?

Education, It seems like you can’t really get anywhere these days without one. University’s provide the opportunity to gain a higher form of education from the one that is required of you by law.  The word university is derived from the latin ‘universitas magistrorum et scholarium’, which basically means ‘community of teachers and scholars’.

In Europe the first university is considered to have been 1088 in Bologna Italy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_universities_in_continuous_operation

So what did I want and expect from university?

Simply, the two things I think I expected from university was to learn new basic skills necessary for my future career and the formation of important skills and how to apply them to achieve the desired results of work. I had no experience in the ‘game art’ field before, had a passion for video games and art  so felt it was something I could get into and enjoy, without getting bored of it, because who wants a boring career?

What I wanted from university spread further than what I expected of the university. I wanted the obvious like a degree and a job but for me, coming to university wasn’t just academic, it was about proving that I can manage on my own in all areas of life beyond the lectures and workloads, building upon organisation, financial management and coping with a higher level of independents. A lot of these skills, including academic ones, have been learnt and improved by trial and error, exploring and researching into things off my own back. University never promised you anything, just allows you the opportunity to better yourself.  I am familiar with art related courses so I expected the level and quantity of work we have been set in the past two years.  I also expected it to be much more hands on all year round than just revising a little bit at the end of the year and handing in an essay.

I can definitely say that because of university I am more of a driven person now and less lazy. Through doing projects I am still learning organizational skills and time management, which I hope to have mastered before the third year FMP. I have worked outside of university aswell which has made me more self-disciplined and confident when interacting with people.

So fingers crossed, by the end of the three years at university, If I’ve put the effort in and taken on board the guidance and knowledge given to me by my lecturers then theres nothing to say I shouldn’t be worthy of a degree and hopefully a job in the games industry. 

Task 23: Life Changing or Career Building?

The game art course that I’m currently on has three main aspects to it, 3D, 2D and critical studies. I think the fact that it covers a wider range of skills than any other art related course, makes it harder to know what to teach and prioritise them effectively.  Like myself, I’m sure a lot of people didn’t or still don’t know what field they would like to go into within the game industry so that’s another thing that hinders what to specifically teach. Another problem is that the games industry is one in which is continuously developing when it comes to technology and ways of carrying out jobs. So knowing that something you could teach may not even be in use anymore by the time a student graduates must put added pressure on what to include in the curriculum. With things like the xbox one being revealed powered by new engines will the old ones including software being used today become obsolete and less used as someone like myself breaks into the industry?

A guest character modeller came into speak to us a little while ago, and he explained that they don’t even use the words low poly anymore because nothing is ‘low’ poly for current and next gen consoles. Everything from buttons to stitching on jeans is modelled now to ensure a high consistency throughout the game. A standard character he would work on would be between 25-50k triangles and that was an NPC.

There is only so much that can be taught, that’s why it is important as a student to take it upon yourself to teach yourself skills that range beyond the fundamentals. There’s been many of times I’ve gone onto YouTube to look up how to do something on UDK or 3Ds Max. This is also what the game art Facebook page is designed for, to crit and learn from your mistakes and build upon them.

From what I’ve seen, the companies like a majority of things in someone. Creativity, technical ability and I personally think whether you as a person would fit in. Your portfolio can only take you so far, If you like this is the ‘get you noticed’ aspect to getting a career. That’s why the interview process is also involved because they wouldn’t want to choose someone that would be a night mare to work with. This is a reason I think that the blog is as important as the other areas in this course because it gives the industry an insight into your personality without meeting you.    

Personally I think the key things that need to be taught are the basics, like fundamentals within 2D, techniques, colour theory, perspective and proportion. With 3D, basic modelling and unwrapping techniques, low poly character and vehicle making. The basics combined with a positive attitude and the ability to pick things up easily and I think you would be good competition to the thousands of others trying to make it in the games industry.  

Late second year and the third year I don’t really think that much can be taught because everyone is kind of breaking off into their own specific field, advice can be given though to be guided in the right direction.

