Report

Artistic Styles used in video games

Photorealism
Photorealism is a genre of art that
encompasses painting, drawing and other
graphic media, in which an artist studies a
photograph and then attempts to
reproduce the image as realistically as
possible in another medium. Although the
term can be used broadly to describe
artworks in many different media, it is also
used to refer specifically to a group of
paintings and painters of the American art
movement that began in the late 1960s
and early 1970s.
Currently, during actual play, games use a
technique called rasterization to achieve somewhat realistic effects. Rasterization is an
algorithm by which three-dimensional shapes are output for display on a flat screen.
Developers have had to find roundabout ways to create realistically lighted scenes, because
rasterization is not modelled after the way visuals work in the real world.
For example, the best way to do shadows with rasterization in game engines like Unity is to
texture an object with a darker filter, which recreates the appearance of shadow. The light
sources in the scene aren't dynamically creating the shadow like a spotlight on a stage
would; instead, you're drawing in the shadow yourself, like an artist doing a sketch.
The games industry is in the middle of a transition from rasterization to ray tracing, Jensen
said. Unlike rasterization which demands that designers hand-create effects like shadows,
textures and shades of color ray tracing works in a way that closely models the natural
world.
Ray tracing means less work for artists and developers, not to mention a more realistic
finished product. But it also means a lot more work for the computer: the amount of
processing power needed to account for every light ray is enormous.
Cell Shading
Cell shading or toon shading is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make 3-D
computer graphics appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a shade gradient
or tints and shades. Cell-shading is often used to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon
and/or give it a characteristic paper-like texture. There are similar techniques that can make
an image look like a sketch, an oil painting or an ink painting. It is somewhat recent,
appearing from around the beginning of the twenty-first century. The name comes from cells
the clear sheets of acetate, which
are painted on for use in traditional
2D animation.
The cell-shading process starts with
a typical 3D model. Where cell-
shading differs from conventional
rendering is in its non-photorealistic
illumination model. Conventional
(smooth) lighting values are
calculated for each pixel and then
quantized to a small number of discrete shades to create the characteristic flat look where
the shadows and highlights appear more like blocks of color rather than mixed in a smooth
way.
Cell shading became synonymous in interactive media with Jet Set Radio in 2000 for the Sega
Dreamcast but it has been applied in numerous other games over the years, including more
mature titles such as Cell Damage, No More Heroes and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
Other notable examples include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Viewtiful Joe, Ni No
Kuni, Escape Dead Island, The Wolf Among Us, kami, and Ultimate Spider-Man.
Abstraction
Abstraction in its main sense is a
conceptual process by which general
rules and concepts are derived from
the usage and classification of specific
examples, literal signifiers, first
principles, or other methods. "An
abstraction" is the product of this
process a concept that acts as a
super-categorical noun for all
subordinate concepts, and connects
any related concepts as a group, field,
or category.
Abstract art styling in games could be defined as the opposite to photo realism, the style
doesnt strive to resemble realism in anyway and often has features that are very unrealistic
and may look different in the different perspectives of different people seeing them. The style
usually makes use of a lot of shapes and lines that dont really resemble any actually objects
in real life, such as Child of Eden and EDGE. Abstract is not just another name for cartoony or
cell-shading it is just like other abstract art forms which is it does not resemble any sought
reality but gives of an image using random shapes and colours to get the desired effect.
Many video games aesthetics are made up of random shapes and colours one being
geometry wars that heavily focuses on geometric lines and colours to specify objects. One
game that uses an abstract art style very well is The Unfinished Swan which is nothing but a
white canvas and you must throw black paint which then makes object visible allowing you
to continue to where you must go. The Unfinished Swan would not be able to work with any
other art style because this gives the game its main mechanic which is the key element to
this game which is exploration.
Exaggeration Anime and Manga
Exaggeration is a very sought of
playful art style that is used in
various games. The art style
concentrates on using very over
the top graphics that can really
make the game seem like it its
not meant to be taken very
serious. There you are most likely
to see the use of exaggerated
graphics is on the Nintendo Wii,
which contains a huge library of
games that contains a lot of
party based games that are
really exaggerated in terms of
graphics and gameplay just
seeming obscure and meant to be not taken very seriously at all. Wario Ware is probably the
best example of this using an exaggerated art style that really compliments its exaggerated
gameplay. Anime is also a widely used art style that is considered exaggerated because of
the proportions of things can be much exaggerated. The exaggeration art style might have
started at attempting to look photo realistic, but as the art style has developed, characters
features have become more over dramatic or exaggerated when some audiences favoured
the style. The exaggeration art style to an extent looks almost cartoon, the colours and edges
are very defined and look very similar to the art in amines. Some famous games in the art
style are Final Fantasy, Pokmon, Devil May Cry, Xenoblade. This is the game Catherine
which is focused around using an animestyle, as you can see the proportions are somewhat
exaggerated.
Several video games elicit childlike and playful experiences that involve exaggerated
movements and expressions. Various exaggerated features such as character movements,
expressions and actions, provide viewers and players senses of comedy, possibility and
nostalgia. These exaggerations reflect elements of expressionism, theatre acting and
animation and are readapted into the game culture, which exemplify Sergei Eisenstein s
notion of Plasmaticness, the freedom to assume any form; freedom from ossification.
Video games such as Wario Ware and Rayman Raving Rabbids exemplify cute caricatures
with exaggerated expressions and actions and engage players participation and
movements. For example, the rabbits in Rayman Raving Rabbids all possess abnormally
large mouths with two big front teeth and also exhibit childlike expressions of naivety and
mischievousness. When the player character is in direct or indirect physical contact with the
rabbits, they scream in an adorable way that produces giggles
and laughter in users and viewers. These sound effects and
movements encourage players to continue their actions that
induce these sounds. Not only the expressions, but also the
actions that are asked of the players to act on the characters are
also exaggerated. In Wario Ware, for example, players are often
asked to do some exaggerated movements to get the characters
on the screen to do the same movements: whether it is the
speed with which someone run or dramatic waves that fan the
monster away. These movements create a sense of limitlessness
in which everything seems to be possible. Every little action
counts.

