I feel this so bad ):It can also be very difficult because of the amount of quality other departments expect at all times, meaning a Producer wont be able to understand a concept if its not final art, leading to a TON of wasted work because suits cannot understand WIP's unless theyre colored or whatnot. Especially with art you see a lot of wasted work because art is seen as pretty disposable and misunderstood. Lots of "cant you just maker it like this?" comments, the artist knows that it would be a shit ton of work but will often just comply.
Depends on your team size (indie, mobile or AAA) and responsibility. If youre on smaller teams youre asked to be more of a semi specialist that can also be a jack of all trades vs working in AAA you can be one of 6 character artists that specializes in modeling faces, maybe ... but if youre in an indie project you probably have to do 40% of the art needs a game has, depending on your role.
Each company is also very different culturally. When I was at Kiwi or SGN, sometimes I worked on several games at once and most of them are in different development stages so it could literally be that game A needs a visual target in order to get greenlit so thats gonna take 2 days at least but game B needs a new asset update so I gotta make some new ground tiles to go with the 4th of July theme whereas game C has some assets dropped from outsourcing so I need to make some time before lunch to check them out and provide feedback because theyre in BUENOS AIRES and theyre in a different schedule.
For EA it was different, there I was the Lead Artist and was basically in charge of the entire art team so I could go and tell our VFX guy "hey, I want to show this to Lucas today so please have the VFX for "x" ready by noon, then start working on "y" right after. Meanwhile our environment artist would be waiting on an asset drop from our outsourcer before getting started on the next env but in the meantime he was fine tuning the env thats closest to release or doing some minor tasks while waiting so he would have time to attend strategy meetings about the next content drop.
So as you can see its hard to nail the "average" I have found that mostly a production artist has a few standup meetings in the mornings every week, a couple of art reviews and the rest is heavily based on production time. It's not quite a 9-5 job because overtime is a thing but 9:30 to 6:30 is something Ive seen a lot
How does the dynamic between the artists and the programmers, creative directors, writers, producers work? Does it change project to project and how so? Cheers!
Which game has visually impressed you the most this generation and why?
What is a previously released title that you would like to have worked on, or a sequel to a previous game, other than Chrono Trigger?
There's many companies that have suffered from the "boys club" mentality that we've been hearing about, where they are generally uncomfortable or unsafe for female coworkers. Were there any places you've worked at that have felt that way?
2nd Batch
We are definitely paid less. If you want to make money as an artist, be in graphic design! At Gameloft in NY we had an amnazing UI artist who came from a design house and he said in order to join games he knew he had to give up 20k a year. It can be frustrating knowing how much to contribute to a game only to find out the producers who set your schedule make way more money than you do
Otherwise, its not like we are treated badly ... at least not in my experiences and in the roles Ive had as a leader its always been my custom to elevate the presence of the art team, very often they can feel more like freelancers than actual developers. Its key to get them more involved in the games process, you often hear jokes from game designers or other people that clearly disrespect our knowledge of games since "oh theyre just artistes" when like, motherfucker, I play more games than you and have been in the industry for decades, I know how to make a game LOL
That being said, designers and engineers and such are often wonderful to work with and can be pretty amazed when they see our output. It goes both ways.
I see a LOT of projects go sideways due to lack of confidence in the project and starting over way too many times. What you think is a year of development is often 3 months worth because they started over 3 times. Im a big believer in execution and think too many projects die get rebooted too soon when they just should have committed to what they had instead of jumping to conclusions too early and continuously trying to be perfect since the beginning. That CAN backfire though, just look at Anthem! They definitely went full out way too early.
I see a lot of copying and pasting too. "Well pick this from game x, this from game y and this from game z" That shit barely EVER works because youre teaching your game designers to copy, so they dont create anymore and if they dont practice their craft, they wont be able to tackle any kind of creative solving later on.
This gen Bloodborne definitely comes to mind, what a perfect blend of art and design! Monster Hunter World is also up there, basically perfect ... oh man, BOTW too.
All time it would be hard to argue against 3rd Strike. Perfection in execution by a team at the peak of their powers.
Nope, I love it. Im a game maker through and through. While I do have aspirations of getting a comic book/manga/graphic novel done its games that has allowed me to grown and flourish
BE a gamemaker, get in Unity, make things, try new things. A lot of people TALK a lot in thius business and dont realize just how mind numbingly hard it is. Make a small game, not your dream game, and realize how much you had no idea about. Its a great business to be in, but most people just dont understasnd it because what you see in media and forums really aint how 90% of it is, chief
Money! You need money. In order to make a studio that has a chance you need, imo:
- a small, doable idea
- a great engineerr
- a great artist that can work in code and can animate
- for one of the two to be a game designer, otherwise get a game designer that can work in code
Making games is very hard, much harder than you think so find people you want to work with, be nice, be humble and start very, very small.
