Computer Game Graphic Types

Computer Game Graphic Types

 

 

2D Sprites

2D sprites are basically images which you can manipulate, when your image or character has been turned into a sprite you can then animate it, change the colours, edit in Photoshop. You can use a sprite in programs like Game Maker where you can animate your sprites to move around and do different things during your level. 2D sprites will be mainly used in 2D games as they aren’t 3D models, 2D sprites are easier to manipulate and can be animated easily, they can also be used for GIF’s.  

3D Isometric Sprites

3D isometric sprites are just like the 2D sprites but you can use these in your 3D games, you can do everything that you did with the 2D sprite to the isometric sprite. But with the 3D option you can do more as it’s not just a flat surface, you can add textures and different tones to the sprite to give your sprite an edge. 3D sprites are also useable in game engines such as UDK, this type of program really brings your 3D sprites into life as you can control them and give them objects like guns and health packs. 3D sprites are more optional for your up to date 3D games but you can only use isometric sprites in 3D games or else they won’t work.

Concept Art (Character, Weapon, Environment)

Character concept art is where the concept artist draws the character in pretty good detail, the company their working for will give them an idea of what they want the characters to look like then they will draw the character and then give the designs to the 3D modeller to then progress on the design. It is the same with the weapons and the environment etc… Of course it’s different with the weapons and environment because each one will have its own part. The concept art is generally used for the designs of the game, if it’s a character or a weapon then it will go onto a 3D modeller to then make the actual objects.

 

Textures (Diffuse, Height maps etc…)

Textures are what are wrapped around characters, weapons etc… to give the object more depth, colours and tones. Texture mapping is when a texture map is applied to the surface of an object or polygon, each vertex in the polygon is assigned a texture coordinate which allows the object to be rendered. There are different types of textures they can range from normal, specular and diffuse. Textures are used for giving the object more depth and a quality finish, but can also be used for colour.  

 

 

In Game Interface

The in game interface can be from the start menu, to the in game mission briefing in some cases. The in game interface can be a mini map in the bottom corner of the screen, it is mainly the feedback that you receive on the screen. The HUD can’t be distracting to the player as it will drive them away from the main objective and could probably get you killed, so the graphics can’t be too bright but you have to be able to see it. Sci-fi games have a good basis for the in game interface and HUD as they are mainly light blues or see through style lettering and numbers.

  Printed Media (Box Art, Manual, Poster etc…)

Box art is key when selling and promoting your game, when you walk in the shop you have to be able to see the game and hope it catches your eye, this is what companies are looking at when they are promoting their games. In promotion, companies also try to sell special merchandise with their games, there are examples of special edition copies which are sold with special items like posters or actual in game items.

Graphical Styles

Graphical Styles

Photo-Realistic

We all want our games to look as realistic as it possibly can, and now with the technology available today compared to 30 years ago we can finally make our games as beautiful as ever. With games like Crysis 3 and Grand theft auto 5 out now, the games industry has never been better and more successful. 

Photo-realistic graphics you could say was introduced 5 or 6 years ago with the first Crysis game in the series, and from then more games have inspired to be like the Crysis series as the brilliant graphics and realistic features make the game a pleasure to play. Far cry 3 is another photo-realistic game, with its bright colours and lively textures, you feel like you’re in the game itself. Never has games been so good, compared to the old days of Pong where it consisted of no graphics at all, we can now buy a game and know that it’ll be worth it. The idea of photo realism is to get the player to think that it’s as photo realistic as possible, and that it is like an imaginary world but with realistic features.

 Abstraction

The idea of an abstract game is to be as unique as possible, games like Fez and Super Meat Boy emphasise the abstract graphic style. With its weird and wacky graphics, abstract is definitely now the style of today.

Mostly created by indie developers today, abstract games first came into light with the creation of Fez. With the unique style and comedic characters, Fez was a huge success as it captured the essence of the abstract graphics and unique game play. Abstraction is mainly used in Art but is now coming into the games industry and is carrying a lot of baggage. artists such as Kandinsky and Delaunay experimented with their colours and were made famous for it here are some examples of their art;

(Robert Delaunay)

(Kandinsky)

Abstraction is one of the uprising visuals in the games industry and don't be surprised to see it in more games in the future.

Cel-Shading

Cel-shaded is a very unique style of visual dynamics, as most games don't use this, but with Borderlands being one of the most exciting and vibrant games out there at the moment it's no surprise many people are liking what they see. Cel-shaded is what you would say to be a cartoon style of visuals, it is a type of non photorealistic shading that gives the visuals a more hand drawn look. The Cel-shading process starts with a 3d model, smooth lighting values are then calculated for each of the pixels and then are mapped to small shades to create the flat look. Black ink outlines are used to make the images look more bold and embossed, a good example of this would be the Utah teapot which has been rendered using Cel-shading.

There have been several games that have used this style of visuals the most notable ones would be the Borderlands series and XIII which was a Play station 2 and Xbox game back in 2003. These would be probably the most famous Cel-shaded games and have done really well due to this unique style.

XIII game

Borderlands

This graphical style is a great way to promote a new and exciting game, and since not many games have this quality visual, more can look up to these styles of games and take note.

Exaggeration

Exaggerated visuals is very popular nowadays as more and more games are putting this style into their games. Even though the more popular games are photo-realistic, exaggerated game styles are still popular and still have a place in the games industry. It is difficult to really describe the exaggerated style as you can say that most games use this, games that use this style would be games like Saints Row 4 with its superhero and alien qualities, another example would be Batman Arkham city with the colours and the characters. You could say that exaggerated styles would be anything that isn't realistic and with eccentric amounts of colours, and with a game that when you instantly touch something.... it blows up. 

A great example of exaggerated visuals would be in the game Half Life, with the weird head crabs and disgusting looking creatures, this game really does define the exaggerated style. The style does suit certain types of games, you could say that most games do have a exaggerated feel to them but only certain games do exercise this style.

To conclude, from the early days of Pong to the new GTA V, visual styles have come leaps and bounds. With the unique abstraction which was based off modern art, and the Cel-shading which is based on cartoons... each game has its own unique style and with 2014 coming up, I can't wait to see what the new styles will be.