Computer game Graphics

Pixel art (2D-3D)
In video games and pixel art, "isometric" refers to some form of parallel projection
(commonly, the form of diametric projection with a 2:1-pixel ratio) where the viewpoint is
rotated slightly to reveal other facets of the game environment than are typically visible
from a top-down perspective or side view, thereby producing a three-dimensional effect. In
almost all cases, however, the term "isometric" is misapplied; in true isometric projection,
the representations of the x, y and z axes are strictly oriented 120 to each other, whereas in
other views the angles may vary. The terms "3/4 perspective", "2.5D" and "pseudo-3D" are
also commonly used, though these terms can possess alternate meanings as well.
2D
2D computer graphics is the computer-based
generation of digital imagesmostly from two-
dimensional models (such as 2D geometric models,
text, and digital images) and by techniques specific
to them. The word may stand for the branch of
computer science that comprises such techniques, or
for the models themselves.
2D computer graphics are mainly used in
applications that were originally developed upon
traditional printing and drawing technologies, such as typography, cartography, technical
drawing, advertising, etc. In those applications, the two-dimensional image is not just a
representation of a real-world object, but an independent artifact with added semantic
value; two-dimensional models are therefore preferred, because they give more direct
control of the image than 3D computer graphics (whose approach is more akin to
photography than to typography).
3D
Three-dimensional computer graphics (3D
computer graphics, in contrast to 2D
computer graphics) are graphics that use a
three-dimensional representation of
geometric data (often Cartesian) that is
stored in the computer for the purposes of
performing calculations and rendering 2D
images. Such images may be stored for
viewing later or displayed in real-time.
3D computer graphics rely on many of the
same algorithms as 2D computer vector graphics in the wire-frame model and 2D computer
raster graphics in the final rendered display. In computer graphics software, the distinction
between 2D and 3D is occasionally blurred; 2D applications may use 3D techniques to
achieve effects such as lighting, and 3D may use 2D rendering techniques.
Concept Art
Concept art is a form of illustration used
to convey an idea for use in films, video
games, animation, comic books or other
media before it is put into the final
product. Concept art is also referred to
as visual development and/or concept
design. This term can also be applied to
retail, set, fashion, architectural and
industrial design.
Concept art is developed in several
iterations. Artists try several designs to
achieve the desired result for the work, or sometimes searching for an interesting result.
Designs are filtered and refined in stages to narrow down the options. Concept art is not only
used to develop the work, but also to show the project's progress to directors, clients and
investors. Once the development of the work is complete, advertising materials often
resemble concept art, although these are typically made specifically for this purpose, based
on final work.
concept artist is an individual who generates a visual design for an item, character, or area
that does not yet exist. This includes, but is not limited to, film, animation, and more recently
video game production. A concept artist may be required for nothing more than preliminary
artwork, or may be part of a creative team until a project reaches fruition. While it is
necessary to have the skills of a fine artist, a concept artist must also be able to work to strict
deadlines in the capacity of a graphic designer. Some concept artists may start as fine artists,
industrial designers, animators, or even special effects artists. Interpretation of ideas and
how they are realized is where the concept artist's individual creativity is most evident, as
subject matter is often beyond their control. Many concept artists work in a studio or from
home via freelance. A lot more concept artists are switching to freelance because of the job
security of having multiple clients. There is an established salary to working for a large
studio but it depends on the artists preference. The average salary for a concept artist is 60-
$70,000 a year, although many make much less or more than that.
Characters
A player character or
playable character (PC) is a
fictional character in a role-
playing or video game
whose actions are directly
controlled by a player of
the game rather than the
rules of the game. The
characters that are not
controlled by a player are
called non-player
characters (NPCs). The
actions of non-player
characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules
followed by a game master refereeing table top role-playing games. The player character
functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling it.
Video games typically have one player character for each person playing the game. Some
games offer a group of player characters for the player to choose from, allowing the player
to control one of them at a time. Where more than one player character is available, the
characters may have different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to make the game play
style different.
In role playing games such as
Dungeons and Dragons or Final
Fantasy, a player typically creates
or takes on the identity of a
character that may have nothing in
common with the player. The
character is usually of a certain
(often fictional) race and class
(such as zombie, berserker,
rifleman, elf, or cleric), each with
strengths and weaknesses. The
attributes of the characters (such
as magic and fighting ability) are given as numerical values which can be increased as the
gamer progresses and gains rank and experience points through accomplishing goals or
fighting enemies.
A secret or unlockable character may be a playable character in a video game available after
completing the game or meeting other requirements. In some video games, characters that
are not secret but appear only as non-player characters like bosses or enemies become
playable characters after completing certain requirements, or sometimes cheating.
Weapons
Items in shooter games
are not as common as
in other genres,
however, they still play
a major role in the
gameplay. The most
common items are the
health pack, similar to
a potion in RPGs, and
the Ammunition pack,
a generic box of ammo
that will work with
whatever gun the
player character has
equipped at that time.
