Successful mobile art: puzzle of small parts
Do not stop talking about what makes the mobile game a hit. In this article we want to share our thoughts on the role of art in this issue. In our opinion, the set of all factors listed below is important for the success of the game.
1. Convenience of the product.
Gorgeous art will never help a failed gameplay, but at the same time, no beautiful will not compensate for the inconvenient interface and incomprehensible tutorial. The design is also responsible for this - it should not only look good, but also work well. We learn this from top-grossing games, in most of which the player simply has nothing to stumble about.
For example, tell about one of our old mistakes.
')
For technical reasons, the turn button for the object being set in the location in the first version of our Tycoon was in the upper right corner of the screen, and some players did not notice it. As a result, we received negative feedback and tearful messages on the forum: the players were upset and annoyed that they had spent money on the object and could not arrange it in the game at will. The problem completely disappeared after we moved the rotation button from the corner of the screen to its center.
2. The quality of performance.
Professionally and “tasty” painted art, as a rule, causes more attention and sympathy.
On the other hand, the following phenomenon takes place: the average player does not notice the difference between good and well-drawn art. To prove this, we conducted a small test: we showed people first the left picture with the girl, and after 20 minutes the right one.
When the pictures are next to each other, some may even notice the wrong finger on one of the girls, but in our test 70% of ordinary players were sure that both times we showed them the same picture. It is enough for players that the character in general is properly constructed and stylish. The same applies to the graphics of the game as a whole.
Once this discovery led to the frustration of our art director. But every cloud has a silver lining: giving up ideality, as the artist sees it, saves time and effort on development. It is necessary to set the bar: there is no limit to perfection, it is necessary to stop in time, without slipping into the infinity of micro-tuning. Naturally, you need to strive for improvement, but only within the framework of the dynamic development of the project.
3. Charisma.
The correctness of the lines, proportions, colors - all this is certainly important. The most important thing is the drawing, which evokes the emotions you have planned for the viewer and is always memorable. In fact, quite a lot of beautiful pictures pass before your eyes, absolutely not catching. This happens if they are deprived of individuality, charisma.
Win-win “anchors” catching attention: humor, beautiful women, fancy weapons, supercars, cute little animals and children.
The important role here can also be played by the factor of assimilation and / or personalization. Characters must be those who the user himself would like to be, or those with whom he would like to interact. Due to this, there is a world of superheroes and supervillains: you should not be afraid of exaggerating the character traits - masculinity, femininity, malignancy, and so on.
But we must remember that the character must be justified - he must organically fit into the game with a story or a setting, and not be drawn “simply because”.
4. The quality of the animation.
We distinguish animation from a complete array of “graphics” because it is to a large extent that it determines the psychology, the character of the characters, and also the physical characteristics of the objects.
That high-quality animation is the key to the correct perception of the game world. So, the rest of the character's rest will help him to “revive” and make the player empathize with and sympathize with him. And this is exactly what the developer usually wants to achieve.
5. Special effects.
The principle of “bread and circuses” will always be relevant: whatever game you make, it is useful to insert there the maximum possible number of the most beautiful women, interactive or / and animated main menu, etc. Players are always grateful for pleasant looking effects.
6. Atmospheric.
All graphics collected in the game should be "in the subject." A certain style, a certain color range. Everything as a whole should create a specific atmosphere and mood of the user, emotionally engage him in the game. It seems that this is obvious, but as often happens: graphics are first created, and then suddenly it dawns on the developers that it would be nice to quickly add some fashionable piece to the game or to time its release to some event.
We are here, too, not without sin. Below is a screen of the “urgent” New Year's version of one of our games. Of course, gingerbread houses and elegant ribbons at the sports stadium, along with green grass, are not the best combination to create players' New Year's mood.
7. Compliance with the resolution of specific screens.
Unprofessional, if a part of the graphics gets out of the screen or, conversely, stretches from a smaller one under its size. The picture seems blurry, or it looks so small that you have to strain your eyes, and it's hard to hit the buttons. Despite the large fragmentation of screen sizes, the graphics should correspond to all the declared devices.
Well, and finally, a little philosophy.
Everyone wants to not only recoup the development, but also earn more than that. It is not easy to get through to the top, and I really want to do something noticeable, and it would be better to be faster and simpler. Epatage, excitement, “must be more reasonable” - where is the border? Everyone decides for himself, but, whatever the decision, the task of art becomes competently to support good gameplay, not scaring or shocking the player.
