Art direction for games...

Elements of Game Design – Art direction for games

 

What does an Art Director do?

 

An art director, in the games industry, is the “the captain of the ship”. “Art directors are generally responsible for setting the visual tone, quality, and style for the game”. The role of the art director is to view everything to do with the game, such as; “how each character, prop, set, and location will look from any possible place in any level of the game. Everything has to be checked, because sometimes the smallest details can be as important as the main character of the game”.

 

Quotes taken from the book, “Beginning game graphics”, by Harry J. Evry.

 

Who are they responsible to?

 

Most art directors are members of a “board of directors”. Other board directors may include the financial director, human resources director, and IT director.  In the majority of companies these board members all report to a managing director who has overall responsibility for the company.  This is the formal structure of the company.  However, it is quite possible that for particular projects, the art director may well report to another director who has specific responsibility for that particular project.

 

Do you think it’s a creative role?

 

I can argue both ways for this particular question.  In principle the art director needs to be a creative individual who understands the creative processes needed when design a game and is able to empathise with the creative development team. On the other hand, the art director has to have key managerial skills to enable him to monitor and control the development of the game effectively.  So I think that the role has to be balanced between creativity and business management.  However, I think that it would be hard to be an art director without having a creative background which enables you to understand and manage the creative team.

 

How is art direction in Games similar to or different from Film, for example?

Art direction in games is very similar to films.  The creation and communication of an overall artistic vision is vital in both game development and film production.  Both mediums use story board techniques to develop and convey ideas and to plan the overall plot. Both mediums also require the creation of written scripts that actors can use to create the character’s dialog.  Props are also critical to both films and games.  For example in a game, props could be weapons, clothing and vehicles; the same is true of films.  Both mediums require defined locations.  On a game this is in the form of a 3D environment and in a film it takes the form of a physical location or set.  During development both mediums require trouble shooting.  In a film this is achieved through scene rehearsals and in a game it is done by playing discreet elements of the game. And finally both mediums require formal testing.  In a game this is done by knowledgeable developers actually playing the finished game and in film it is done at the final edit where the “rushes” are viewed.
 

 

What qualities do you think you’d need to develop if you want to become an Art Director in the future?

 

To become a successful art director I need to develop three key skills.  These are:

 

Creative skills - This includes the ability to create novel ideas and concepts and to develop these into exciting storylines, environments and characters.

 

Technical skills –These include the use of advanced modelling and animation software.

 

Managerial skills – This includes the management of people, time and finances, the development of my self-confidence and improving my communication skills.

Game Design?

Elements of Game Design – From Pong to Next gen...

What is meant by Gameplay?

I believe that gameplay can be best described as the way in which players interact with a game. The elements that make up gameplay include; the game’s rules, the game’s controls, game challenges (overcoming them), the game’s plot/ storyline and the connection it creates with the players.

 "A good game is one that you can win by doing the unexpected and making it work” Quote from Rollings, Andrew; Morris, Dave (2000) Game Architecture and Design New Riders Games.  Defining the word gameplay is quite hard without listing lots of different variants; however in summary I think gameplay is the overall experience a player gets from playing a game.

Who are the leading lights in Game Design?

 

In my view, the biggest and most innovative game design companies are those that have the best game design “track records” and consistently deliver gripping story lines. These include; Rockstar North, Ubisoft Montreal, Nintendo EAD and Bungie. These companies have produced many major titles including; Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, Super Mario Bro’s, Halo and many more. These titles have been around for a number of years and have established themselves as “Classic” games. All of these companies have developed unique brands and have their own “Money Makers”. For example Rockstar North’s is Grand theft Auto, and Bungie’s is the “best seller”, Halo.

 

Where does Game Design take place in the modern Developer? Is it a single person’s responsibility?

From a creative perspective, game design takes place in a multi-disciplined team where each member of the team is directly responsible for his or her own role, but is also responsible for ensuring that their work fits in with the rest of the team’s efforts and contributes toward the overall design objective.



However, from a business perspective there is also a need for managerial structure which enables key creative and project management decisions to be made quickly and effectively.  This requires a level of “senior management”.

Do different genres require different design principles?

In my view different genres of game do not require different design principles. All next generation games need atmospheric music (requiring live recording), complex level and environmental designs (requiring the creation of side missions and interactive 3D environments), very complex plots (requiring in depth script writing and control logic) high resolution characters (requiring complex 3D character generation) and high levels of control interaction (requiring the use of sophisticated software techniques and powerful game engines). Irrespective of whether it is a Horror, Sci-fi, Action, Puzzle or Sport game these design principles remain the same.

What’s important for you, when you play?

 

When I play a game, I look for several key attributes.  These include: effective and responsive controls, level’s that flow well, a gripping plot, realism in all aspects of the game and a good reward/ achievement system? Because at the end of the day, what I want from a game is to be entertained and immersed in an imaginary world without the distractions of poor or inappropriate game design.