Sometimes, in games with large amounts of different weapons, there will also be specialized
ammo packs, like napalm canisters or Rockets/Grenades for Rocket and Grenade Launchers,
respectively.
Rarely, new weapons can be obtained, normally from defeated enemy soldiers but also from
machines or robots depending on the game's setting. Generally, more powerful weapons
(such as the aforementioned Rocket Launchers and flamethrowers) tend to be found later in
the game. In some games that cross genres, like Twisted Metal, the weapons come in the
form of powerups that have very limited duration.
Items often come in various types and in most games where items are collected, they are
sorted by these types. In RPGs, an item inventory is a common UI feature where one can
view all the items that have been collected thus far. Often, these are sorted by categories,
such as "equipment" or "options." In other game genres, the items may take effect as soon
as they are obtained.
Vehicles
Vehicular combat games (also known as just vehicular combat or car combat) are typically
video or computer games where the primary objectives of gameplay includes vehicles,
usually armed with machine guns, missiles, Molotov cocktails, pipe bombs, hand grenades,
and other improvised weapons, attempting to destroy vehicles controlled by the CPU or by
opposing players. The genre normally features a variety of different vehicles available for
play, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and special attack abilities. Players may also
unlock hidden vehicles by completing certain in-game tasks. Traditionally, vehicular combat
games focus on fast-paced action inside the
vehicle, rarely, if ever, concerning
themselves with role-playing or other
elements. Games may include racing
themes, but they are generally secondary to
the action.
Vehicular combat games normally follow a
simple play pattern; the player must defeat
increasing numbers of increasingly skilled
enemies, often in increasingly complex battlefields, before facing off against a final, super-
powerful, boss character. Vehicular combat games differ from traditional racing games both
in the combat aspect and in the general lack of any set path for players to follow, instead
allowing them to explore each level at their leisure. The complexity and strategy required to
complete games vary, from the careful resource maintenance and intense story-driven
plotlines of the Interstate '76 series to straightforward smash-ups like World Wrestling
Entertainment (WWE) Crush Hour. Often the primary plot will involve a contest or
competition of some sort, encouraging the various characters to fight and destroy one
another to obtain a reward. The Twisted Metal has been attributed as the first "true"
vehicular combat game, without cartoony graphics as seen in kart racing games.
Environment
Level design,
environment
design or game
mapping is a
discipline of game
development
involving creation
of video game
levelslocales,
stages, or
missions. This is
commonly done
using a level editor, a game development software designed for building levels; however,
some games feature built-in level editing tools. Level design is both an artistic and technical
process.
Level design for each individual level in a modern game typically starts with concept art,
sketches, renderings, and physical models. Once completed, these concepts transform into
extensive documentation, environment modelling, and the placing of game specific entities
(actors), usually with the aid of a level editor.
A level editor may be distributed as a complete stand-alone package, at times, rivalling
commercial 3D modelling software. There are various steps involved in laying out a map and
these steps may vary dramatically across the many different game genres that exist today.
A level designer is a game designer who creates environments and scenarios using a level
editor and other tools. Level designers will usually work on a level from pre-production to
completion; working with both incomplete and complete versions of the game. Game
programmers usually produce level editors and design tools for the designers to use. This
eliminates the need for designers to access or modify game code. As opposed to the level
editing tools sometimes available to the community, level designers often work with
placeholders and prototypes aiming for level consistency and clear layout before required
artwork is produced by game artists. Many level designers have skills as both a visual artist
and game designers, although in recent years the responsibility for visual, structural and
gameplay related tasks has been increasingly divided among several specialists.
Texture art
A texture artist is an
individual who
develops textures for
digital media,
usually for video
games, movies, web
sites and television
shows. These
textures can be in
the form of 2D or
(rarely) 3D art that
may be overlaid
onto a polygon mesh
to create a realistic
3D model.
Texture artists often
take advantage of
web sites for the purposes of marketing their art and self-promotion of their skills with the
goal of gaining employment from a professional game studio or to join a team working on a
"mod" (modification) of an existing game in hopes of establishing industry or trade
credentials. Digital art is an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as an
essential part of the creative or presentation process. Since the 1970s, various names have
been used to describe the process including computer art and multimedia art, and digital art
is itself placed under the larger umbrella term new media art.
After some initial resistance, the impact of digital technology has transformed activities such
as painting, drawing, sculpture and music/sound art, while new forms, such as net art,
digital installation art, and virtual reality, have become recognized artistic practices. More
generally the term digital artist is used to describe an artist who makes use of digital
technologies in the production of art. In an expanded sense, "digital art" is a term applied to
contemporary art that uses the methods of mass production or digital media. Lillian
Schwartz's Comparison of Leonardo's self-portrait and the Mona Lisa based on Schwartz's
Mona Leo.
The techniques of digital art are used extensively by the mainstream media in
advertisements, and by film-makers to produce visual effects. Desktop publishing has had a
huge impact on the publishing world, although that is more related to graphic design. Both
digital and traditional artists use many sources of electronic information and programs to
create their work.

