Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
We now have a good idea of what qualities make up a good character, but what else can
help us conceptualize that character? Inspiration certainly can, and it's all around us.
Comics are a good source of inspiration; they give us many of today's cool characters. Su-
perman, for example, is one of the most popular heroes of our time. His “S” shield is re-
cognized worldwide. The striking red, blue, and yellow colors of his costume, his swirling
cape, and the underwear worn on the outside of his outfit are all part of his trademark. Yet
his uniform is relatively simple in design. Batman is another good example derived from
comics; his design demonstrates good use of color and a strong silhouette—both important
factors in a character's design.
It'ssafetosaythatcomicshavelongbeenasourceofinspirationforgamecharacters.Visit
any game development studio and you will be hard pressed to find an artist's desk that
doesn't display some comic memorabilia.
Wecanalsolearnsubstantiallyfromstudyingothersuccessfulgamecharacterdesigns.The
hugely popular Final Fantasy series gives us colorful characters that hold a lot of person-
ality and visual style. With each new Final Fantasy game come new styles and fresh new
characters,eachuniqueinitsappearance.Lavishswordsandweaponry,highlyimaginative
outfits, and well-conceived characters add to the gaming experience.
Metal Gear Solid is another example of strong character design, in this case taking a more
hyper-realistic style. The chosen colors fit the character perfectly—he is a moody tactical
character who uses stealth effectively, and his outfit has to represent this by being practical
as well as stylish.
Finally, we have games such as the Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank series, which
are complete departures from the previously mentioned titles. These PlayStation games of-
fer well-designed characters using a more abstract and cartoony style, because this sort of
game needs to appeal to a wider audience, particularly the younger gamer.
The Three Stages of Concepting
So where do we start with our concept? Do we sit down and begin to sketch? Just pour out
ourideasontopaper?Nope.Notyet.Ifyougotothissteptooearly,youmightendupwith
a good design, but it will not be what your manager wants.
Concepting usually happens in the pre-production phase of a game, and sometimes earlier.
Duringthistimethedesigner,alongwiththeconceptartists,willworkonthegame'sdesign
and overall style. You will be approached by either your lead artist or the art director and
asked to provide some concept artwork for the design. They will provide some basic in-
formation to start you off (for example, the general style and overall look of each charac-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search