do it in style (northern game summit 2012)

“Do it in style”

Samuli Snellman

Lead Artist

Games I worked on

Companies I worked with

I’m going to talk about…

• What is art style in a game?

• So, Why is it important?

• How to be in-style?

• Wrap up: The “Take aways”

Why is it important?

• Supports gameplay

• Increases the overall value and experience for the player

• IP and Branding

• Creates a world a person actually wants to visit (and revisit)

How to be in Style

• Quality

• Consistent

• Flexibility

Quality

• Style should work technically.

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• Style should be understandable, immersive, and appropriate for your user.

Quality

• Style should tagline your art.

Quality

How to be in Style

• Quality

• Consistent

• Flexibility

• Style should ensure that visual expectations are met and detail is where it really matters.

Consistency

Consistency

Styleguide Art Bible

Styleguide

• For finding direction

Styleguide

✗

• For finding direction

• Eliminates what you don’t want

Styleguide

• For finding direction

• Eliminates what you don’t want

• Keep it simple

Art Bible

• Big investment

Art Bible

• Big investment

• Creates a vision that defines the game

Art Bible

• Big investment

• Creates a vision that defines the game

• Explains all key key categories

How to be in Style

• Quality

• Consistent

• Flexibility

• Style should be flexible, not fossilized.

Flexibility

• Style should be responsive to feedback and open for change.

Flexibility

• Style should be sensitive to the changing objectives, players, and mediums for which one is building a game.

Flexibility

Take Aways • Art style should: Help guide / support the game play / people

understand how the game works

• Builds theme, story, setting – an immersive feeling, empathy and connection to the characters Engages the users to stay, relate, connect, spend more through amotional binding.

• Increases the overall value and experience for the player • Creates a world that a person actually wants to visit. • Branding and IP • Importantly, meet the standards of the platform your on. i.e. Tight

competition in mobile/tablets. More console like production values are a common thing, and players expected more immersive art

• Be in-style by:

– Maintaining quality

– Being consistent

– Being flexible

Thank you.

Samuli Snellman

Lead Artist samuli.snellman@wooga.net