Just how fucking impossible it is to get anything to work and not break the entire game. Even fucking FLOOR TILES are annoying as fuck to implement. Seriously, every game out there is held together by pins and needles and was probably crashing every ten seconds a week before release. Most "why didnt they do this?" question in most game discussion threads are things we probably already tried and couldn't do for a variety of reasons, most of them being "well if we did that wed have to redo everything else, which would then break everything, which would then ..." etc etc
Yall dont even realize just HOW MANY game breaking bugs are in EVERY GAME YOU PLAY. People bitching about bugs and QA really make me sad because you have no idea just how many bugs were found AND fixed before a release. The amount of crunch and hard work those guys and gals go through is unbelievable and yet they receive most of the blame. Remember, QA's job is to find bugs, not to fix them ... and if they dont get fixed is because theres even higher priority things to fix by the actual dev team
irl when people find out Im a game dev they become friendly and will then sometimes blurt out dumb shit like "Uncharted 3 sucked" only for me to verbally slap them. No, those people are fucking wizards and anything they do (outside of crunch) doest not, in fact, suck. Its such an insult to everyone who works in gamedev who doesnt work for Naughty Dog to be told that cause fuck, man, if THEY suck, then you must really not respect me cause Im nowhere near good enough to EVER work for ND. You know what sucks? Most games that get cancelled and never release, or most of the shovelware that comes out on the iOS store every day. Lack of perspective really gets to me
Have you ever had a secret/unannounced project you're working on leaked/spoiled before a planned reveal/release? How do you and everyone on the team feel about that?
How's the quarantine effecting work? Are you working the same hours or reduced(/more?), and how did that effect getting a new job?
Is there any particular studio you admire for their work in art? Outside of the ones you worked for obviously.
I know it's before your time and before EA owned them, buuuuut... do you have access to any original artwork (not scanned/duplicated) for Knights of the Old Republic (the original 2003 Xbox/PC game)?
I'd be willing to pay several hundred dollars for an original piece of character or location art from one of the game's artists... just throwing it out there. I know it's a SUPER long shot, but it's my favorite game of all time so figured I'd ask :)
When it comes to updating an old game for some kind of rerelease/remaster, how labor intensive is it to update old texture work? Is it so labor intensive that it might as well be wholly new, or is it easier?
Are you able to freelance?
How often do people ask you to do art for them for exposure?
Would you say the advancement of technology makes your job easier or more difficult each console generation (if that matters)?
Why are you raging, is there something you'd like to talk about that's been bothering you?
May seem unrelated, but being in the games industry I imagine you've known quite a few people in the audio departments. What's the best way for a composer and/or foley artist to get into the industry? How'd you get into the industry?
Yes I want a job in sound work for games if you couldn't tell lol. Thanks for doing this ama.
Have you ever created concept art for a game that made devs go "holy crap, how the hell am I supposed to turn this into a videogame model?" ^_^
Yeah yeah ok, I meant your typical "sitting down and coding" folks.
I know in some companies there are inconsistencies when it comes to treatment of employees and I'm curious if this also somehow extends to people who do art.
What are some common misconceptions about the industry or game development that you see in this forum that you'd like to address?
This is awesome man!
Ok I have a few little ones that are kind of related.
When you were a kid, were you drawn to drawing (lol) pretty early on, and found talent there right away, or did you have to go to art classes, or a combination thereof?
What do you prefer, physical art materials and paper and inks etc, or digital media?
What kind of Wacom etc if any do you utilize? What do you think of the Microsoft Studio PC?
Ok thanks!!!
blender noob here
does UV unwrapping ever get easier
I'm genuinely afraid of it
This is a great answer, I really appreciate the insight!UV is a goddamn hellish shitscape. Be afraid of it, sure but DO learn it. In college we learned that if youre UVing a single piece for over 15 minutes, youre doing it wrong. It was 20 years ago, but theres wisdom there
Do beware of auto UV wrappers though, they can make it hard for other people to use your UVs or fix your textures and can teach you some pretty bad habits. For instance, most people at Blizzard are MASTERS at using UVs and truly getting the most out of a texture. If you become one of those UV savants nyoull have a big advatnage over other candidates.
May seem unrelated, but being in the games industry I imagine you've known quite a few people in the audio departments. What's the best way for a composer and/or foley artist to get into the industry? How'd you get into the industry?
Yes I want a job in sound work for games if you couldn't tell lol. Thanks for doing this ama.
Do you want to be my friend? I'm a 3d/2d artist myself, and it's kinda lonely in this quarantine.
