Video Game Art Could Do With A Little More Respect (Opinion Piece) - Polidicks

[IMG]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--5JqdSZFo--/qpifbkbcajb5mo6gvkhm.jpg[/IMG] [QUOTE]In case you're asleep by the time it's posted, almost every night on Kotaku I run a feature called Fine Art. It's a showcase of the work of artists working in (or dabbling in) the video game business. I do this post for a number of reasons. It's fun, it's rad art, there's a degree of closure in it since it's a career path I once nearly went down myself. Another reason, though, is that these guys and girls deserve more credit than they get. I know video games are usually the product of teams of dozens, if not hundreds of people. And every single person involved is making key contributions, whether they're designing a level or programming some AI. So in many ways, it's unfair to highlight the contributions of some and not others. But in other ways, I think many artists working in video games deserve the recognition. Or at least some recognition. Video game publishers always go to great lengths to highlight the involvement of writers, composers and voice actors in their titles, and rightly so, because their efforts can be key to what we take out of a game (imagine Halo without Marty O'Donnell's theme, for instance), and their contributions as artists can be clearly singled out. [/QUOTE] [IMG]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--vCCA4VyG--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/hsrvndspqybwwtqbceum.jpg[/IMG] [QUOTE]So why can't they do the same for illustrators and concept artists? I've always found it curious, and more than a little sad, that some of the people most directly involved in what draws us to a game as fans - and keeps us invested long after we've first fired a game up - are often working in the shadows, unknown to most. Those action figures on your shelf, that outfit you're cosplaying in, that poster on your wall, that boss design you can't get out of your head...those characters were probably designed (at least at first) by either a single person or a small team. Ditto some of video games' most iconic locations, from Rapture to City 17. The idea of them may have been conjured by a director, or writer, but the aesthetic - the thing that defines a place more than anything else - was the work of an artist or small team of artists. I was motivated to write this when, last week, a few pieces of new Mass Effect art showed up, which may or may not end up being part of what ends up being the next Mass Effect game. They were beautiful, but they were also issued without crediting the people who drew them. It's the same story almost every time you see art released; with the exception of a few studios who do the right thing and give little shout-outs on things like blogs and Facebook posts (Ubisoft and Eidos are better than most), art is treated as meat for the marketing grinder, the product of a publisher instead of the work of an artist. [/QUOTE] [IMG]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--7O8vN_uB--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/lp4bikzstiqvupcouxsl.jpg[/IMG] [QUOTE][B]Can you imagine a video game publisher releasing an excerpt of the script without mentioning the writer? Or putting a song from a soundtrack on YouTube without crediting the composer? Of course not. But art, whether it's the work of an internal team, a contract studio in Singapore or a freelancer, is rarely afforded the same courtesy.[/B] Some artists are happy about this, and that's cool! Not everyone needs their name and face in the spotlight, and some artists (or entire studios) prefer to stay under everyone's radar. But this isn't a case of individual preference. No matter the artist and no matter the publisher, video game art is not given the same respect fields like music and writing are (and hey, let's not forget, this is a relative comparison, as those are fields that could probably do with a bit more respect themselves). [/QUOTE] [url]http://kotaku.com/video-game-art-could-do-with-a-little-more-respect-1658046952[/url] I know you guys love to shit all over Kotaku, but it's a genuinely good article that raises an interesting issue.

I always see concept art credited in non-promotional material. Like "The making of" books and things, and most of the time in "unlockable" concept art. This is interesting, but not a totally major issue. Sometimes I don't see music credited either unless it's a big composer, and I don't even think I have ever seen a script released. Credit is given when credit is due, usually in the credits, imagine if in a movie we had a "made by x" in the middle of the movie? I'm sort of on the fence about this.

Well I mean it's hard to give lots of respect to individuals who work in big teams i guess (not saying you shouldn't). When you have someone like Yoji Shinkawa who does every bit of art for a project, it's easier to show respect.

[QUOTE=kaine123;46479876]I know you guys love to shit all over Kotaku, but it's a genuinely good article that raises an interesting issue.[/QUOTE] Not really. No one do shoutouts for the system designers, and they're arguably more important than the people that does concept art. Only people that really get recognition are the game designers.

I love the art in video games and other media. I usually buy the art book for them if they're available.

