Video Game Production

As illustrated on the cover, the process described in this essay is the process of turning drawings and sketches into a realistic looking design that could be used in movies, posters, video games, etc. The car shown on the cover is a concept car designed by a sketch artist. The car is then shown on a grid with most of the color and "skin" removed. The skin is then added, along with some color and other details. The final product is a picture of the car designed put in front of a real life background. The process just described is the majority of what turning a drawing into a realistic design is, however there are many smaller steps that affect the appearance of the final design.

All games, animations, and cartoons start inside the head of an artist. Some artists get their ideas for video games from popular movies, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Other artists get their inspiration from controversial news topics. People from the U.S. Army have developed a war game absed on what they do. The artist who designed the concept for the Audi on the cover came up with the idea from other cars Audi has released. There is not an idea without an inspiration, though inspiration is easy to find.

Once the game concept has been decided upon, the basic storyline is drawn. Rough sketches of characters are created, as well as the worlds in which they will be programmed into. A design of a charcter may change drastically, which is why artists draw a charcter many times before finalizing its apppearance. Artists make sure they like the look of their characters before finalizing, because once the look is finalized, it won't be changed.

According to art direction of Gas Powered Games Steve Thompson, once a character is designed it takes about five days to program it into a three dimensional digitalized image. The characters are first scanned into a computer, and then an "exoskeleton" is made. The exoskeleton is the first layer created, and identifies all of the control points that will be needed in the game. Control points are similar to human joints, which are points that can be moved to give the character a lifelike appearance. The more control points, the more lifelike a character will be.

The character Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy was put into the movies as well. Originally the artists decided to fully animate him, and had someone do his voice. The person who did the voice of Gollum was so into his character, the director decided to put him in the movie as the actor for Gollum. The director had sensors put onto the actor's joints, and he moved around as he was directed. The sensors recorded the movement, and became the control points used in the animation process. Basically, Gollum was a mix between an actor and an animation. The wolves in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe were developed using the same technique. A layer of "skin" are then added to the character. This layer of skin is followed by another layer of color, and a final layer of texture, giving the character a realistic and believable three dimensional appearance.

The environment is the next thing that needs to be created. Most game environments are made up of simple polygons. The term this step is called "texure mapping," According to pbs.org, "You can think of texture mapping much like wrapping a present. Each side of the box being wrapped is a blank polygon and the "paper" is an image of the texture to be applied." Many smaller details are also added in the environment. According to pbs.org, "Subtle touches like reflections in shiny surfaces and varied cloud patterns often go unnoticed by players, but they help create a much more immersive environment."

An incredibly complex code is then made. The code helps things in the game such as textures and shadows. This code also contains the artificial intelligence (AI) of the game. This AI sets up the physics of the game, such as gravity. Without this AI component, a car could be racing on a track in the beginning of the race, and floating in empty space seconds later. This is one of the most vital steps in the whole game developing process.

Now that the game is almost done, it is time for it to be tested. To do this, testers are hired to play an "alpha" version of the game. The testers are assigned to play the game over and over, exploring every place in every map of the game. In short, a tester's job is to find the major bugs (mess-ups) in the game. Once a tester finds a bug, he/she sends a report to the developers and the bug is fixed.

Once all of the major bugs have been fixed, a "beta" version is released. The beta version is released to a significantly larger group of testers, sometimes including the public. The beta version is released to help developers tweak the game until it is ready for mass production.

During the testing phase of the game's production, a copy is sent to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The members of the ESRB test the game like the paid testers do, only this time they aren't looking for bugs. The ESRB has board members thoroughly test the game, and come up with a final rating for the game. This rating is widely used and gives consumers an idea of what they're buying. These ratings are similar to the ratings of a movie.
Now that the game has gone through the rigorous process of creation, development, testing, and rating, there is only one step left: marketing. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the costs of a blockbuster game such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City are between $3 - $5 million to develop, and around $10 million for promotions and advertising. Publishers will go to great lengths to make sure the game is a blockbuster with $13 million on the line, and will release theatrical trailers, demo versions of games, and will start advertising and promotion when the game is still in the development process.

The last step is when the game hits the stores. The date of release is always advertised, and games usually cost anywhere from $15 to $70 per copy. Millions of copies of these games are sold, bringing the designers, artists, testers, and everyone else involved the hard earned cash they deserve for going through this rigorous and complex process.

Entertainment Software Board Ratings

EARLY CHILDHOOD
Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.

EVERYONE
Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

EVERYONE 10+
Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.

TEEN
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

RATING PENDING
Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.)

All information found at: http://www.esrb.com
ESRB Content Descriptors

Alcohol Reference - Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages
Animated Blood - Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood
Blood - Depictions of blood
Blood and Gore - Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts
Cartoon Violence - Violent actions involving cartoon-like situations and characters. May include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted
Comic Mischief - Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor
Crude Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including "bathroom" humor
Drug Reference - Reference to and/or images of illegal drugs
Edutainment - Content of product provides user with specific skills development or reinforcement learning within an entertainment setting. Skill development is an integral part of product
Fantasy Violence - Violent actions of a fantasy nature, involving human or non-human characters in situations easily distinguishable from real life
Informational - Overall content of product contains data, facts, resource information, reference materials or instructional text
Intense Violence - Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons and depictions of human injury and death
Language - Mild to moderate use of profanity
Lyrics - Mild references to profanity, sexuality, violence, alcohol or drug use in music
Mature Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving "adult" humor, including sexual references
Mild Violence - Mild scenes depicting characters in unsafe and/or violent situations
Nudity - Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity
Partial Nudity - Brief and/or mild depictions of nudity
Real Gambling - Player can gamble, including betting or wagering real cash or currency
Sexual Themes - Mild to moderate sexual references and/or depictions. May include partial nudity
Sexual Violence - Depictions of rape or other violent sexual acts
Simulated Gambling - Player can gamble without betting or wagering real cash or currency
Some Adult Assistance May Be Needed - Intended for very young ages
Strong Language - Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity
Strong Lyrics - Explicit and/or frequent references to profanity, sex, violence, alcohol or drug use in music
Strong Sexual Content - Graphic references to and/or depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity
Suggestive Themes - Mild provocative references or materials
Tobacco Reference - Reference to and/or images of tobacco products
Use of Drugs - The consumption or use of illegal drugs
Use of Alcohol - The consumption of alcoholic beverages
Use of Tobacco - The consumption of tobacco products
Violence - Scenes involving aggressive conflict

All information found at: http://www.esrb.com