Graphics Research
Pixels
Picture Element
A picture element is the
basic building block for a
digital image, otherwise
known as a raster image. A
picture element is the
smallest addressable
element within a
displayable device such as
a monitor which is
completely made up of
pixels, which once aligned
one next to the other
creates a viewable image in
which the user can view, pixels are basically tiny dots, squares and circles depending on the
construction of the image on a digital screen which make up a digital image once aligned
close enough to each other, in the sense that a digital is not a whole pixel, it is made up of
thousands of tiny pixels depending on the resolution of the graphic and the monitor in which
you are viewing the graphic through.
Image Resolution
The image resolution within a digital graphic determines how detailed the image is going to
be, e.g. if you have a digital image of a spider with a low resolution, things such as the detail
of the colours in which the spider has may not be noticeable since the resolution is low,
meaning there are not as many pixels within that digital image, whereas if you had the same
image of the spider but with a high resolution, the spider image will hold more detail in its
colours of such because there are more pixels within the image to display more detail, the
pros of having low resolution images are that the
image itself will be physically smaller and its file
size will be smaller as well, there for not taking up
as much space within a storage device such as a
hard drive pen drive , also having low resolution
images means that you can upload them on to
websites with ease because combined with the
previous fact of how low resolution images have a
small file size makes it easier for them to be
uploaded on to a website.
Intensity
Pixel intensity is measured via how
bright an image is, for example if you
have a digital image which has taken
via a digital camera or computer
generated, with the image focusing
on one thing within the image with
the background blurred or faded and
the focus object within that image
being brighter than the background, it means it has a high intensity, whereas if it was the
other way around with the background being brighter than the focusing object it would still
have a high intensity just with the background being the focusing object within the image,
Each pixel's appearance is controlled by the intensity of these three beams of light. When all
are set to the highest level the result is white; when all are set to zero the pixel is black, etc.

