JASON BENNETT - GDC 2015

Post date: Apr 17, 2015 1:27:58 AM

I attended, drew, and enjoyed the conference. 

Here's a report and some sketchbook scans. 

BENNETT 2015

GDC 2015 REPORT

Notes & Sketches from Conference

http://gdcvault.com/

STATE OF UNREAL

Major Takeaways:

• • Unreal is “free”; if you make >3K/quarter, Epic takes 5%

  • Unreal Tournament is open on Github

  • Marketplace where modders can sell content; opportunity for student projects- Jr. GA WORKSHOP assignment.

  • Market similar to Valve’s Steam Workshop

  • Similar to Autodesk’s Marketplace (Connected w/ANDREW GRANT @ AUTODESK re: RCAD work on Marketplace)

  • New graphics cards are coming out, cheaper and more powerful, enabling high-fidelity VR. (Big theme for GDC 2015)

ART DIRECTION OF SUNSET OVERDRIVE: EMBRACE CHAOS

Major Takeaways:

• • HIGH LEVEL PROCESS - 1: Define your goals. (What problem are you solving?) 2: Evaluate your solutions against your goals?  3: Fine-tune goals as needed, based on results.

  • ART PRODUCTION PROCESS- 1: Artists & Designers work closely on building a fun and navigable world, establishing physical flow. 2: Concept Artists work over 3D as inspiration, but most visual design work is done by 3D Artists. 3: Production, testing.

  • Concept artists must work quickly; <1 day turnaround.

AWESOME VIDEO GAME DATA: EEDAR.com

Major Takeaways:

• • Games have increasing demographics; huge diversity in styles, content, and delivery

  • Diversity leads to stability

  • Content increasingly delivered on IOS, Android, and Steam. Consoles limited market.

  • Mobile content largely Matching Puzzle and Brain Puzzle

  • Console content largely Action, RPG, Shooter

  • AAA is limited and brutal. 1st month sales critical

  • Games must be rated 80% Metacritic to have worthwhile sales

  • Marketing increases game sales more than quality

  • Marketing needs to “go big or go home”.

  • Players like “Quality Art, Quality Story, Innovative Experience, Challenge, and Competition”

  • Crowdfunding- Ask for less; 34% of projects successful; most projects @ $1K-10K

  • Internet traffic - 1. Netflix 2. Youtube 3. TWITCH (League of Legends, DOTA, Minecraft… Strong multiplayer.)

  • CHECK OUT FURTHER INFO ON GDC VAULT; THIS WAS A DENSE TALK

1st PERSON ANIMATION

Major Takeaways:

• • PILLARS:

  • Immediate feedback from player input

  • Preservation of motion between actions

  • Viscerally satisfying

  • Ground the player to the world

  • No “Speed bumps”

  • Details matter. It’s work waiting to get it right.

  • EFFICIENCY:

  • Agnostic Animation (share animation sets… ex. grenade throw same for all guns)

  • Animation Scaling (Seeing anim @ different speeds adds visceral feel, saves time)

  • FOV & Development (Player arms & weapon set higher in frame, player model has different FOV than environment camera)

DESIGNING COUNTERSPY

Major Takeaways:

• • Reference reference reference…

  • Mood boards. Reference Visual Storytelling in film; visuals support story. Clarity of intent, clarity of emotion. Iconic compositions. Purposeful shape language, shot design.

  • Strong branding & graphic design creates connective tissue in game.

  • Visual Style is from constraint and context - reductive.

  • Vis Dev Art is to communicate, solve proble, create blueprint for team. Iterate and perfect.

  • Production Design is big picture. Understanding story intent.

  • User Interface needs to read in peripheral view.

  • PROCESS- 1: Storyboard; basic aggregate experience. 2: Production Design (Use topdowns. Utilitarian. Define function of space. “Bridge” between initial steps and final 3: Production Paintings (Final look.)

CONCEPT -> PRODUCTION

Major Takeaways:

• • Utilize “Mozarts” correctly.

  • Automate processes.

  • Avoid process fatigue.

  • Avoid shit-shoveling

  • Keep skilled workers making high quality stuff

  • Automate as much grunt work as possible. Eliminate barriers to getting content in the engine. Test early and often.

  • Picture = 1000 words. Model = 1000 pictures.

  • 2D - 3D has translation issues.

  • Detail vs. Information vs. Diminishing Returns. (What do you really need for the experience?)

  • PROCESS- 1: Paper Map 2: Converter 3: “Squishy” (rough) Assets (tag surfaces, curves, materials) 4: Massout / Playtest

  • Extrapolation: Each object (...or level... or game) is a series of components with parameters.

VIRTUAL VISUALS

Major Takeaways:

• • Performance critical- 60+ fps; never drop, or motion sickness may result. 2m has highest detail. >5m has detail falloff (use normals, as opposed to geo).

  • Small interactive particles can greatly enhance immersiveness.

  • Shapes more important than object detail.

  • Stylized shape can work better than photoreal.

  • Accurate materials, minimize noise. (Custom, stylized better than photoreal.)

  • Teamwork critical- love design & solving technical problems.

  • New medium, lots of opportunity! Exciting.

ILLUSTRATING FANTASY (RIOT GAMES)

Major Takeaways:

• • Collaborative illustration process on splash art.

  • Character / champion exists in the player’s mind… not just as an in-game model.

  • Imply larger world outside of playspace. Compelling, unique moments.

  • What’s the emotional impact? Unique story? Personality?

  • STYLE- Limited pallette, punchy saturation. Colorful light. Handpainted VFX designs.

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GAME<DESIGN

Major Takeaways:

• • Design exists in many fields, and has many different working models.

• • CHECK OUT FURTHER INFO ON GDC VAULT; THIS WAS A DENSE TALK