Unit 78 Digital Graphics for Computer Games - Assignment 2

Client Brief

Develop concepts for a game based on the movie Big Trouble in Little China.

Brief

Because two main protagonists are men and the antagonist is a man I feel like the target audience for this game would be men, not to say women wouldn't play the game, however it may be a good idea to add Gracie as a playable character to encourage more women to play the game. The age range for the target audience would be anywhere from 12 to 40, considering that the movie came out in 1986 some people may want to play the game for nostalgia reasons. The movie also has different ethnicities in it and so this might influence Chinese people to buy the game. I feel that the type of people that would be in this would be in the range of Ds - Bs. Research should also be done to see where people that fit into this target audience live as this is where the most advertising would be done for the game.

Before even starting work on the game, permission would have to be signed by the owners of the franchise, this would allow us to use the characters and places we see in the film. Clearly the film takes place in a Chinatown in New York City and caution would have to be taken as not to offend anyone. Especially when designing the Chinese character i would try to stay as true to the movie as possible. There is no nudity in the film so this wouldn't be a problem as there is hardly any in the film and adding some in the game would just restrict where it could be released and who would be able to purchase it.

The genre for the game would be an action-adventure platformer, with some different elements for transition levels. A good artistic style that would suit this genre would be pixel art.

Job Roles in the Game Industry

Job Roles in the Game Industry

Different Types of Companies

There are different types of companies in the gaming industry that serve different purposes. Development studios basically create all of the aspects of the game, from the art to the level design this studio will create it all. However when it comes to the publishers they have an entirely different job, one of the main ones is marketing the game, a team will often have to do market research to decide on the price of the game this will consider the platform its coming out on and popularity of is genre at the time. A publisher will also have to physically manufacture the disks and cases for the game, as well as any other promotional items. An independent studio can consist of a small amount of people to work on an entire game, obviously this can be a huge amount of work depending on the size of the game. They have to serve as both developer and publisher, this has become easier over the years with the introduction of virtual stores like Steam.

Responsibility in the Industry

Each of the different roles fall into categories and usually to each category there is a team assigned to work on a specific aspect of the game. Each team often has a lead that will run the team and oversee all the work that they do, for example the lead programmer will manage the software engineering throughout the development of the game. They normally delegate tasks to their team and overlook the work during and after development.

Working Patterns

The company Blizzard has many different roles and so I'll be using them as the example for this section. The average salary for a software engineer working at Blizzard is $82K a year, this is 14% higher than the nation average. This is a staggering amount higher when compared to Indie developers, 60% of which made less then £500 in game sales in 2013. Since working at Blizzard is in an office environment the hours are normally 9 - 5, however they may do irregular times when close to a release date. Working on an indie game is pretty much always irregular hours as you are often working from home and need to finish the game in order to earn a living wage. Occasionally during the development process the work may become to much or they may want to hire someone more experienced, and so they would hire a freelancer. This is someone that comes from outside the team to work on a specific job. Another type of employee is one on a fixed term contract, this means they are employed to do a job for a set amount of time and their employment will be terminated at the end of that contract.

Animator

An animator is responsible for showing movement and behaviour in a game, they use the best of the games engine technology, however are sometimes limited by the platform they are animated for. The aim of the animator was to bring life to a character in the most realistic way possible whether this be in game or during a cut scene. Animators often work with the programmers and artists to create smooth movement that is optimised for the correct platform. They work as part of the art department and use the objects, models and characters created by the 3D artist to define their movement and behaviour. Animation combines different aspects of movement and so the Animators can create a library of reusable animations, this makes to process quicker. To make the process more efficient the Animators often create and underlying structure that acts similar to bones.

Games Artist

These guys create the visual elements like the characters, objects and textures. Quite often they are also responsible for the concept art or storyboards which help create the visual element before the production for the game has even started. There are a lot of different artistic styles that are used for games, from photo realism to cell shaded and its an artists job to make the desired result. The look of a game is often related to its success, so an artists job is an important one. There are specific jobs that fall under the artist category for example 3D artists and concept artists. 

Assistant Producer

These people work closely with the production crew to ensure that the game is of highest quality and is produced on time. To do this role you must be able to work well in a team and have strong verbal and written communication skills. They normally focus on one aspect of the development process. A large part of there job is to manage communication between different teams like development, art and programming. In publishing, Assistant Producers will liaises between sales and marketing, however their roles can often change during the development process, this happens as the development of the game progresses. Quite often the assistant producers plan due dates and track the progress towards it, they would also review the work at completion.