So this is a puzzle that all design artists have to solve. The case is complicated, but very interesting, because the puzzle is dynamic, and there are always no right decisions in it.
1. Convenience of the product.
Gorgeous art will never help a failed gameplay, but at the same time, no beautiful will not compensate for the inconvenient interface and incomprehensible tutorial. The design is also responsible for this - it should not only look good, but also work well. We learn this from top-grossing games, in most of which the player simply has nothing to stumble about.
For example, tell about one of our old mistakes.
')
For technical reasons, the turn button for the object being set in the location in the first version of our Tycoon was in the upper right corner of the screen, and some players did not notice it. As a result, we received negative feedback and tearful messages on the forum: the players were upset and annoyed that they had spent money on the object and could not arrange it in the game at will. The problem completely disappeared after we moved the rotation button from the corner of the screen to its center.
2. The quality of performance.
Professionally and “tasty” painted art, as a rule, causes more attention and sympathy.
On the other hand, the following phenomenon takes place: the average player does not notice the difference between good and well-drawn art. To prove this, we conducted a small test: we showed people first the left picture with the girl, and after 20 minutes the right one.
When the pictures are next to each other, some may even notice the wrong finger on one of the girls, but in our test 70% of ordinary players were sure that both times we showed them the same picture. It is enough for players that the character in general is properly constructed and stylish. The same applies to the graphics of the game as a whole.
Once this discovery led to the frustration of our art director. But every cloud has a silver lining: giving up ideality, as the artist sees it, saves time and effort on development. It is necessary to set the bar: there is no limit to perfection, it is necessary to stop in time, without slipping into the infinity of micro-tuning. Naturally, you need to strive for improvement, but only within the framework of the dynamic development of the project.
3. Charisma.
The correctness of the lines, proportions, colors - all this is certainly important. The most important thing is the drawing, which evokes the emotions you have planned for the viewer and is always memorable. In fact, quite a lot of beautiful pictures pass before your eyes, absolutely not catching. This happens if they are deprived of individuality, charisma.
Win-win “anchors” catching attention: humor, beautiful women, fancy weapons, supercars, cute little animals and children.
The important role here can also be played by the factor of assimilation and / or personalization. Characters must be those who the user himself would like to be, or those with whom he would like to interact. Due to this, there is a world of superheroes and supervillains: you should not be afraid of exaggerating the character traits - masculinity, femininity, malignancy, and so on.
But we must remember that the character must be justified - he must organically fit into the game with a story or a setting, and not be drawn “simply because”.
4. The quality of the animation.
We distinguish animation from a complete array of “graphics” because it is to a large extent that it determines the psychology, the character of the characters, and also the physical characteristics of the objects.
That high-quality animation is the key to the correct perception of the game world. So, the rest of the character's rest will help him to “revive” and make the player empathize with and sympathize with him. And this is exactly what the developer usually wants to achieve.
5. Special effects.
The principle of “bread and circuses” will always be relevant: whatever game you make, it is useful to insert there the maximum possible number of the most beautiful women, interactive or / and animated main menu, etc. Players are always grateful for pleasant looking effects.
6. Atmospheric.
All graphics collected in the game should be "in the subject." A certain style, a certain color range. Everything as a whole should create a specific atmosphere and mood of the user, emotionally engage him in the game. It seems that this is obvious, but as often happens: graphics are first created, and then suddenly it dawns on the developers that it would be nice to quickly add some fashionable piece to the game or to time its release to some event.
We are here, too, not without sin. Below is a screen of the “urgent” New Year's version of one of our games. Of course, gingerbread houses and elegant ribbons at the sports stadium, along with green grass, are not the best combination to create players' New Year's mood.
7. Compliance with the resolution of specific screens.
Unprofessional, if a part of the graphics gets out of the screen or, conversely, stretches from a smaller one under its size. The picture seems blurry, or it looks so small that you have to strain your eyes, and it's hard to hit the buttons. Despite the large fragmentation of screen sizes, the graphics should correspond to all the declared devices.
Well, and finally, a little philosophy.
Everyone wants to not only recoup the development, but also earn more than that. It is not easy to get through to the top, and I really want to do something noticeable, and it would be better to be faster and simpler. Epatage, excitement, “must be more reasonable” - where is the border? Everyone decides for himself, but, whatever the decision, the task of art becomes competently to support good gameplay, not scaring or shocking the player.
So this is a puzzle that all design artists have to solve. The case is complicated, but very interesting, because the puzzle is dynamic, and there are always no right decisions in it.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/174727/
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