Computer Game Graphics

Pixel art:

http://ggk.gildia.pl/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pokemon_red1.png

Pixel art is used in 2D sprites in games and 3D isometric sprites, an example of a game that uses 2D sprites is Pokémon, they use the sprites effectively because when one of the monsters makes a move the whole sprite moves across the screen making the illusion of movement. An example of 3D isometric sprites is roller coaster tycoon. They use pixelated sprites in a 3d environment this gives the illusion of fully 3D models.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/RollerCoaster_Tycoon_Screenshot.png

 Concept art:

Concept art is used to show what the entities might look like in the game they can range from quick pencil sketches to full paints they can be for any entity within the game for example weapons, characters, vehicles or environments a good example of this is the concept art from Darksiders2 it is good because it gives multiple views of this particular character and an item the character might have

This picture is effective because it has arrows pointing to all the points of interest on the character.

Texture art:

Texture art is used in games to add depth to the surfaces in the game, an example of a game that relies heavily on texture art is mine craft as there is no significant shape difference between any of the resources they have to have definitive textures for example the resource ‘sand’ is the same shape as the recourse ‘stone’.

             Textures must mix with the style of the game for example if the level consists of a cell-shaded background it would seem odd to have a photo realistic car driving around.

                

Background art:

Background art is used in games in many ways for example the ground in a top down game like the older Zelda games is background art, the scrolling background in super Mario bros is background art and the sky boxes in more recent games like GTA V is background art, the quality of the art varies amongst games for example in a high budget game the background will be a very large image whereas in the 8 bit game Pokémon the background could easily be saved as a JPEG with no negative effects to the quality.

HUD:

HUD stands for heads up display and is commonly used in 3D games mostly in FPS and 3PS games but examples of them can be seen in most game types. They contain information relevant to the scenario the player is in for example in COD when the player is running low on ammo the HUD prompts them to reload, other things that can appear on a HUD is; ammo count, health, stamina, held items, equipped powers or information on loot nearby.

Print media:

Print media is all of the art that appears outside of the game itself this can be; box art, posters relating to the game, promotional items like game maps/statues/comics or the promotional shelves. [] it is an integral part of whether or not your game sells for example if the box art is good on a game it might prompt people to take an interest in the game. Print media is commonly done using Photoshop or other similar programmes unless the game requires a different kind of print media for example if the designers want a pencil drawn style poster then it is easier for an artist to draw it and then scan it in to a computer for printing.

Artistic Syles

Simplistic:

Simplistic is a style that uses very few colours and basic shapes, a lot of things in the game will only have one or two colours. A way simplistic design can be made to look good is having good lighting as it makes the objects look slightly more real yet still applying to the design, or using similar or complimenting colours for example different shades of red for a background or colours like blue and red of a similar shade and brightness. An example of a game that uses simplistic design is Limbo. 

http://www.gamespot.com/videos/limbo-gameplay-movie-all-webbed-up/2300-6326694/

Limbo is a good example of using one colour and changing the shade to show depth to the background. The lighting is also very effective for making you feel like you’re in darkness as the source of light is off in the distance and is barely making it to the character. All of the characters are silhouetted however they still have a lot of animation to them, the main character has a lot of personality even though it is only has one colour. The silhouetting gives the game a sense of creepiness and atmosphere.

Pixel:

Pixel is an art style used mainly in older games for example Mario or Tetris, it is good for older games due to the limitations of the software it can also be good for a new game designer to use for the same reason. Pixel isn’t designed to be realistic and tends to be more cartoony.

(Image from: http://www.cheatcc.com/extra/retrogaming/retro21pacman.html. the game in the picture is Pac-man)

photo realistic:

http://media.rockstargames.com/rockstargames/img/global/news/upload/gtav_details09122014_006.jpg

Photo realistic games are commonly games with a high production value seen mostly in games like GTA and call of duty, photo realistic games usually take a lot longer to make than other kinds of game leading to them having a large team working on the game or having highly specialised equipment to make the process easier. Photo realistic games have a high priority placed on making the game as visually immersive as possible making scenes in the game look like they had been filmed or even like you are there, photo realism is a difficult style to use or master so photo realistic games don’t tend to be peoples first projects.

Exaggerated:

Exaggerated is a style that resembles anime with certain parts of the bodies of the characters disproportionate with real life people for example in most fighting games the characters will have large muscles far larger than most peoples.

http://www.tacticalgaming.net/hq/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/streetfighter0729.jpg

This style applies to the setting the game is in for example buildings in the game Arkham Asylum are designed to be gothic and scary in nature but the amount of gothic architecture used goes far beyond a realistic standard.

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/arkhamcity/images/c/cc/ArkhamMansion2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111103114520

Exaggerated style is used mostly in comic book based games as comic heroes tend to be exaggerated themselves for example the Arkham series. this style is easier to use than photo realistic as you can get away with characters looking more cartoony that normal.

Cell-shading:

Cell-shading is commonly used for video games that are very colourful or not based on real life characters or scenes for example the borderlands series works well with cell-shading as the variety of colours used however not all games can benefit off of cell-shading for example the call of duty games have a lot narrower colour scheme so cell shading would be more noticeable, cell shading allows games to look better over time as a lot of cell-shaded games from the early 2000 look like they might have been released fairly recently.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8010256266_98be5f75a2_b.jpg

Abstraction:

Abstract games do not tend to resemble anything that exists in the real world it uses a lot of geometric shapes and bright colours, games that use this style are usually 2D, this is because it is difficult to imagine the kinds of things in these games in 3D.

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/0/1480/478966-gridwars9.jpg

Impact of Computer Games on Society: Excess playing time/Social isolation/Separation from reality

            When people play video games too much and neglect going out with friends or talking to real people they develop social isolation where they don’t want to interact with people in the real world, they can also be confused when they have to talk to people seeing them more as characters in a game than real people this can lead to separation from reality blurring the line, for some people, between real life and their virtual ones.

In a study conducted by Vanderbilt University some points about the negative effects of playing video games too much, they tested some different types of video games on children to see what would be more popular and they found that violent games were consistently chosen over any other type from both boys and girls, this implies violent video games, even though they are marketed towards teenagers and adults they still attract a younger audience who might not understand when to stop playing and because of the addictive nature of the violent games they are likely to spent most of their time on games. The study shows that on average children spent 13 -14 hours a week playing games, in addition to going to school this does not leave a lot of time for them to go out with friends and socialize in the real world, they found that “a stronger preference for each of the three types of violent games was associated with lower self-competence scores in one or more developmentally important areas” this implies the more people play games the less they will know about important aspects in life like talking to people or manners.

In contrast a study by the BBC finds that teens don’t usually play games alone instead play them either online or with other people in the room. "Three quarters of teens actually play these games with other people, whether online or in person." This tells us that instead of the idea of gaming alone people mix social interactions and gaming together, however in this study only teens were tested unlike in the other where the age range was more like 8 -12 years old, which seems to indicate that instead of making games less addictive or tamer for younger audiences we should be enforcing a stricter age limit for example a 16+ year old playing Call of Duty will usually be able to know when to stop or to plan their gaming time to fit in their school work and social interactions whereas a 10 year old would probably have trouble knowing when to stop and just play till they are tired. A possible fix for this is having a pop up on the game that says how long they have been playing every few hours reminding people of how long they have been on and possibly the ability to put a time limit on some users who are too young to know when to stop.

Referral links:

-          Study about negative results of excess gaming https://my.vanderbilt.edu/developmentalpsychologyblog/2014/04/effect-of-video-games-on-child-development/

-          Study about positive effects of playing games socially http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7619372.stm