What software do you use for work and what software would you recommend for an amateur digital artist? (Bonus points if you have any recs for animation software!)
What are the salient lessons you have learned in the last 14 years being part of gaming industry and consequently what advise would you give newcomers so that they can avoid pitfalls you have witnessed?
"typical day question"
2nd-ed
No need to go into specifics. But are you compensated well or is the starving artist archtype still real?
you are right :P
it was just something I always wanted to ask someone from EA.
This is super cool and very kind of you. Spanish dev highfive! :)
Have you ever made a game in a pixel art style? Would you want to, since (like myself) you cherish Chrono Trigger and FFVI so much, or do you consider this art style better left in the past?
Also, I wanted to point out that one of your answers in the very first batch (the one about crunch) got sandwitched and hidden between the quote tags of its question, which is a shame! :)
What's a dream project you would want to work on, either a new ip or existing?
Hope your new job is at SE helping them build that CT remake!
What is the single highest number of times you've been tasked with reconcepting the same thing (including adjustments from feedback)?
What do you think of the Quixel Megascans library in UE4? How do you think it will impact game development?
This is probably more on the publishing side, but...
First of all thank you for doing this.
I have been trying to work in video game localization (and maybe dubbing) for the longest time.
I've had some mild successes working on some well-known indie games, but who usually handles localization?
In other words, who should I be trying to get in touch with?
What's your work like once production cycle on a game goes to the final steps? Are you moved onto a different project or are you still on the current one?
Has there been a design that you've seen in another video game that made you think "damn, I wish I could've thought of that?"
Did you undergo higher education in game art specifically to lead into your job role? (assuming you weren't just self taught)
And in regards to the job role, do you cover a specific parts of games art design (like characters or environments) or does it involve tackling a bit of everything? (probably dependent on the job?)
How many years of art study it took to start working as an artist in videogames?
I'm starting digital art now, as a hobby. I'll love to work professionally as an artist... could I make it before I die?
hey can you draw my portrait
i could pay you in uhhh exposure it would really benefit your business
If you wanted to work in film instead, how difficult would the transition be?
Or is that not something people do?
What's the most limited you've felt in your design due to system or game constraints and what's your favorite result given extreme constraints?
Will the technology of next gen consoles make your job easier for this console cycle?
Did you ever draw a character nude in your free time?
.... What?
In what kind of capacity do you as a visual artist work together with those who do sound design and compose the soundtrack? Do you give visual cues for them to work with? And can audio concepts actually influence a redesign of visuals in a game?
No question, just looked through the links to your art and wanted to say it's amazing. How did I not see that Chrono Trigger thread before now? I love it.
Is there any entry level way to get into the game industry? People used to always say QA tester but every position that I've seen has required some type of college degree
What does EA/SW team think of the whole "EA doesn't deserve the SW license" thing?
I recall you negative reactions to EA getting thrown under the bus by the community and internet at large during the various outrages/mobbings of the last few years. (SW BF 2, BFV, Anthem etc.)
But EA seems like a nice place to work. Has your opinion changed now that you may no longer be working at EA?
7th Batch. Thats it for page one! Phew!
Next Street Fighter, next Final Fantasy, next FROM anything, next Nintendo new IP or Zelda game
In theory I do always prefer new IP, however, getting the chance to contribute to legendary franchises is incredibly appealing
or when Square finally remakes Chrono Trigger :P
Gotta get my Japanese skills up first!
During my first time at EA I was the character concept artist on Nerf N-Strike for the Wii and I did about a million takes on the characters there, I dont think anybody was ever happy with anything. Problem with original IP is that people want PERFECTION even if the first concept is already perfect so its a losing proposition for the artist. It was a very sobering AND humiliating project for me, having some other artist do the designs and then me having to redraw them later was truly fucking awful.
On my second sting at EA with Star Wars some characters do get a bajillion number of revisions, I think my Bastila Shan concept took a good 6 tries before we were done with it
I think its a useful tool for the people who want it or need it. If you want to make a game and it can help you because you dont have other means, then awesome! Does it risk games looking more "average" sure it does, but those games were never going to look visually unique anyways. If you invest in a talented art team, they know how to grab work like that, edit it and remake it to fix your needs more quickly so that they can work on more unique content. As games get more and more complex in AAA you need agile solutions like that so you can stop wasting your time on a trillionth rock texture and start thinking about cooler shit.
