Employability
Article link:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-10-18-activision-patented-method-of-tuning-matchmaking-to-boost-microtransactions
In this article euro gamer explains how triple a companies such as Activision manipulate their player base into buying dlc weaponry to be better at the games and win matches and they do that by using an algorithm to allow people that do buy these guns are put with new player to manipulate them also into buying these weapons.
Q/A
Why do companies implement micro transactions?
Most companies these days have micro transactions to push new extra content to player and to keep their business running.
What companies use them?
Companies that mostly use micro transactions are triple A companies like Activision and Rockstar Games, however mobile game developers have been implementing this method since the start.
How much money can a company make from micro transactions?
Activision itself has made over 3.6 billion dollars from it's micro transactions in 2016.
What is you view on micro transactions?
In my opinion i think that micro transactions do not affect me as most of the times i play games i believe that skill is all you need and not new and better weaponry.
Are Micro Transactions a form of gambling?
Micro Transactions are in a way gambling as you spend money in order to win a specific weapon you want or skin however the fact that you will win something no matter what makes it feel like its not gambling.
Do you think there should be restrictions in place for micro transitions?
I think that micro transactions should have an age gap as it encourages young people into spending their own money or even their parents money into these games for new weapons which sometimes it comes out to being useless or the people not using them.
Would you be put off working for a company that implements micro transactions?
I would not be put off by a company as i believe that if i choose to work for that company then i would be on the company's side and also believe that they're doing the right thing and are trying to run the business.
Would micro transactions put you off buying a game?
Some games would put me off if i will be affected a lot but if they game is like Grant Theft Auto V where dlc cost absolutely nothing and it doesn't really affect you if you buy the latest weaponry then i wound not be put off.
Do you think it will be the downfall of AAA studios?
No as most companies like Activision are already making money of it which means it works and it will get better over time for them.
Presentation
Job Roles
Role : Animator
What they do?
An animators role is to give an character or an object a movement or a behaviour. Animators are responsible for character movements in games and they need to create reusable animations that programmers need to use through out, in addition animators are also responsible for the behaviour of vegetation and scenery within a game and most importantly they are the main team behind a game's cut scenes.
Skills required
- understand the production process.
- have knowledge of full motion video.
- be able to work with a team or alone .
- have the ability to be creative and imaginative.
Pay grade : Estimate of £20,000 to £42,000.
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| Example of Animation |
Role : Audio Engineer
What they do ?
Audi Engineers are responsible for audio within a game they control what effects are in a game and the sounds and dialogues for everything within a game, this includes effects such as explosions, rain and other effects. Audio Engineers are required to work for very long hours and they tend to work for outsourcing companies. In addition they have to consider the music or soundtrack for a game that best match the video game, this sometimes means that a lot of creative work needs to be done.
Skills Required
- be able to compose and perform music.
- have excellent communication skills to be able to understand what designers and producers want from you and to keep up with any changes.
- pay close attention to detail.
- be able to work to deadlines.
Pay grade : estimate £17,000 to £35,000
This is an example of some of the effets an audio engineers is responsible for.
Link to a YouTube video.
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-uIfFgMPyw )
Role : Game Programmer
What they do ?
A game programmer's job is to write code to run and control the game, they have to write custom code to fix and correct bugs within the game and also have to create tools for the other teams. Game Programmers are the most important team in the development of a game as they have to write code for each of the platform that runs the game this includes, Mobile, PC and Consoles.
Skills Required
- be able to programme in C++, C and other programming languages.
- be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team.
- be creative and possess problem-solving skills.
- have specific platform experience, e.g. Wii, PlayStation, Xbox.
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| Example of CC+ used in unreal engine for a game. |
Role : Game Designer
What they do ?
A game designer is the brain behind every team working on a game, they come up with the story, props, rules, characters, etc. A game designers job is communicate as well as possible with all the teams in order for them to create the best assets and elements for the game that the designers has asked for. The hardest part is to create everything within a budget and that's when game designers have to plan everything out and communicate with all the teams well. In addition game designers can always change their mind about any aspect or part of the story if the game's budget is running out and they also have a good understanding of new titles and the best and most popular games on the market.