[QUOTE=Ragekipz;46480089]Not really. No one do shoutouts for the system designers, and they're arguably more important than the people that does concept art. Only people that really get recognition are the game designers.[/QUOTE] Programmers and level designers are the most important people in any team, next to art

Video Games as an enthusiastic creation deserve more respect form Publishers, rather then being seen as a soulless production line paycheck on a disc. I mean obviously money's very important and there's no point in deluding yourself otherwise but still.

[QUOTE=J!NX;46480100]Programmers and level designers are the most important people in any team, next to art[/QUOTE] they're all very important groups. bad art can make or break a game

[QUOTE=.Lain;46480157]they're all very important groups. bad art can make or break a game[/QUOTE] pretty much especially horror games horror games REALLY need great sound design and art that you can take serious or the entire game will break AC:U though proves that even with amazing art terrible programming will truly screw the game over

[QUOTE=Te Great Skeeve;46479958]I always see concept art credited in non-promotional material. Like "The making of" books and things, and most of the time in "unlockable" concept art. This is interesting, but not a totally major issue. Sometimes I don't see music credited either unless it's a big composer, and I don't even think I have ever seen a script released. Credit is given when credit is due, usually in the credits, imagine if in a movie we had a "made by x" in the middle of the movie? I'm sort of on the fence about this.[/QUOTE] They get the shit end of the stick both in credit and a lot of the time in pay. I'm slightly afraid of breaking into the business knowing not much has changed nor will change. Massive Black do absolutely god-tier work for anyone who hires them but they pretty much never get talked about by anyone. They're responsible for some pretty interesting and key designs in a lot of games.

Video game art is great, just take a look at Team Fortress 2 when it comes down to a cartoon, look at blizzard's artwork on how great they put much depth in the world, and how there cinematic's is very close to our theater cinematic's. Video games are a great piece of artwork if devs spent loads of time on it...

My favorite part about videogame art is that even if the game fucking SUCKS, the art's still good. Sorta on topic, but I also really hate that "infinite detail scanning" shit thats only purpose seems to be to eliminate environmental artists completely.

[QUOTE=milkandcooki;46480362]My favorite part about videogame art is that even if the game fucking SUCKS, the art's still good. Sorta on topic, but I also really hate that "infinite detail scanning" shit thats only purpose seems to be to eliminate environmental artists completely.[/QUOTE] point cloud data is 100% useless for real time rendering, there will always be a place for environment artists even if it's just retopologizing shit geometry made from laser scans

Honestly I agree, sure every part of the team is important and really they all deserve more credit for what they do but fundamentally artists and concept artists specifically are the people that take the idea for the world and actually distill it into the first actual workings of that world.

[QUOTE=.Lain;46480157]they're all very important groups. bad art can make or break a game[/QUOTE] God knows it destroyed Psychonauts.

[QUOTE=.Lain;46480157]they're all very important groups. bad art can make or break a game[/QUOTE] Their wouldn't be a game at all without a programmer though.

[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;46480568]Their wouldn't be a game at all without a programmer though.[/QUOTE] And their game wouldn't get any attention if there weren't any art. The point is that everyone has an important role in creating a game.

[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;46480918]And their game wouldn't get any attention if there weren't any art. The point is that everyone has an important role in creating a game.[/QUOTE] What about Dwarf Fortress, Depression Quest, etc. ?

[QUOTE=Kljunas;46481055]What about Dwarf Fortress, Depression Quest, etc. ?[/QUOTE] Dwarf Fortress is incredibly niche and Depression Quest has the whole Zoe Quinn / GamerGate thing behind it.

[QUOTE=Kljunas;46481055]What about Dwarf Fortress, Depression Quest, etc. ?[/QUOTE] actually dwarf fortress has a mural of it's procedural world generation at the museum of modern art and depression quest is trash

[IMG]http://2.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/37/98/d3dccf401c36c0f9632c23c719eb80f6.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Mr.Moustachio;46481517][IMG]http://2.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/37/98/d3dccf401c36c0f9632c23c719eb80f6.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] I've never really dug into this picture before, but the more I look at it the more baffling it gets. Aside from the oddly well painted face, everything about it screams "random student's notebook doodle" budgets were tiny and people back then more or less had to rely on hiring cheap novel illustrators when they could get them, often giving them a written brief and maybe a few art assets

[QUOTE=.Lain;46480157]they're all very important groups. bad art can make or break a game[/QUOTE] Except you can make good games without needing artists.

