Unit: 78 Digital Graphics in Computer Games

Unit 78 - Computer Game Design - Computer Game Graphics 

Computer Game Graphics

Pixel Art (2D and Isometric 3D Sprites)

Sprites are pictures of player models for 2D and Isometric games, they are how a player is made to run, jump, crouch etc, in other words every single movement that a character makes in a 2D game has a picture behind that movement.

E.g to make a character look as if they're walking forward a developer would take two sprites, a picture of the character with one leg in front of the other and vice-versa. These two sprites put together would create the animation.

For more detailed animations more sprites are required. 

<<< These are the sprites for this animation >>>

Isometric games have a rotated camera angle so the player can see more of a 2D environment,

isometric games require isometric sprites which would include all of the character movements from all high angles. Again in more complex isometric games require more sprites for a more detailed experience.

       

This is an isometric sprite animation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1l9FfH8oGw

Concept Art/Design

Concept Art is the initial idea of all the contents off the game characters, weapons, vehicles, environment etc. For example Grand Theft Auto V is a modern photo-realistic game therefore the weapons are going to look and act as real as possible, e.g. they shoot real types of ammunition and they would have been based off of a real firearm also the weapon would have to be reloaded
after the the magazine is empty, triggering a realistic reload animation.

The Bullpup Shotgun's look and other properties such as fire rate, bullet velocity/damage and the use of slug rounds are based on the real life KSG 12 Pump action shotgun.

This is a video i recorded on GTA V to show the realism of the in-game weapons and damage.

The video is brief but it shows the in-game reload animations, damage on glass and metal, bullet spread and the sound of the weapon. All of these things are nearly identical to how the weapon would act in real life.

Rockstar Games also based Grand Theft Auto V's city of Los Santos to Los Angeles.

      City Of Los Santos

       City Of Los Angeles

Not all games concepts are the same, Saints Row: Gat out of hell is a much exaggerated game, as the player is running around the mythological setting of Hell and uses guns such as the ''Armchair-a-geddon'' which is a regular armchair but with mini guns and recliner rockets installed.

These two games are completely different due to their use of two extremely different concepts.

All concept are first an idea which is sketched up briefly and then worked on to develop a final product which will be implemented into the game.

This is some character class concept art from the development of Destiny.

Texture Art

Texture art is essentially an in game surface, regular things that you see in games like floors, walls, doors and other props/objects are all applied textures to make them look real or how the developer wants them to look. In simpler games there are more 2D designs rather than 3D whereas in newer complex games to make a realistic looking texture both 2D and 3D designs are used.

    

In games like Minecraft the player has the ability to install a 'Texture Pack' that will change all in game textures to a specific style such as 'Medieval', 'Sci-Fi', 'Fantasy' etc. 

         Minecraft Original Textures

''Dokucraft'' Textures

Background Graphics

Background graphics are used to create horizons, skies, or anything beyond the playable area in a game. Backgrounds tend to be 2D pictures as the player can only see the background and not access that area of the game.

For example in Mortal Kombat X the players are not allowed to go into the city behind them as it's just a background, this background also has animations for the flags blowing in the wind, people walking around, smoke and birds flying around. 

In open world such as Grand Theft Auto V, if the player stands on one side of the map, the other side can faintly be seen giving the effect that the character is far way from it, this creates a much more realistic background because all of the map is accessible meaning that it has to be detailed for the character to travel around it.

In-game interface/HUD 

The in-game interface shows the player their health, radar, objective, ammunition/weapons, currency, XP bar etc. Some games' HUD stays on the screen throughout the whole game but in some games the HUD will appear in times of combat and vanish for key parts of the story. 

The HUD is vital for modern day games as they're more complex and players need to be aware of multiple things at a time, the HUD is is where all the things are.

Some games also have the option to turn the HUD off for a more difficult challenge, this will sometimes be set automatically if playing on and 'Ultra Hard' difficulty.

Print Media

Print media is all the physical graphics needed for advertising a game e.g. game posters, billboards, the game case graphics, manuals, strategy guides etc. This is extremely important for distribution purposes because the more people see these advertisements, the more potential purchases the game will get. Although people don't necessarily look at a poster and go purchase the game but it makes them aware of the product and they will most likely remember it.