Types of Digital Graphics

Raster Images
computer graphics, a raster graphics image
is a dot matrix data structure, representing a
generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points
of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or
other display medium. Raster images are
stored in image files with varying formats. A
bitmap, a single-bit raster, corresponds bit-
for-bit with an image displayed on a screen,
generally in the same format used for
storage in the display's video memory, or maybe as a device-independent bitmap. A raster is
technically characterized by the width and height of the image in pixels and by the number
of bits. The printing and prepress industries know raster graphics as contones. The opposite
to contones is "line work", usually implemented as vector graphics in digital systems.
Raster graphics are resolution dependent, meaning they cannot scale up to an arbitrary
resolution without loss of apparent quality. This property contrasts with the capabilities of
vector graphics,
which easily scale
up to the quality of
the device
rendering them.
Raster graphics
deal more
practically than
vector graphics with photographs and photo-realistic images, while vector graphics often
serve better for typesetting or for graphic design. Modern computer-monitors typically
display about 72 to 130 pixels per inch, and some modern consumer printers can resolve
2400 dots per inch or more; determining the most appropriate image resolution for a given
printer-resolution can pose difficulties, since printed output may have a greater level of
detail than a viewer can discern on a monitor. Typically, a resolution of 150 to 300 PPI works
well for 4-color process printing.
Vector Images
Vector graphics is the use of polygons to represent images in computer graphics. Vector
graphics are based on vectors, which lead through locations called control points or nodes.
Each of these points has a definite position on the x- and y-axes of the work plane and
determines the direction of the path; further, each path may be assigned various attributes,
including such values as stroke color, shape, curve, thickness, and fill.
Vector graphics can be
created in form using a
pen plotter, a special type of
printer that uses a series of
ballpoint and felt-tip pens on
a servo-driven mount that
moves horizontally across
the paper, with the plotter
moving the paper back
and forth through its
paper path for vertical
movement. Although a typical plot might easily require a few thousand paper motions, back
and forth, the paper doesn't slip. In a tiny roll-fed plotter made by Alps in Japan, teeth on
thin sprockets indented the paper near its edges on the first pass, and maintained
registration on subsequent passes.
Some Hewlett-Packard pen plotters had two-axis pen carriers and stationery paper (plot size
was limited). However, the moving-paper H-P plotters had grit wheels (akin to machine-shop
grinding wheels) which, on the first pass, indented the paper surface, and collectively
maintained registration. Present-day vector graphic files such as engineering drawings are
typically printed as bitmaps, after vector-to-raster conversion.
File Extensions
Bmp
The BMP file format, also known as bitmap image file or device independent bitmap (DIB)
file format or simply a bitmap, is a raster graphics image file format used to store bitmap
digital images, independently of the display device (such as a graphics adapter), especially
on Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems.
The BMP file format is capable of storing two-dimensional digital images of arbitrary width,
height, and resolution, both monochrome and color, in various color depths, and optionally
with data compression, alpha channels, and color profiles. The Windows Metafile (WMF)
specification covers the BMP file format. Among others defines BMP constants and
structures.
Png
Portable Network Graphics is a raster graphics file format that supports lossless data
compression. PNG was created as an improved, non-patented replacement for Graphics
Interchange Format (GIF), and is the most widely used lossless image compression format on
the Internet.
PNG supports palette-based images (with palettes of 24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA colors),
grayscale images (with or without alpha channel), and full-color non-palette-based RGB[A]
images (with or without alpha channel). PNG was designed for transferring images on the
Internet, not for professional-quality print graphics, and therefore does not support non-RGB
color spaces such as CMYK.
Gif
The GIF format (Graphics interchange format) is a bitmap based image which incorporates
the use of Lossless file compression to void the loss of visual quality within the image, the GIF
file format supports up to 8 bits per pixel thus allowing a single image to reference a palette
of up to 256 distinct colours, the GIF file format also supports animation, in which this File
format is only ever used for, to create looped animations or looping a real life piece of
footage that can last up 25 seconds maximum. The Gif file format tends to only ever be used
in the digital based world since its main usage is to create looping animated/real life footage
image clips, therefore it would be in a sense useless if it was being used for a print based
graphic since there are much better file formats you can use for print based graphics.

