Character Design VI

This is the final character design that I came up with and I believe it does the job of explaining how a character's design can change even if they are still essentially the same character - how they are portrayed can change depending on the nature of the themes they are exposed to in a video game. To make an example, again, I hope that one could expect the character design on the left to feature in a game that has more mature themes, because it is more realistic.

The character design on the right is still the same character, but as it is more stylized and less realistic through exaggerated proportions, one wouldn't expect to see a character like that in a mature video game.

Even so, I think I have realised that the gaming industry is vast and there are a great number of exceptions, and this piece only illustrates what is a common correlation at best - whilst it is true that the themes within a game will often play a role on the eventual outcome of the character, it is hardly likely that a developer or designer will feel compelled to change the design of the character based on the setting. Just as it isn't likely that the developers will base the setting on the character. The setting and character are intertwined and dependant on one another - if either one deviates, it will look out of place.

Character Design V

Having settled on a character, it was time to compare and contrast the proportions. I started with the face, and used basic horizontal lines to mark out features. Whilst sometimes the height, width or length of certain features are changed - for example, the height or size of the mouth, nose or eyes are altered, I don't believe it is necessary to change all of these variables. However, that may change as I produce the actual design. 

I tried something similar here with another character for comparison. I worked with more lines to give the character a real outline, making them look more cartoon-esque, and also gave them stylized features such as more exaggerated eyes, with minimal detail on the nose and mouth. I can at least be content with this progress, but I still think the above character has reflected better than the second character - the one I have decided to go ahead with, has. Rather than simply change my mind though, I opt to face the problem and coin a design I can be content with.

Character Design IV

This is the character I settled on carrying forward as the one I would ultimately produce two designs on. There was no particular reason why, but I just felt I could portray this character best - perhaps because as a young female character, it would be easier to portray her through the visual variables I have researched because of the examples I looked at.

Character Design III

These are silhouettes of character designs that I came up with earlier on in the design process. I wanted to extend my range for character ideas as wide as possible, and so looked into areas such as antagonist and protagonist roles, stereotypes and archetypes, humanoids and anthropomorphic creatures.

However I realised that there was little point overcomplicating the task and noted that a human design would be the easiest to identify and would best demonstrate the effects of design I am trying to showcase.

I opted to go with the top-middle design of the floating, robe-clad figure. Since I produced both male and female variants of each design, it was simply a case of sticking a portrait / head of one of the characters I had designed and going ahead with that as a character.

Character Designs II

These are all alternative character designs that I came up with. I wanted a wide range of characters in order to test ideas, but ultimately came to the conclusion that I would be better off with simply sticking to one design and exploring it in detail, although by that point I had already done these and decided to see what I could learn from them.

I used photographic references for the second character which allowed me to remain accurate as far as the proportions went, whereas the first character is slightly stylized with larger eyes. Using photo references was certainly helpful, but only for one side of the design process; coming up with two separate designs for the same character would require I reflect on the proportions appropriate for each design.

Character Designs

Creating my own character and demonstrating the differences in visual design in different games means I effectively have to come up with two designs for each character. However, it is simply adapting the character into two different aesthetic appeals - one that fits into a game better suited for mature video games, and one that does not. I decided I would start myself off by drawing this character in these two different styles.

The absence of colour is a primary factor as to why I may not have achieved the desired effect. It is likely because the proportions are still the same, despite the increased level of shading detail in what was to be the more realistic drawing. But even so this is still a success for me because it demonstrates another way in which the look of a character can be affected - through external, dynamic variables such as environment and lighting.

Practical IV

Character proportions of the body are important, but equally so are the facial proportions.

Realistically we all have similar proportions on where everything is on our faces, and if we were to retain realism there would be little to deviate from this. It could be changed in the interest of stylization but even then, one runs the risk of it losing it's realism.

It is still very much recognizable as a face, but the change in proportions has it's consequences. If one wanted to be as realistic as possible in their characters they would have to keep the level of stylization to a minimum.

The effect of the above kind of stylization on a real life person is demonstrated quite well in this photograph by Chris Scarborough.

Practical III

In pursuit of further investigating the link between video game character realism in correlation to the themes in the video game I am looking at proportions. I have identified realism and stylization to be the two key variables.

Realism in this case is how accurately the visual design compares to that of a real life human being. The cartoon proportions above clearly do not reflect as well on the proportions of the character below - mostly because they are the proportions of a child, but other proportions are also clear. The size of the head, for example, is far smaller. The size of the shoulders are much larger, too. The expressions are not as exaggerated either, as the facial details, e,g eyes and mouth are also more realistic in the second image. One would more readily expect to see a character with the below proportions in a game with mature themes than a character with the above proportions.

Stylization is whether the character an artistic flair or touch gives the character another design element that makes it more distinct. I already touched on this when comparing characters from two different fighting games, Tekken and Street Fighter.

Typically, it isn't a universal rule; there are exceptions, but there is an existing correlation between graphic games and the realism of the character design, that being that they are usually realistic.

Lara Croft, for example, has gone through a transformation in her image, and in the latest game instalment which featured her, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, she appeared to have much more realistic proportions compared to how she appeared in her predecessor games.

Practical II

This image shows characters from many different video games done in the style of Mega-Man.
The visual impact on our perception of the characters is immediately changed from
how they are otherwise presented. The “Left 4 Dead” Zombies, for example, do not
seem as threatening or imposing and whilst there is still clearly a presence of blood
on the Witch character’s hands, she does not seem as threatening. Indeed, the
effect of having characters rendered differently affects how the character is portrayed
entirely. In a sense, it is the graphical nature of the themes being represented that
has become concerning, not just the themes themselves.