Designer

One of the most important jobs in the industry is game designer, these people choose how the player will interact with the game and also several elements of it for example its setting and the characters. Once they decide on how they want the game they pass it on to the development team who create assets and code that allow the game to be played. The designer has to consider the time frame and budget they have and use this information to create the best game they can. Developers often have a good understanding of how the software they use will interact with the platform they are making the game for. They also decide on changes to make after having a response from the QA testers. 

Scriptwriter

A scriptwriter has the job of creating the story for the game, however they have a say in other aspects for example what the music would be like and events that trigger something like a cut-scene. In a game there are often several choices to make and so quite often a script writer will create a flow chart that shows the possible out comes of a players actions. The script will start as a summarised version to simply pitch the story in general and then become a more detailed story when the video game has been approved.

Level Designer

The level designer is responsible for creating separate segments of a game which usually include buildings and objects. They are slightly limited as they have to use characters and story elements created by the Game Designer. They have some freedom to change the look and feel of the level that they are responsible for. They have to define the environment and layout of the level, as well as lighting and textures. They have to add the NPCs and the behaviours associated with them. The levels can have an underlying meaning as well that can give players clues about how to progress through the game. They often sketch out the level in 2D and have to imagine themselves playing it in 3D to map out the possibilities of progressing. They are then mapped out in 3D and tested in the games engine.

QA Tester

Short for quality assurance tester, these guys are responsible for testing, spotting bugs and providing feedback on aspects of the game that could be improved. They need a good eye to be able to see anything from minor glitches to full crashes. They also look for legal issues in the game, for example anything that would count as copyright. The testers would also decide which issues to resolve first for example a game breaking bug would be prioritised over a missing texture. They often have a vision for how the game is going to be played and so test accordingly, this is why there is usually a team of testers so they can test different areas in different ways, or even test the multiplayer aspect of a game.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Gaming Platforms

The Advantages and Disadvantages of  Gaming Platforms

Mobiles aren't just phones but anything that you can easily carry around like a Nintendo or Ipad.

Mobiles:
There are two different types of handheld device, those that are purely made for games for example the Nintendo, and those that have been made for other purposes however also include games, like an IPhone. You can tell that the Nintendo has been made for games due to the way that the hardware is designed. It has a D-Pad and buttons designed specifically for cartridge based games that you have to buy separately, it also has two different screen one of them being touch pad. The IPhone is made to sever as a phone however includes the Apple Store in which you can download thousands of games a lot of which are free. There is one button on the IPhone which inst used for any game and so they have to rely entirely on touchscreen controls.

Disadvantages:

Many of the games are made to be single player and so could be criticised for separating you from society. In the time spent playing the games could be spent doing something sociable or productive. Constant use of thumbs, wrists and eyes could ed to severe eye strain, RSI or other issues. Games do not need mush physical activity and so could be criticised for making you unfit. The hardware and sometimes software can be quite expensive leading you to make a choice as to whether you need it or not. You can get sleepless nights for playing these games due to how easy they are to play.

Advantages:

There is a huge range of games that you can by on the app store that suit many different styles of play. They are also hugely convenient, being able to be played anywhere due to them being handheld. Apart from there being a pricey cost for the console most of the games are very cheap or even free. A phone for example isn't made purely for gaming and so can be used for other stuff like texting or browsing the web.

PCs (in this case a gaming) 

PC:
Currently the most technology advanced of the consoles, parts of a PC can be upgraded separately to keep up with the ever growing technology in the gaming industry. One of the most advanced graphics cards at the moment is the GeForce GTX 1080 which allows for 4K resolution. this means it can display 4,000 by 2,000 pixels on screen. It connects through HDMI, which allows for a High-definition interface. Occasionally a PC will need a fan to help stop it overheating and usually comes with a wired mouse and keyboard. Wired is usually better as it reduces latency.

Advantages:

You don't have to use a PC for just gaming as there primary use would be to browse the web. Games are much easier to buy on PC due to the digital copies you can get off of Steam, the games are usually a bit cheaper as well due to there being no licensing fee. They have to capability for insane graphics and processing power due to the fact that you can actively upgrade your computer as and when you wish. Thanks to backwards compatibility there is a huge library of games compared to the other platforms.

Disadvantages:

The cost for a gaming PC can skyrocket depending on the specs that you go for. Many of the games are made to be single player and so could be blamed for isolating you from family and friends for many hours. Many gamers have poor posture which can result in health problems in later life.