Tiff
TIFF (Tagged image file format) is a file format in which Graphic artists, the publishing
industry, amateur and professional Photographers are popular with as is it a direct file
format that is only used to save images, the file format TIFF also happens to popular
amongst those three professions because along with those three Professions comes the need
of image manipulation, (editing the image) in which nearly all Pictorial editing programs of
the last 10 years therefore making it a very suitable file format to save images with if once
they are captured or created, since the file format of TIFF is highly associated with pictorial
editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop.
Jpg
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a very common image file format used amongst
amateur Photographers as it incorporates the use Lossy file compression therefor making
the file size smaller making it capable of storing more images on a storage device whereas if
JPEG used Lossless file compression the storage device within the camera or capture device
of such would not be able to store as many images since Lossless files are bigger than Lossy
Compressed images.
Psd
A PSD file (Photoshop Design) is a file format which is only used in the program of Adobe
Photoshop, the file format of PSD only tends to be used in the two main uses of Photoshop
which is to edit images or create graphics from scratch, the reason it is used is because
during the editorial or creation process of an image or graphic there is data that cannot be
held within other image file formats such as JPEG or BMP so to save the loss of your work,
Adobe created the file format of PSD to secure such things as layers and styles within a
users current work, the file that has been saved under the format of PSD is also only
viewable within Photoshop itself and no other viewing program.

Image Capture
Scanner
A scanner is an input device that optically scans
in physical data such a text, handwriting or an
object then saves it in a computers memory as
a digital image, for my designs I will most likely
not use a scanner to import images of such into
my designs because of the formation in which it
captures images which is usually flat across a
class sheet therefore not giving you any control
over the angle in which the image is from
limiting the effect possibilities also the quality of
the image that will be scanned would be of fairly good but with that comes a larger file size
which is something I will be trying to avid as my designs will later be used in the creation of a
website , unless I have found a 2D design on paper that I find appealing and fits in well with
the theme of my designs, I will most likely not use this method of image capture for my
designs.
Digital Camera
A digital camera is an input
device in which
captures/records an image
using an electronic image
sensor then converting the
recorded file into a basic
image file such as JPEG then
storing the image file within
the cameras storage device
such as an SD card, digital
cameras come is different
qualities with amateur
digital cameras with
relatively average pixels ranges (5-10 mega pixels) and professional digital cameras SLR
cameras which can have pixel capture ranges from 10 to 20 mega pixels, but for my designs
if I need to capture an image to input into my designs, I will most likely use a an amateur
digital camera as I can achieve the desired angle of an object whereas with a scanner I
cannot also with an amateur camera the image in which I would take would be save as JPEG
file therefor meaning Lossy compression of the image size equalling in a smaller file size
compared to a scanners output image size but maybe a small degrade in the images quality,
but sustained quality if the image is take with very good focus of the object.
Storage of Image assets
Storage memory is a term
used to describe where
digital file are kept within a
computer or memory
source, storage memory
can come in different sizes
physically and
electronically, usually the
bigger the electronic
storage memory, the bigger the case the memory is held within depending on the jump
space in which the size of the memory goes from and to, within storage memory is held files,
files differ in size depending on their detail usually, the more detail a file hold the larger its
size and the less detail in which file holds the smaller its size this goes for all types of files,
text, image (Raster and vector), code etc. Asset management, in this case file management,
is the way in which a computer operator manages and stores their files, do they keep track
of all their file and keep them appropriately named and organised or do they just save their
file as they go along keeping the file names that are given, e.g. for a JPEG image
(140712.jpeg) which is the date in which the image was taken but gives no details of what
the image is of.

