Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>> KENNY: Welcome to a new episode of "mediabase", a web-talkshow about everything digital.
Our topic today: Videogames as a new form of art?
And two very interesting personalities will take part in today's discussion - please welcome...
...from Brisbane, Australia - famous as "Blender Guru"
with his great tutorials he shows an interested audience from around the globe what it takes to be a good 3D artist
And from the City of Graz I welcome David Brandstätter. He is not only a Game Producer...
...but also a music composer and works together with big names like Roland Emmerich.
We pick this topic because of the famous E3 convention. I was there in L.A. to look for trends - and found some.
Could the era of the gamepad ever come to an end? According to the industry - it could.
At the "Electronic Entertainment Expo" a lot of games make you get up from your couch and ... move.
it's the biggest computergame convention on the planet
Also, the smartphone-boom hits the gaming industry Consumers seem to want everything in one single device.
Sony doesn't think so - and introduces the new PSP. The "PS Vita" - just another portable handheld?
Sony doesn't think so - and introduces the new PSP. The "PS Vita" - just another portable handheld
On the other hand, Nintendo with the "Wii U" introduces again something innovative.
The controller e.g. also has an interactive display.
Overall, the games seem more like hollywood movies with a lot of special effects.
So, I would like to ask the expert..
David, how can you tell the difference between reality and the "real world"?
>> DAVID: It would be bad if we couldn't tell that. But like Andrew said we're getting close to photorealism.
A lot depends on the available hardware But with stereoscopic 3D the way we play games will change
But how do you explain that ugly-looking games like Minecraft are that succesful? Look, it basically is built from blocks...
... while the games industries are paying millions for realistically looking games. How can one explain the success of simple games?
Do you think that it has to do with the look and feel and the gameplay for itself?
You're absolutely right, in the end the game concept is more important than the graphic design.
Even though there's a hype about realistic adaptation. But in the end: What binds the player to the game?
Obviously, it needs a good story, or an innovative game concept or fulfilling certain players' wishes...
As with Minecraft, where you discover a new world, combine items into new ones. Minecraft does not even come with an explanation
As a player, you start in a world that is generated from scratch each time, that brings up the discoverer's potential in players.
In the end, the game's concept is much more important than graphics, in my opinion.
Okay, what does the 3D expert think about it? As to my knowledge, the most difficult thing is to create realistic looking nature...
So my question goes to Andrew Price: To which level of detail does it have to go down when creating nature scenes, does it have to be trees and flowers?
Nature's quite complex. If you take a glance at a photograph, you might think: I'll put a tree and a bit of grass in ...
But if you look in detail, you'd notice sticks and little plants, atmospheric fog, things like that...
It all adds up and that's what builds the realistic image. So it's not enough to create a couple of elements.
That's why most nature scenes do not look realistic.
Where do you get your inspiration? Do you walk in the park, or do you take a day off for inspiration?
I get inspiration from many places. When it comes to nature: I use to go for a walk each morning. There is nice grassy field near to where I live.
There are many details, like the light shining through the plate, so I look... But usually, I get a lot of inspiration from flickr.
They have a lot of professional photography, so if I wanted to create a realistic mountain, I'd just type in snowy mountains
And there'll be some really mind-blowing images, that's how I get the inspiration.
Later I'd go for reference images or google images, that's pretty much it.
David Brandstätter, you're a music composer, have worked with Roland Emmerich. What's the difference between music for games and for cinema?
That's a lot difference! Films are linear media, the composer can use a more or less final cut of the movie.
Games are very different. It is interactive, it reacts on the player's input. So the music must meet different possibilities.
Basically, you build different emotional blocks, which you let the engine put together.
That makes it more complex as you have to work together with the designers who build the code.
That is completely different from composing for a movie.
I know that you've been working as a ghostwriter, too. Is it usual in the industry that some adorn themselves with borrowed plumes?
I wouldn't say adorn with borrowed plumes. When you start as a newbie, it is usual that you write music without credit in the beginning.
Obviously, it's a question of trading between money and credit in the end titles.
Normally, being mentioned in the end titles is worth more than the money. That's what I would tell young artists, too...
So, ghostwriting is not unusual. Even not in Europe, it happens here, too.
David just gave as a few tipps for young artists. I would like to ask you the same questions: what skills does it need for a graphic designer?
Is it to be able to draw or paint very good, is that enough?
I think a basic skill is patience, and the other is willingness to learn. If you're motived to create art, you definitely can.
I don't think that it's one of these skills that you're born with. I don't think, it's a talent, so-to-speak.
I think it's something that anyone can pick up, provided that they're motivated and they want to create art.
As for me, I'm really bad in drawing. Might I still be an acceptable 3D graphic designer?
Yes, anybody can learn it, basically. It's just a question of how motivated the individual is.
I hope that someone is going to watch this, and gets motivated. Thank you, Andrew and David.
And thank you for watching. The next mediabase is being broadcast in two months, with the topic: Cyberwar. How can we safeguard ourselves?
I am looking forward to it. Have a nice evening, and see you.