Other than being taught, the course can give you opportunity to learn. When saying opportunity to learn I mean put you in situations where you learn things, for example the group project. Here you learn from others and by actively doing rather than looking at a tutorial on a projector.

Other experiences like publicly discussing your work within your course, as much as we all dislike doing it, helps to prepare you for similar situations you’ll face in the industry.

Education and specifically this game art course doesn’t just teach, it prepares and moulds you into strong competitors for a career in the games industry. 

Creativity, the talent myth and craft

What are creativity and talent? Good question, personally I think there easier to demonstrate than explain but here’s the internet’s take on the two:
 Creativity Noun- The use of imagination or original ideas in the production of something.
 Talent Noun- Natural aptitude or skill
 In today’s society, the state of being creative is simply having the power to create something, I know for a fact that is something everyone has the ability to do. And Talent is simply the aptitude of something. Personally I think each stands for something different to the individual. For me creativity is a form of expression so that I can express my unique perception and how I see things into a way that is understandable or perceivable to others, manifesting ideas into reality from inspiration to execution. Majority of aspects that I engage in within my game art course show levels of creativity. For example the designing of a character from research to sketches, silhouettes, design developments and finished designs shows me envisioning what isn’t and translating it through a media that everyone understands, in this case art.

 Talent on the other hand, some we seem born with, others we have the capability and strengthen, support and improve them overtime through repetition until they are what they are today. In some cases we may be naturally talented ‘born with it’ Talents, through practice can be learned though because from experience I have found talent stems from having a really strong skill and skills are improved from repetition. My drawing in particular is a prime example of this because I never used to be able to draw particularly well until I taught myself and practised. I would now say my ability to draw is strong but not a talent as of yet because I’m still making mistakes and developing.

 The creativity we possess to an extent has been diluted by the experiences we have had up until now. As a child your creativity was greater because you had very little awareness to the limitations of life. A fear that has developed over the years stopping you from pushing yourself. Pushing the boundaries, thinking outside the box is what can turn a good idea into an outstanding idea in the game industry.

 In the games industry I can see creativity through all sorts of angles for example combat mechanics, environments and characters. Creativity within industry I can see being limited by the consumer due to what they like sells, making the risks developers take less creative and unique. For example call of duty is hugely popular, meaning the generic shoot em up war game being churned out over and over again. There’s no creativity in this because it’s all been seen before.

 When it comes to skill and talent and how you achieve talent through skill , I think all boils down to what type of person you are. There are people who work hard at something to become the best, people that pick things up quickly or naturally gifted individuals. The guy that gives up easily or ‘can’t be bothered’ is never skilled or talented at anything.

As an artist, I show my creativity through digital and traditional methods of working, from 3D modelling to sketching and digital painting. The creativity is demonstrated in the journey I take for works I produce from a fluffy idea to a final piece. My ideal acknowledgment of my creativity would be the person looking at my work to see how I saw it in my head and to make that connection through my artwork, also just a simple appreciation of my style which I think also demonstrates creativity.

An introduction to the Game Industry

Making a game is an extremely complex process. These days’ games seem to be becoming produced even quicker than usual, with the likes of Ubi soft churning out the assassin’s creed franchise every year to meet fans demand. In order to successfully create games and next-generation game play ideas like Ubi soft, a wide range of skilful and creative individuals are needed.

Games Designers decide what a game consists of and how it plays, and they are often the people who come up with the idea in the first place. Game design is a complex activity requiring a combination of skills – design, management, scheduling, research etc. – and Designers need an understanding of all aspects of a game. They also need to be able to document their vision and communicate it to other members of the project team. Games are usually large projects, so the design process is often shared between a number of different people who each take responsibility for a section of the game, or 'level'. Level Design includes the mapping, detailed layout and building of the environment in which the level is played, as well as interactive placement of objects and assets within that environment. For very large projects, there may be more than one Game Designer on the team, each one taking responsibility for a group of levels and collaborating on the overall design of the game. In such situations, a Lead Designer or Creative Director takes overall responsibility.