No prob, fun way to spend a Monday :)
For companies like EA, we have internal teams that handle that stuff ... you also have companies that take on clients like 8-4 but theyre probably too busy to take on new clients. If I were you and had limited time and money (presumably) Id headhunt the people who make fan translations through the romhacks site and get in touch with them directly
There a big difference before your game gets greenlit and another big difference once your game is out and transition to a "live" service which is what I got most experience on
If youre working on AAA console as a concept artist, depending if you have skills that translate to art production you might get moved to another project ... or maybe like at Insomniac your contract runs out because they dont hire concept artists, they only do so for the beginning of the project.
The production team, though, will be heavily involved until the game releases because games have SO. MANY. BUGS. up until release that everyone is just full steam ahead trying to help as much as possible, even after release working on patched and upcoming content
For a Live game like SWGOH though, we still have the full team on the game even 5 years after. We launch content every few weeks and its a full time job for everyone involved because were constantly working on keeping the machine running (characters, packs, etc) AND new content like new game modes, big feature drops, etc
Splatoon definitely made an impression! A shooter that isnt a shooter that is more than just "shoot people in the head to win" I have seen people who would NEVER play that kind of game get really immersed into it by just focusing on painting the level without really engaging .. its genius! It's exactly the type of gameplay experience I would have never thought of. Im constantly impressed at how Nintendo can enter a genre and find ways to make themselves completely distinct. Its like how every single fireball in Smashbros is different, thats crazy
Very recently I was very surprised that the goddamn squats minigame in FF VIIR was so well done! Like, what?
What's hard that people think is easy and what's easy that people think is hard?
How much of the work of game dev consists of trying to get your art to fit in memory and storage speed constraints?
If i were to give you an unlimited budget what type of game and art direction would you go with?
Do you have any creative freedom when creating concept art?
I regularly feel like it ends up being more inspired than in game assets. Which do you prefer?
How come the best and most dope concept art dont make into the game?
Why was the PS3 and 360 generation full of games that had super bland, brown-and-grey art design? It really was everywhere. I recall reading from a dev that it had to do with how much harder it is to create a visually-coherent world when using a wider color palette. Any truth to that? Is there more?
Thanks
What's the dumbest work request you've ever gotten (i.e. has someone ever asked you make artwork to help "tighten up the graphics")?
get ready to write, OP hahaha.
what's your favorite piece of art that you've made?
Def not starving...lol. It varies from studio to studio. When I worked for leading mobile developer and Zipper I was in low six figures salary, then bonuses on top of that.
What games did you work on for Gameloft?
And/or, did you work on any Pop Cap games?
I'm aware you could probably write a book about this question alone but could you describe the process from concept art to final ingame art/graphics a little?
Sometimes I'm a little bit baffled by what starts out as amazing looking concept art turns out as pretty meh looking real time design and I'm thinking wow, that did not capture what looked like the artist's vision at all.
I am a game programmer with professional experience and a beginner artist looking to eventually fuse the two interests by getting into graphics programming research.
Got any recommended resources on, figure drawing, portrait drawing, or anything else related to character animation? Both 2D and 3D. Also anything related to NPR would be good.
Also what are the top mistakes beginner game artists make?
As someone who also worked at Gameloft, can confirm.It can also be very difficult because of the amount of quality other departments expect at all times, meaning a Producer wont be able to understand a concept if its not final art, leading to a TON of wasted work because suits cannot understand WIP's unless theyre colored or whatnot. Especially with art you see a lot of wasted work because art is seen as pretty disposable and misunderstood. Lots of "cant you just maker it like this?" comments, the artist knows that it would be a shit ton of work but will often just comply. Ive been in a ton of companies where the art dept doesnt have a seat at the big boys table and thus are often unable to argue for or against the amount of work given to the art team ... instead you see a lot of non-artists make assumptions about the art team can and cant do. It's a process I personally work very hard at to fix in every company I join.
Hola hola, gracias!
Ive dabbled in pixelart for fun, however it is very much not my thing as a production artist. I think you gotta learn to delineate what you like vs what youre good at, then using the two as a means to grow and find new styles and approaches. I like games that look good regardless of style, plenty of pixel games out there that I think are visually very meh, like Rogue Legacy (fun game though) and plenty of beautiful games people like whose artstyle I just dont care for like Dont Starve or even Cuphead where the art actively gets in the way of gameplay
Also, good catch! Fixed it, paging Bonki for visibility
Instead of sitting down and coding they sit down and make models and assets. I get the impression OP is more of a concept/character design artist (could be wrong though), but games have just as many artists working on asset production as they do programmers these days. HD assets require a TON of manpower, to the degree that many smaller studios who used to build games from the ground up now just make assets for other games fulltime.Yeah yeah ok, I meant your typical "sitting down and coding" folks.
I know in some companies there are inconsistencies when it comes to treatment of employees and I'm curious if this also somehow extends to people who do art.