Unit 78 Computer Game Graphics

In Game Interface:

Within Video games, developers will add information vital to the player so that they can play the game properly, this usually takes the form of a Heads up Display or HUD. The HUD is a part of the User Interface or UI, similar to a main menu or pause screen, however the HUD is always visible while in game. Within a HUD no matter what type of game, the player will likely see their characters health/stamina, ammunition and a mini map. These will constantly be active so that the player can see all the important information necessary to play the game. Parts of the HUD will be in their position for a reason, so that they do not interfere directly with gameplay. For example you wouldn’t find a health bar in the middle of the screen. Usually sections of the HUD are confined to either sides of the screen towards the bottom or the top, while things such as the aiming reticule will in the centre. 

Other examples include main menus, another very important part of a game. This is where you can load in your last save, change setting, view statistics or start a new game. A menu should be easy to follow and understand, it should also be clean and tidy otherwise players may find it difficult to navigate the UI.

Below the image shows your characters health and stamina in the top left, and the ammunition in the top right.

Print Media:

When designing a video game not only do developers need to work on in game art/text, they also need to create and design relevant pieces of promotional material and information, so that they can advertise their game and market it. This usually takes the form of posters, box art and manuals. Both posters and box art are similar in that they need to look eye catching, and relevant to the game. The title of the game and logos would be used, along with colours and possibly a character. This allows the developers to show off their creation without giving too much away. On the right is a poster for DOOM which contains the title and a character from the game. Similar to posters the box art is very important, it must contain the title other than that it’s down to how the developer want’s the box to look. A logo may also be include. 

Along with relevant colouring and possibly a character or location. The company May decide to go with a less obvious design, using only one solid colour or leaving no information other than a logo or title. This game has designed the box art so that it relates to the game, they have included the main character and placed the title at the top. Manuals are created to teach players the fundamentals of the game. They must talk about the key aspects of the game which include, how to play, the HUD and so on. Some may even go further and describe the story of the game or discuss world lore. Below is an image of a Legend of Zelda game manual, it describes in detail how to play the game.

Pixel Art:

Pixel Art is a form of digital art used frequently in older games, where images are created at the pixel level using graphics editing software. Pixel Art is loved in the video games community mainly due to its rich heritage, the style was used in Super Mario, Castlevania and many other well-known retro video games. Pixel Art is Unique in that one pixel is an important component of one larger image. The style emerged in the ‘80s and ‘90s as games became popular, but was used due to technical limitations of the graphics cards at the time. The style later became obsolete as a new generation of graphics cards became available and developers began to render 3D models rather than 2D sprites.

Here you can see this character has been produced using Pixel Art. Notice the different shades of colour building up definition on the character, this mimics the effects of lighting and gives the character a lot of depth.

 

Concept Art:

In games design concept art is essential into the whole idea of the game, it represents the mood and feeling of a game in a form everyone developing the game can understand. However Concept Art is not the same as illustration, this is because Concept Artist strive to deliver ideas and communicate them as effectively as possible whereas the role of an illustrator is to create highly polished artwork. Concept Art is a must because it promotes discussion and sparks interest, it gives other departments within the design to work off these loose designs and build a world from a loose sketch.

This Concept Art demonstrates the basic idea the artist wanted in the game, the designs are loose and untidy but that’s the point, there is no need to pour tons of effort into something that is the very baseline idea of a game.

 

Texture Art:

In video Games every piece of geometry, terrains and characters all have textures. Textures make up the complete visual aspect of a game ranging from the very floor you walk on to the sky. A texture is a 2D image used by artist to effectively, add colour to the game, but in a detailed way. For example an Artist might use a grass texture for the floor or a rock texture for a cliff face. The visual quality of the game depends on the quality of the texture, for example if the developers wanted a Photorealistic style, Artists would use high resolution photographs for their textures, whereas a cartoon styled game would use, blocky coloured textures.

There are many different types of textures such as Normal maps which mimic light patterns, specular and roughness maps which make the texture more realistic and so on.

The better looking a texture the more immersive the game is for the player, and therefore a better gameplay experience. Some developers allow the community to openly modify the games style, games such as Minecraft are popular with this, meaning the players can customise their own visual experience of the game. I had an image prepared for this section and the following, but Blogger refused to publish with it.

Background Graphics:

Background Graphics are the images/models you see in the background of the game usually an unnoticed part of a game which is the point. Background Graphics are not designed to stand out by any means, only to blend into the environment the character plays in. This technique is commonly more prominent in 2D titles than 3D but is almost always used in both. They’re created by artist who use a graphics program to design these backgrounds and make sure that they coincide nicely with the art style of the game. Backgrounds can include trees, mountains, rivers and building to name a few, as long as they blend with the style of the game they will work. This image was taken from the game Ori and the Blind Forest, a 2D game which focused heavily on immersing the player into the world. You can tell that the scenery is a forest therefore the background graphics should also be a forest. Notice how the foreground and the Background merge perfectly.