Game Artists create the image to the game – all the objects, buildings, landscapes and characters. Animators define and create their movement. Game Artists work at many different levels in a games development. Job roles include concept artists, environment modellers, object and vehicle modellers, character modellers, animators, and texture artists. A Lead Artist or Art Director takes overall responsibility.

The programming team is responsible for creating the code which makes the game actually work. There are numerous sub–disciplines within the programming department, including artificial intelligence or AI; physics; graphics rendering engine development; character control; gameplay programming; and middleware tools development. All these are usually overseen by a Lead Programmer who is also responsible for the technical specification of the game and for strategically managing the code development process

Sound design and audio engineering are increasingly important areas within the games development process. Depending on the size of the company, the audio department might consist of one or two people who are responsible for creating and producing music, sound effects, recording dialogue, and often supervising voice performance. In some cases, bands or DJs are used to create the tracks to the game.

 In some cases more than one company can be brought together for the development of a game. An example of this was the development of Aliens: Colonial Marines. The entire campaign was outsourced to TimeGate studios from Gearbox because they wanted to focus more on the multiplayer.

(http://uk.gamespot.com/news/aliens-colonial-marines-development-was-a-total-train-wreck-says-ex-dev-6403761)

 The finalising aspect in game development is Quality Assurance. This field includes the role of Tester. Testing is a highly disciplined role as it involves identifying and describing bugs and faults in games and communicating these in a clear way. Testers need to love playing games for long periods of time, organisational skills, some programming experience or knowledge, and the ability to meet deadlines.

With the development of online technology, bugs can now be fixed after the game is released. Updates for particular games will be released via connection to the internet that addresses problems that have been brought to the developers attention by users after purchase. 

http://www.polygon.com/2012/12/7/3739476/black-ops-2-patch-bug-fixes-balance-tweaks-out-now-ps3-this-weekend-360

Elements of game technology, part three: interaction design

With releases of the likes of the Wii, Wii U, Xbox Kinect and PlayStation move, video games have become more interactive than ever before. The Wii being the leading console in motion technology has got the other companies scrambling for ideas to knock Nintendo off the top spot. The biggest success that the Wii has had compared to the other motion devices is there ‘casual’ approach to gaming, focusing less on the consoles capabilities and more on getting everyone interacting with the console and having fun.

 There have been a few rumours circulating about the next generation of Microsoft and Sony console that I think will give Nintendo a run for their money. Firstly the new PlayStation is said to support quad HD which is the next step in high definition resolution. Alone this doesn’t sound so revolutionary but paired with the existing move technology and the ‘casual’ approach to gaming that Sony have announced they want to branch into this could leave the door open for innovation in game design.

 The new Xbox is rumoured to have a built in connect, similar to like what Nintendo have done with the Wii U. The same rumour mentions the possibility that a set of Wi Fi enabled glasses will be compatible with the Kinect that displays information and even pieces of the game in the room. If that’s to be believed, the use of Kinect and the glasses will push the industry even further into the future.

http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/leaked-xbox-720-presentation-shows-detailed-plans-for-console-and-kinect-2-1085480

 Even though these rumours are yet to be confirmed, I personally believe technology will reach this at some stage, it is only a matter of when not if. With these three systems, game design students will have a lot to learn and experiment with. Whether independent or backed by a big studio, the possibilities are endless for gamers and future game developers.

Elements of Game Technology, part two: sound for games

I can’t say I've ever played a game without the sound, for me it’s a key element that makes a game truly immersible.  A lot of the time you can overlook the importants of the sound in games but essentially they are like the icing on top of a cake.

Upon researching sound in games, I came across Sander Huiberts and Richard Van Tol from GamaSutra.com and how they define what sound is used for in games and they broke it down into four parts Zone, Effect, Affect and Interface.

Zone Refers to environmental sound, these sounds are diegetic and set the game ambience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wXXlvx59jE

Effect refers to diegetic sounds during gameplay that are produced: i.e. footsteps, gunshots, explosions. These sounds can be on or off screen.

Affect refers to non-diegetic sounds that set the mood of the game, these range from orchestral music to moody low tones

Interface refers to non-diegetic sounds these can be menu sounds or sounds related to the

HUD, the main use of these sounds is to convey information that isn't setting the mood.