Optimising
Target Image Output (Target Destination)
The target destination is where I intend to use the graphics e.g. on a website, portable
device, mobile phone, background etc. but for my designs I will be using them in the end
within a website I am to produce, therefore I will need to optimize the designs to the width
of a common computer screen as I will most likely have my designs going across the screen
instead of going down especially the banner, I will also have keep the PPI range low to
enable fast loading of the graphics when they are used within my website to keep visitors
happy and void them from leaving my website because if it load too slow it will most likely
cause them to go to other websites selling related product to mine.
Bit Depth
The bit depth of an image describes
the amount of bits of colour that
went into a single pixel to give it its
defined colour, it is measure in the
form of BPP (bits per pixel), within the
designs I am to make the BPP range is
something I must take into account
as the higher the Bit colour range
the more detail the designs will
contain therefor a bigger file size
which is something I must also keep low therefore I have chosen to go with the 8-bit colour
range which counts 256 distinctive colours that can be mixed together to give a single pixel a
defined colour, also the 8-bit colour range is something that hold the internet safe colour
amount which is 256 meaning that for example if I choose a red colour within my designs
using the 8-bit colour range it will appear the exact same on my monitor as it would for the
visitor which is another reason into why I have chosen the 8-bit range.

Resolution
Resolution is a term used to describe the detail in which an image upholds, the word
resolution is associated with digital Raster images, the higher the resolution of an image, the
more detail the image holds, in the
professional print media they use
the measurement of DPI (dots per
inch) instead of PPI (pixels per
inch), also as the professional print
media are printing there designs,
not digitally displaying them, the
file sizes of their designs or
captured image are not restricted
meaning the quality of their print
based graphics can be much higher
in quality, the reason into why the
professional print media use DPI
instead of PPI is down to how
printers themselves print in dots, not pixels therefore instead of the computer having to
make calculations to try and convert pixels into dots, the print media will change their assets
resolution from PPI to DPI so that when the data is printed the quality is not lost, this
method is used in print media such as magazines and newspapers with the standard DPI
resolution of 300 due to the non-restrictive file sizes.

Dimensions
Image dimensions are the length
and width of a digital image, it is
usually measured in pixels, but
some graphics programs allow
you to view and work with your
image in the equivalent inches or
centimetres, depending on what
you plan to use your image for, for
example if I was to create a
background for an iPhone, I would
need to collate the dimensions of
the screen which (depending on
the iPhone model) iPhone 5 would
be 1136 x 640 pixels or 3.49 x 1.94
inches, therefore I would create a
canvas Dimension of 1136 x 640 or
3.49 x 1.94 and create my graphic
up to the canvas edge or even within the canvas edge depending on what the background
graphic is.
With the physical dimensions of print based media graphics, they can vary dependent on the
target destination; newspapers would most likely have the graphical dimensions measured
in Dots the same for magazines, this is due to how printers print out in dots not pixels, other
print based media like billboards and bus advertisements would most likely have the physical
measurements of feet or meters depending on their locations, e.g. if there was a billboard
located near a busy box junction the measurements would most likely be in feet as the size of
the billboard would be under heavy control due to it being a distraction to drivers therefore
you would most likely not find it being measure in meters.

Background Graphics
Walls
Many games use backgrounds and features that can
manipulate the gameplay and it could be the little
things, such as walls. Many 2D games need a
background and the most popular ones that are used
are walls or wallpaper that is used as a
backdrop. One of the most important aspects of a
successful video game is the environment. The background is what sets the stage for the
player, and knowing how to create great-looking backgrounds will improve your value as a
designer.
Forests
Of all the stereotypical settings that show up in
games, forests tend to offer the most beautiful
vistas. As a result of this though, they also tend to
be the most challenging to animate and render
effectively. They are mainly used in RPG games such
as Skyrim or The Witcher as those games require a
lot of exploring and mainly in forest areas too.
Clouds
Clouds are an unnoticed but crucial part to a game. Take any modern
console game for example, they will all feature a sky of some sort,
meaning that science comes into play, because if the sky exists, you
cant have a sky without clouds or vapour of some sort
In-game Interface
Interface design is often one of the most challenging
aspects of game development. There is a lot of
information to convey to the player and little screen
space with which to do it. When the interface is poorly
designed, a good game concept can be reduced to a
frustrating user experience.
There are several theories that can be used by designers to analyse a user interface and help
them break down choices. The theory we will look at here is called diegesis theory. It is
adapted from diegesis theory used in literature, film and theatre. Diegesis refers to the world
in which the story is set, and hence it focuses on games as stories.

