As of the new term, we have begun work on our Final Major Project.
After due thought, I decided that I should base my project around my interest in the graphic elements of video games, as it is a field of study I wish to pursue in the future; this involves and includes sprite work, character designs and other such visual assets. My project concept proposal is as follows:
My project will centre around certain types of advertisements and pieces of media that constitute an original video game concept. These may include (but limited to) digitally created posters (as advertisements), concept sketches or base designs for the centric characters, an instruction manual, and box / cover art.
The concept for this game will centre around a single main character (with possible supporting characters or mascots designed) and have a consistent visual theme that fits appropriately with a meaningful and clear message.
I am seeking to develop skills in the creation of a successful original character (designing a memorable figure), traditional drawing for sketches, production of digital-based advertisement media, and the ability to create and maintain a consistent original theme and design that reappears in different forms. Outside of practical and technical skills, I am hoping to develop my ability to create an interesting and convincing concept and plot.
I will be researching existing works of a variety of media in order to present a coherent project. The game concept may take inspiration from (and thus be enhanced by research of) existing video games; among these will be well-known and visually memorable franchises such as Pokémon, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man in order to study what constitutes a well-designed game.
Other areas of study will include pieces of media outside the video game franchise; this may include 2D animation, for the study of character design. Examples may include series such as Bleach and Beyblade, both of which franchises have also released spinoff video games, which may be an additional subject of study. I will also research visual advertisements in the forms of posters, particularly those which advertise games and similar media.
My initial research focused around the aspects of video games that I mentioned above. The following images are of my first research pages:
The above page features designs for box arts for two contrasting genres of video game. The former, titled Final Fantasy, and the latter, Kirby Mass Attack (Japanese cover), appeal to two different target demographics through their visual assets. I have analysed these in the hopes that it will help me with my box art designs:
Colour: While the Final Fantasy cover features a gradient colour scheme, the application of it is modest. The logo itself is in plain black, and the background of the cover plain white. The simplistic application of colour is distinctive to the series. In contrast to this, Kirby Mass Attack's entire cover image centres around a bright scheme of pink and blue; this is equally eye-catching but more so to younger demographics due to the bolder nature of the design.
Font: The Final Fantasy series uses a distinctive, tall font for all of its game logos. It resembles a Times font, demonstrating an appeal to a more mature audience. Kirby Mass Attack aspires for the opposite function as the main series logo is always in chunky, colourful bubble-writing with a variety of visual effects; the star in the exclamation point is one example, as is the shining effect and the strong outline.
Composition: Both pieces have a strong sense of composition due to the central focus on each image. Both of them feature their main point of interest in the centre of the canvas, with the sides drawing attention to it (either through visual elements or lack thereof).
Next week I will continue to conduct research on various similar elements of game design and write analyses on the blog.