Skills Required
- be able to work in collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams.
- be imaginative and creative.
- be reasonably fluent in a range of 2D and 3D graphics and animation packages, such as 3D Studio Max, NUKE or Maya.
- have storytelling and narrative development skills.
- be able to think systematically and strategically.
- have an awareness of the various games platforms and technologies.
- be able to accept constructive feedback on your work.
Pay grade : estimate £19,000 to £75,000
Role : Game Artist
What they do ?
A game artist has to create the following items for a game : clothing , characters, objects, scenery, vehicles, props and textures. Most modern games aim for very realistic graphics and that's when game artists come in. The look of a game is plays a huge role in a games sales as well as the game play. There are many types of artists that are specialised into a certain part of a game eg some artists are specialised at just creating realistic character models whereas some artists are specialised into creating realistic environments.
Skills Required
- be able to draw from life.
- be imaginative and creative.
- have good communication skills.
- have a flair for colour, composition, perspective, modelling and texturing techniques, lighting and mood.
- have knowledge of anatomy and architecture.
- be able to work as part of a team and independently.
Pay grade : estimate of £17,000 to £34,000
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| Example of Concept Art made by a Game Artist from Naughty Dog. |
Role : Q/A Tester
What they do ?
A QA Tester plays a vital role when making a game, they are the team behind finding and bugs and testing the game in every way possible, also they suggests where detail should be added and where any refinements needs to be added. In addition the report any crashes and glitches in a game which programmers then fix, the less glitches a game has the more successful it is at launch.
Skills Required
- pay close attention to detail.
- be persistent and patient.
- be able to play games for long periods.
- be able not only to identify and record a problem, but also to try to work out what is causing it.
- have an understanding of how games are put together and how the different elements of a game contribute to the playing experience
Pay grade : estimate £15,000 to £40,000
This is the link to my art station portfolio
https://www.artstation.com/crisrigby
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Brief
This project is based on a live brief that was used in the Code Masters competition to test Level 3 student against other students across the country with the same skills to win an opportunity to work or get trained by a local industry professional.
Part 1
For the first part of this project I was given some references of the game's main levels to get an idea of what I am going to be modelling.
Big and small tile Uv
All Objects rendered in the same scene.
Part 2
For the second part I had to model the character hangry.
For creating the character Hangry i decided to use video capture in order to use it as a reference in the future and to see where i need to improve to further my modelling skills.
Click on the link below to watch the Hangry time lapse.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11IqQDvdc7HP0O7QZye8AVtzU2awxNuAi/view?usp=sharin
Rendered Model With Colour
Evaluation
For this 3D project i was given a brief that was previously used in a competition by code masters to get me used to how a real life scenario of working on a model based on just concepts. I started modelling by using the normal tools i use i split a sphere up and started extruding out the different shapes from the reference provided in the drive. During the modelling stage i had to do some research on how to use some tools that i have never used before, this made me really independent as i did not have a 3D tutor so i had to rely on online forms and different videos online to help me with abstract shapes such as Hangry's teeth and leaves. For the first part of the project i had to also use the reference images and re create the objects from scratch and this time i had a polygon count this was so i could get used to using a certain amount to help me get the idea how big companies use that when they have certain budgets. During the second part i had many issues while creating Hangry, these were issues such as save fails and crashes due to me not having a polygon count limit thus i had to restart the model over and over again creating a more better version each time much quicker this had helped me with my time management as well a being put under pressure which is exactly what this project is about. I am happy with my model however i do think i can always do better by creating my own textures in Photoshop but because of the number of times i had to recreate the model i did not have time to create any textures for Hangry nor for many of the objects in the first part of the project. I also wish i had enough time to animate Hangry and add grass to the grass plane as i was learning on how to create grass in Maya.
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