You're name should be in the credits, like everyone else who participated in the project equally, but that's the price you pay for working in a studio. You're contributing to the big picture, all working as a team. Credit is shared, and usually the higher ups get given more credit naturally. If you want your name to be known, you'd be best to forge your own path. They will give recognition to the art director, but not as much to the minion no matter how the work was distributed. It's always been that way through all of art history, I don't think gaming is different. There have been many Master's work that have had the hands of many apprentices help create the overall piece, the Master will get the credit, but if the apprentice is great, he will go on to gain his own notoriety.

i dont really get the point in this article. obviously the toils of the art team on any game are vast and incredible, but the big art teams on most AAA games are a massive homogeneous blob of working ants. they all do incredible, excellent work, and are all great artists individually and in their own right, but they are making tiny parts of a larger vision how are you going to give those people the spotlight? it's literally hundreds of people on some games, same with programming or junior designers or anything else so of course the mainstream media always champions the lead designers, composers, and voice actors... it's exactly the same in cinema. who are you gonna push as your face in the media? the director? the lead writer? the actors? the composer? or the hundreds of people on the art team? obviously i think the article is more geared towards "why aren't art directors given more of the spotlight?". well, for starters, they are given quite the spotlight - there are some AAA art directors who are hugely well known by everyone in the industry. the question is, why aren't they praised and shown off in the mainstream media as much as, say, composers? that's trickier to answer but it's not difficult. it's to do with the way they work and the end product they produce look at this [t]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--i3SQIxS5vI/UWQElQA9dWI/AAAAAAAABiQ/VXadmPxTKCQ/s1600/1.PNG[/t] in the industrial design half, look at where the art direction - the concept art that defines the final look of the game - goes. it's like a 10th of the process. it's incredibly instrumental in the production and final product, of course, but it is never [I]seen[/I] in the final product. that's why it isn't as marketable as selling your hollywood actors or composers or writers or the game designer who's mechanics form the very backbone of the gameplay the person playing the game is directly hearing the music, listening to the writing, playing with the game mechanics, but they're not seeing the hard work of some guys who painted the gun they're shooting like 3 years ago. art direction is just more niche and the final point is that there's a large number of prolific art directors who are entirely freelance. because their work is done before the game is even really being made, they're not going to be around for 90% of the production. i can guess that this makes them harder to triumph and make as a flagship for a brand unlike, say, a lead designer who has been with the company since the 90s and has been the cornerstone of every game produced by the studio, or a well-known hollywood composer or actor

I'm a games artist, I don't really care for more appreciation to be honest, as long as the player doesn't stop and notice something's weird, we're doing our job. Sharing the thing's I make just with friends and family is more than enough gratification for me, I do what I do because I love doing it.

[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;46482855]the person playing the game is directly hearing the music, listening to the writing, playing with the game mechanics, but they're not seeing the hard work of some guys who painted the gun they're shooting like 3 years ago. art direction is just more niche [/QUOTE] Just as they can't appreciate the work of the people who worked on the engine. Getting upset because your name isn't famous on a game that involves dozens of people is simply unnecessary.

[QUOTE=Mr.Moustachio;46481517][IMG]http://2.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/37/98/d3dccf401c36c0f9632c23c719eb80f6.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] I've always thought that box art looked like it was from an old kid's cartoon from the Soviet Union.

[QUOTE=milkandcooki;46480362]My favorite part about videogame art is that even if the game fucking SUCKS, the art's still good. Sorta on topic, but I also really hate that "infinite detail scanning" shit thats only purpose seems to be to eliminate environmental artists completely.[/QUOTE] this is somewhat happening already with physically based rendering. Almost all of fox engine's (Metal Gear Solid 5's engine) textures and models are based on photos and scans. Light and reflections are based entirely on physics. So a lot of artistic interpretation is taken away. Not that it's bad for gaming, but it makes me wonder how many artists were felt feeling useless.

[QUOTE=Neckbird;46484039]this is somewhat happening already with physically based rendering. Almost all of fox engine's (Metal Gear Solid 5's engine) textures and models are based on photos and scans. Light and reflections are based entirely on physics. So a lot of artistic interpretation is taken away. Not that it's bad for gaming, but it makes me wonder how many artists were felt feeling useless.[/QUOTE] someone has to implement that work. it's just that, at least for realistic-looking games with big budgets, the artists' job is changing it's not like you take a photograph and then bam texturing and material setups complete. pbr is another massive skillset and timehog just in different ways to traditional texture work. any game artist worth their salt is making that transition now but the basics are still the same and must be learnt from the ground up, it's just that the end result is somewhat more technically-minded than the classic methods