Head up Display
In video gaming, the HUD (head-up
display) or Status Bar is the method by
which information is visually relayed to
the player as part of a game's user
interface. It takes its name from the
head-up displays used in modern
aircraft. The HUD is frequently used to
simultaneously display several pieces of
information including the main
character's health, items, and an indication of game progression, such as score or level.
While the information that is displayed on the HUD depends greatly on the game, there are
many features that players recognize across many games. Most of them are static onscreen
so that they stay visible during gameplay. Common features include:

Health/Lives
Time
Weapon/Ammunition
Capabilities
Menus
Game Progression
Mini-map
Speedometer
Quest Arrow/Compass
Crosshair

Print Media Art

Game Packaging (Console Cover/Box)
Video game packaging refers to the physical storage of the contents of a PC or console
game, both for safekeeping and shop display. In the past, a number of materials and
packaging designs were used, mostly paperboard or plastic. Today, most console and PC
games are shipped in (CD) jewel cases or (DVD) keep cases, with little differences
between them.
Aside from the actual game, many items may be included inside, such as an instruction
booklet, teasers of upcoming games, subscription offers to magazines, other
advertisements, or any hardware that may be needed for any extra features of the
game.
The earliest consoles had game cartridges; the Intellivision cartridge packaging featured
a box color-coded to the "network" or category of the game. The front cover opened up,
book style; on the inner front cover, a slot retained the paper manual a simple booklet,
as well as the poly controller overlays. In the main confines of the box, a plastic tray was
recessed into which the cartridge fit snugly. When other companies began to produce
cartridges for Mattel's system, other types of boxes began to appear, such as Imagic's
simple cardboard box, which opened from the top to reveal simple cardboard retainers
for the cartridge and rules booklet.
Unlike PC games, console manufacturers charge a license fee to
anyone developing for their machine, and exert a certain amount of
influence in the style of packaging. Nintendo, for example,
maintained almost completely standardized boxes for SNES games.
PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox game boxes also
conform to the keep case form factor.
All cases of PAL region games for PlayStation and Dreamcast are
thicker than standard North American and Japanese CD-cases. This is
due to thicker manuals that often include many European languages.
An exception to this were Australian-market PlayStation games later
in the console's life, which were released in standard-sized jewel
cases with the manual in English only.
For some games, the packaging can be different say if something
new came out for the game. Say if the game has a GOTY award, it
means that the game will have some more features. If you take a
look to the pictures on the right, one game is GOTY and one is
normal. This is because if a game is a contender or winner for GOTY,
as a thank you, players will receive a little something for helping
their game reach that stage, they will receive either all the DLCs or
add-ons in a separate game.

Box Cover (DVD Container)

Video, audio, subtitle and navigation streams are multiplexed and stored on a DVD-Video
disc in the VOB container format (Video Object). VOB is based on the MPEG program
stream format, but with additional limitations and specifications in the private streams.
The MPEG program stream has provisions for non-standard data (as AC-3, DTS, LPCM or
subtitles used in VOB files) in the form of so-called private streams. VOB files are a very
strict subset of the MPEG program stream standard. While all VOB files are MPEG
program streams, not all MPEG program streams comply with the definition for a VOB
file. DVD recorders can use DVD-VR or DVD+VR format instead of DVD-Video. DVD-VR
 format store multiplexed audio-visual content in VRO containers. VRO file is an
equivalent to a collection of DVD-Video VOB files. Fragmented VRO files are not widely
supported by hardware or software players and video editing software. DVD+VR
standard defines a logical format for DVD-Video compliant recording on optical discs and
is commonly used on DVD+R/RW media.

Posters
Game posters are collectible items they are commonly obtained
through a limited edition purchase or by pre ordering a game.
However, they can also be sold separately for some games. Posters
contain graphics typically from a character/s from the game, a
background, logo/title of the game and sometimes other
information. Posters can often include different textures and sizes
to make the different than others. For the promotion of Fallout 4
the company released a limited edition poster which is available with limited editions. Which
is a poster of the perk/skills chart in the game.
Also with the latest edition of Skyrim: Remastered, you get a paper version of the map that
you see in game, but all the locations arent discovered as that is an in game feature.