Arcade Machines

Arcade:
Rather an old machine which is usually coin-operated, can often be found in business places like restaurants and bars. There are several different games that take place of on an arcade machine, just a few are space invaders, Tekkan or Resident Evil. Fighting games often make great arcade games because the joystick and two button make for great combo mechanisms, for example ▲▼AB. The machines are usually multiplayer and so have two sets of controls. They are designed purely to soak up money.

Advantages:

Some feel that if you stand up when gaming you can become more immersed. Also not many arcade machines are around these days and many people certainly don't own them, because of this you have to leave the house to play them which in turn causes you to socialise with people. The majority of the machines are made to be multiplayer as well this help with paying for the cost.

Disadvantages:

Arcade machines cost a ridiculous amount of money and depend on people playing them to get the money back. You cannot upgrade an arcade machine and so you are stuck with what you get. The machines are normally made to play only one game and so there is no variation and i can imagine getting bored very quickly.

Consoles

Consoles:
Most of these console where originally made to only play games however as technology has advanced you can now use them to browse the web, watch TV or go online shopping. It usually connects to a TV and so the display will only be as good as the TV allows. Each console also has their own operating system for example the Xbox's would be Windows.

Advantages:

There are a lot of different games that you can get on consoles and there are several different consoles to play on. The games that are made to be on consoles are specifically made for the machine and so should run optimally as soon as you get it. The machines can be quite expensive however when you get it, you shouldn't have any problems running the game.

Disadvantages:
The technology will be outdated a few years after you buy the console and will most likely be pressured to buy the latest one. The prices of the games are also a lot higher than they would be on PC. Also you cannot personally upgrade the console and so it is locked at the specs that you buy it at.

Unit 78: Digital Graphics

Picture Resolution

When taken on a camera if the resolution is low it may be harder to see on a cameras however you can change the settings obviously if you are going to print out on A4 then the resolution doesn't have to be super high however in certain professions for example if you wanted to blow the picture up onto the side of a bus then the resolution would have to be a lot higher so that the image isn't pixelated on the bus. In the image below you can see the affect that increasing the amount of pixels per inch can do, in the first image there is theoretically 4 pixels 

Image Resolution

This is the resolution when the image is printed, the higher the amount of pixels per inch the image has the better quality the image will be. To make the highest quality image you want a high dpi(dots per inch) fro example 3000. When printing the resolution would be a lot bigger because the ink dots can be a lot closer together than what is shown on screen. This mean you can also fit more 'pixels' on printed page than you can do on screen. So you should never print at the same resolution as the on screen resolution.

Intensity 

There are many different shades between black and white, especially in Photoshop there are millions. A computer represents one colour with a colour code and three colours red, green and blue. So the one pixel value is made from vectors of three different colours. Technically, pixel intensity is its brightness, the histogram shows you how many pixels are at a certain intensity when compared to others in the same image. Black is on the left and white on the left and intensity increases as you move to the right. There are ways to have Photoshop have you show the intensities of each individual colours red, green and blue.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Movie

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -Movie

Plot: The foot clan are trying to steal chemicals and are being occasionally stopped by an unknown vigilantly, this turns out to be the turtles. Sagg had a plan to infect New York City so he could save it and become rich. However to create the antidote to the toxin he needs the turtles blood. He uses April to track them and kidnap them so he can drain their blood.

 Beginning: A reporter (April O’Neil) investigating stolen genetic chemicals. At this point the atmosphere is light and comedic. The foot clan is attempting to steal more chemicals and she decides to investigate, there is a dark change in atmosphere at this point. The docks storage containers make for good ambush and increases the viewer’s tension. The Shredder kept in silhouette to keep us in suspense and the atmosphere dark. We find out backstory about foot clan at a benefit though a sob story. The movie changes in pace when hundreds of people start running towards camera as they’re being chased. The reporter runs in to investigate an underground train station however she gets taken hostage. The lights go out so the turtles cannot be seen as they kick ass. The reporter finds and confronts turtles, the turtle’s comedic and relaxed attitude counters the previous atmosphere of the hostage situation. April realises she knows the turtles as she has video footage of them being experimented on. Splinter the turtles master remembers April. She visits the scientists that created the turtles.

Middle: Backstory about japan that gave the scientist his inspiration. Invitation to meeting at night by turtles, she feels threatened by the turtles however splinter reassures her and tells her how they were created. We find out that the scientist has been working for shredder the entire time this is dramatic irony as April doesn’t know. The lair is compromised when April realises her phone is being tracked. This leads to a boss type like fight against shredder, splinter sacrifices himself for the turtles. Three of the turtles are kidnapped and drained for their blood however Raphael hasn’t been captured so he and April go to save them. After busting in he is confronted by shredder and has to fend him off while April releases the turtles. Shredder is already on his way to New York so they have to use a service hatch and travel through the sewer to get back. Shredder has already released the toxin and the turtles have a countdown to stop it.