The sounds that occur when the source of the sound isn’t in sight are a personal favourite of mine. Sounds like thudding footsteps or shrieks in horror games get the players adrenaline pumping to whatever it is that lies ahead.

F.E.A.R utilizes effect and affect sounds well to create a horror atmosphere with things like heartbeat, footsteps, and tonal background sounds. Here is a video that illustrates this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGE6GYiNENA

Removing elements like this from a game makes the game become less personal, as if you’re an empty shell playing for the sake of filling time. Having sounds heightens the senses making you pay attention and really get involved in gameplay, improving the overall experience.

Even games like Fifa that are possible to play without sound still feels unnatural when you can’t hear the roaring crowd or commentator giving his opinions.

Another good example is GTA vice city. In the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the developers licensed a lot of music tracks for the games in built radio stations. While this will have cost a lot for the developers, it will add an entire new level of immersion to it. Memories that players associate with the game, and most of the franchise, are centred on the soundtrack. People will remember certain parts of the game where certain songs were playing because they link in with it. And also, the music playing in the background will set the feel. For example, Vice City is set in the 80’s, with all the music on the radio’s being from the 80’s too. This all goes together to add to the cultural feel of the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xquKMONJHxk

Lately I have been playing the reboot of Capcom’s devil may cry and I was impressed with the soundtracks that they had put with the hack and slash gameplay. Even though dub step is an abomination to society, the dub step style tracks used for boss fights fitted the moody, adolescent attitude of the main protagonist Dante, which I felt complimented the story and gameplay.Heavy metal soundtracks were also used which complimented the whole hellish, devil slaying aspect. All of the music was done by DJs Nosia and band Combichrist. Even though on their own the songs aren’t my cup of tea, when applied in the context of the game they spur you on to smash hordes of demons

Elements of game design, part six: documentation

Game overview

‘The Good the Bad and the Zombie’ is a third person horror/action/hack and slash/strategy zombie apocalypse game where the player assumes the role as one of two redneck brothers, armed to the teeth with found and homemade weapons trying to flee their trailer park in search of salvation. 

The game will take place in three locations, the trailer park, woodland area and local town. The player will need to use their instincts as they utilise their surroundings to take out hordes of the un-dead. They can lure the un-dead into areas that have been booby trapped with gas canisters and petrol as well as distract them from attacking your partner with the scent of your own blood.  You and your partner must work together to prevent being surrounded and ultimately reach safety.

Specification

This brief is a project outline for a lead character, Non playable character, vehicle, single environment and props.

The Platform the game will be available on is Xbox 360 and PS3.

Technology and software to be used: 3ds max, Photoshop, Zbrush, crazy bump, NVidia tool plug-in, Unreal Development Kit.

The characters will be loosely based around the AMC’s The Walking Dead characters Daryl and Merle. The environment imagery is purely for style reference. 

Lead Character: Young, hot headed, Cross-bow toting redneck

Texture sizes: two 2048x2047 texture sheets     

File type: BMP

8,000 triangle budget

NPC: Lead characters older brother and Ex-soldier amputee

Texture sizes: two 2048x2047 texture sheets     

File type: BMP

8,000 triangle budget 

Vehicle: 1989 Ford F-series pickup truck

Texture sizes: one 2048x2048 texture sheet for body and one 512x512 for headlights     

File type: BMP

5,000 triangle budget

Environment:  Gas station in South Georgia (USA) interior and exterior

Triangle budget: 20,000

Texture Budget: a mixture of 8-12 texture sheets to the power of 2 i.e. 256x256, 512x512 etc.

File type: BMP 

Props: Eclipse XT Cross bow, M9 handgun, smith and western revolver, M9 army knife,  propane tank, petrol cans

Triangle budget: 3,000 for: Eclipse XT Cross bow, M9 handgun, smith and western revolver

1,000 or less for: M9 army knife, propane tank, petrol cans

Texture budget: six 512x512 texture sheets

File type: BMP