We were having a chat in the office about art in games, and it sparked off a couple of tweets from @Escape_Studios last week. Basically, we were wondering how much the visuals, or game art, matter in the whole gaming experience. Does a game really need to look that great for people to enjoy it, or can how it looks be the difference between good and great?
The Future of Games
I have just finished reading the "Videogames: state of the art" article in this month's issue of 3D World magazine and was reminded of just why I love being a CG artist, and how vain I am seeing my name in print.
Meet Ognyan Zahariev Aspiring Games Artist
We recently had a chance to catch up with Ognyan Zahariev an aspiring games artist and Escape Studios graduate. Ognyan is heading to Codemasters to start his career next month and has taken some time to share his thoughts on life after Escape Studios and joining the workforce in the games industry.
A Traveller's Tale: One Games Graduate Journey
Recent Games Course Graduate Adam Esat has just landed a job at prolific Games company Travellers Tales - and we are super pleased for him.
Maya Entertainment Creation Suite 2011 Review
If you have not had time to check out the fresh looking Maya 2011, maybe you would like to read a quick review from our friends at AWN.
Is gaming a sport?
An article on the Telegraph’s website caught my eye today – apparently, professional computer gamers have the reactions of fighter pilots but the bodies of 60-year-old chain smokers. Dr Dominic Micklewright, from the University of Essex, conducted a series of physical and psychological tests to determine whether playing on computers could be defined as a sport.
Friday Fun - Illusion Contest
Really looking forward to next week because it's the start of the games course here at Escape Studios. So, before the hard work begins for my students, here is a bit of Friday fun! Check out the impossible motion video.
Games industry salaries on the up
Good news for all those in the games industry. A new survey out this week showed that salaries are on the rise, going up 2%-3% over the last year, with those of you working on the technical development and programming side of things earning the most.
Playing the Game
I came across a report from NESTA at the weekend which suggested strategies to help the UK remain at the top of global video games development. It makes for interesting reading in light of last week’s announcement on tax relief for the industry.
We’re in the money
As you probably saw, the Chancellor has awarded the games industry its much deserved tax break. Following Wednesday’s budget, game developers that create profitable games will be able to use the relief to pay less tax on profits, while unsuccessful games will be awarded a cash tax credit to reduce losses – which must be a nice surprise for all you developers out there.
Last seats on the Games Course
Just to let you budding games artists know, we've a few seats remaining on our 12 week Games course starting April 6th, so if you are interested in attending you should book your place as soon as possible. We're also offering a one-off chance to attend the first six weeks of the course which is completely Maya focused. It's perfect for anyone wanting to grasp the foundation skills required to become a 3D artist.
Autodesk and Epic Games Team Up to Streamline Autodesk-to-Unreal Workflow with FBX
This is hot off the press from Autodesk at the Games Developers Conference in San Fran... Rather than paraphrase their release, I thought you'd like to see it in its entirety. So here it is:
The Growth of Social Gaming
How many of you play social games? I knew it was popular but I caught some figures on CNN’s website last week that really brought it home just how big it’s become. The FarmVille Facebook game is apparently being played by a staggering 27 million social gamers ever day, adding up to more monthly active users than the population of France.
New dates for short courses announced
Escape this Spring!
Another new recruit – Graham Harris
Following last week’s announcement around the hiring of Tim Flett, we’ve got another new recruit that we’re all very excited about. We are pleased to announce that Graham Harris as joined our team as our new Finance Director.
Breaking into CG - Guardian Careers Talk Podcast
Games tutor Simon Fenton has made his media debut for Escape Studios on the Guardian’s Career Talk podcast. You can hear Simon talk about getting into the industry, his role as a tutor at Escape, his background and much more, alongside Tom Baskaya of Framestore, an Escapee and most recently a compositor on Avatar. Tom also talks about his time at Escape, as well as what it was like working on James Cameron’s masterpiece.
Free Games Webinar
On the 25th of this month I'll be hosting a free Games webinar on Next Generation Asset Creation. We'll be looking at next gen techniques as well considering the part that low-poly still has to play in games art creation. High on the list of priorities for any Games Artist is knowing where to find their sources of inspiration - I'll show you what gets me going and how it helps me approach my own work.
New hiring for Escape - Tim Flett
We’ve got some exciting news: we’ve hired games industry veteran Tim Flett. Tim will be our new Business Development Manager for Games and Interactive, in charge of growing our professional services, which include training, technical consulting as well as hardware and software solutions.
Avatar and the art of motion capture
I came across the following Avatar making of-video and I thought I would spread the word and share it here for you to check out. It provides a good overview of the basics of motion capture and how this technology was used to create Avatar. Enjoy!
Videogames violence
I’ve seen in the news this week that Scottish MP Joe Fitzpatrick has been defending Dundee’s videogames industry after the Scottish Parliament was urged to recognise the fact violent games are easily obtainable for children.