End: While the turtles take the elevator to confront shredder. April goes to Sagg to take the mutagen as a contingency plan. The turtles try to take shredder on one by one and fail however when they come together they beat him and disable the toxin. April knocks out Sagg to steal the mutagen and uses it to tempt shredder and give the turtles the advantage over him. The turtles then retreat back to the sewers without anyone seeing them.

Gamification

I think that a side scrolling 2.5 dimensional game would fit the film quite well, as it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The graphics would be cell shaded and the game would have cut scenes at the end of each chapter. The game would be 4 player so that each person could play a separate turtle. Each turtle would have a light, medium and heavy attack, each would be able to jump and attack in mid-air. There would be combos for example 2 light attacks and a heavy attack would cause you to start juggling the enemy. The turtles would also have 10 shrunken that they could throw in a straight line. The genre would be an action side-scroller and would consist of 5 chapters each with 10 separate levels. Throughout the game there would be both bosses and mini-bosses with the majority of the enemies you face being different types of foot soldiers. The game would block you from moving on until you have dealt with the current wave of soldiers. There would be intractable items in the world for example exploding barrels that you pick up and throw. Each turtle would have a health bar and would be able to heal with pizza found in destructible items around the level. Each chapter would be set in a different area for example the first would be the streets at night and the subway tunnel where the hostages were kept. The final boss would be shredder, who would have three different stages in the fight, getting harder each time you deplete his life bar.in the first stage he would have a long range charge and a close range slash ability. During his second phase he would then be able to throw knives and recall them like in the movie. In his final form he would take 25% more damage from attacks but also do 25% more damage, along with this he wold also have a pin that dealt damage over time. In between each of his phases there would be a wave of foot soldiers for you to fight.

Unit 78 : Digital Graphics Computer Game Graphics P1 - Understand Theory Applications of Digital Graphics

Unit 78 : Digital Graphics

Computer Game Graphics

P1 - Understand Theory Applications of Digital Graphics

Pixel Art

Pixel art uses raster graphics software, this is where the image is edited at a pixel level. This art style was often used in older games because the technology struggled to run anything else. Pixel art is often used to create 2D sprites, a sprite is a bitmap graphic that is designed to be part of a larger image, sprites can be either a static image or an animated graphic. Sprites can be characters, objects or even icons that are part of the UI. Sprites aren't as common in modern video games but they are still used for other purposes, like to add buttons or symbols to software programs.

Concept Art

Figure 1

The concept art is often used as a starting point for a game, whilst doing this you can plan different ideas for characters, areas and objects.
For example Figure 1 is concept art from the fantasy game World of Warcraft, it tells us that a new army is involved in the newest expansion. You can immediately tell that the characters depicted in the art evil due to the colour palette chosen, you can see the darkness of the image and particularly in the Warcraft universe the colour green is associated with the evil fell energy that corrupted the orcs. The purpose of concept art isn't only to plan out ideas but to make us feel what the designers are trying to convey.

Figrue 2

Texture Art & Background GraphicsTexture art is the way we convey how a surface would feel in a game. It takes both an element from 2D and 3D designed, this along with other element of game design can serve to fully immerse you in the game that you are playing. You can see the use of 3D art in the 2D image in Figure 2.
A lot of texture art is used for the background graphics in games and occasionally the art isn't drawn but pictures are taken and implemented into the game. The background is what the sprite is placed into, originally just a bitmap image background graphics now include various graphical overlays. Both the way the surface quality appears and how well the background images fit the styles play a major role in immersing the player in the game. See video at end of page.

 Print Media

This is responsible for attracting the players to the game. It includes box art, bill boards and posters. The box art has to relate to the game, it must be eye catching however the box art is never in game footage, it is usually some concept art. This is to make the game look better when compered to the others and make people want to buy it. If a game hasn't been developed particularly well then focus can be placed on the print media to hype the game and sell copies.  

Raster Image

When enlarged, individual pixels appear as little squares. In computer graphics, a raster graphics image is a dot, representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of colour, viewable via a monitor or paper. Raster images are stored in image files with varying formats.

Vector Image

Vector graphics are the use of polygons to represent images on computer graphics. Vector graphics are based on vectors, which lead through locations called control points or nodes. For example ( i , j )

A pixel isn't a little square it is one point something to do with I and J vectors