32 characters from video games of various content, including titular characters of
games restricted to older audiences and characters from games that are not, are
represented in this collection of images. In order to distinguish the differences
in character designs between video games and whether the themes in them play
a role in the visual design and aesthetic appeal of the character, it is important
to recognize important design elements such as realism and stylization.
Whilst it is not a universally observed rule, it is evident that the games with characters
that demand a higher level of visual realism are the games which feature mature themes.

The realistic characters inclide Lara Croft (2), from Tomb Raider, Captain Price (11)
from Call of Duty, Jim Raynor (19) from Starcraft II, Ezio Auditore (28) from Assassin’s Creed,
Sub Zero (13) from Mortal Kombat,Kazuya Mishima (14) from Tekken,
Gordon Freeman (24) from Half Life, Kratos (30) from God of War
and Snake (31) from Metal Gear Solid.

As opposed to characters like Link (25) from the Legend of Zelda, Crash (27) 

from Crash Bandicoot, Spyro (18) from Spyro the Dragon, Kirby (20) Sonic (9)

and Donkey Kong (1), it is evident that their design is intended to be stylized, rather

than a realistic reflection or representation as the mature theme game characters are.

Practical

For my practical work I am going to demonstrate the effects that the mature themes in a video game have on character design.

My intent initially was to design two characters, one who is adequate for a game with minimal use of mature themes, and another who is more adequate for extensive use. But instead I will opt to identify the key differences between the designs and use those as references for designing a single character, who will have two designs. This means that whilst the character is the same, it will be presented differently so that the distinct differences between the contents of the games' effect on character design is most noticeable.

To use these images as a quick example, you can tell that these games have a visual difference between them. Street Fighter's characters are heavily stylised, whilst the characters from Tekken look more realistic. You can see how the design of the Tekken character, Kazuya, changes as he is adopted in the art style of Street Fighter in Street Fighter X Tekken.

I will set to work identifying the characteristics.

Charlie Brooker: How Videogames Changed the World

I watched Charlie Brooker's informative documentary on the history and influence on video games and found it as entertaining as it was educational. But the truly enlightening part had to be on the founding of the ESRB brought about by games like Mortal Kombat.

I liked his take on the rating system being a means of games developers being able to begin targeting gamers of older audiences and having the fixed expectation of the consumer knowing what was in the game, so there would be no complaints about it.

Of course it wasn't quite that simple, but it makes sense to an extent. I figure that it is a point worth mentioning at some point in my written work - indeed I think I now feel compelled, almost obliged to write a section on the ESRB and it's founding, if not the rating system for games as a whole, because of their importance as official mediators of game content. When discussing the necessity of mature themes in games, the rating of the game becomes a very important variable.

Brooker touches on games like Doom, Minecraft and Pong, exploring the dark corners and bright sides of games and what they have brought to the world. I'm glad that gaming's positive influence is being recognized for once.

Questionnaire

I produced a questionnaire, compiling and composing a list of quantitative and qualitative questions in order to retrieve and collect data of the same variety.

I have arranged the questions into the best order I can, although I plan to use a service that would allow some questions to appear only if another prior is selected, meaning people only have to answer the relevant questions.

There are too many questions, I feel, and will likely use data from the most important or most relevant - how that will be determined I suppose, will fall down to the results I find. I am willing to bet that not many people would be put off by a larger questionnaire and I would probably get more results with a shorter, more concise set of questions.

In the meantime I can consider which questions those shall be.

Mature Themes in Video Games

The purpose of this survey is to collect data from a wide range of diverse sources as to establish an unbiased perspective on the affect of video games on those who play them or don’t.

|*Throughout the survey, mature video games refer to themes such as violence, horror, sex, racism, and fear.

Male or Female?

M / F

Age group?

 -14

15 – 17

18 – 21

22 – 25

26 – 30

31 – 35

36 – 40

41 – 45

46 – 60

51 – 65

66+

Do you consider yourself a video games enthusiast?

Yes / No

Would you consider yourself an enthusiast of any other of the following?

Films / Comics / Prime TV Series e.g Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad?

Which kind of genres do you favour?

Action / Adventure / MMO / Roleplaying / Simulation / Strategy / Comedy / Music / Horror / FPS / Shooter / Fighting / Sandbox / RTS

Are there any other genres of games you are fond of?

Why do you play video games?

Have you played a video game with mature themes?

Yes / No

Do you actively play any games with mature themes?

Yes / No

If so, why?

If not, why?

Do you feel it is important to associate or relate to the characters in the game?

Is character development and storytelling in the game something you play it for?

Do realism and escapism play any part in your choice of games?

Did you play any games with mature themes as a child?

If so, which games?

Why do you think they did – or did not affect you?

Did your parents or guardians play a role in this?

What video games would you recommend?

Has the presence of video games affected your personal life?

Yes / No

If so, how?

Have video games played a part in your personal philosophical, religious, educational or moral development?

Do you attribute video games for shaping your personality, attitude and characteristics in any other way?

Have these changes been for the better or for the worse?

If so, which video games had impact on you and why?

Are you a parent or legal guardian?

Yes / No

If so, would you consider buying a game rated beyond the recommended age for your child?

Yes / No

If so, why?

If not, why?

Do you think video games are portrayed fairly in the media?

Are you aware of ESRB ratings on video games and what they cover?

What do you think of violence, horror, sex, racism and fear as themes in a video game? E.g when do you consider them appropriate or inappropriate? Are there any cases where it is too graphic or too prominent? Are there any where they are used wisely to facilitate the progression of the story?

What responsibilities do you think the games industry has concerning mature themes, if any?

What responsibilities do you have as a consumer and / or gamer, if any?

Written Work Outline

I have condensed down the questions I want to ask into this rough overview of my dissertation. I wish to expand on each question equally or perhaps in greater or lesser detail as required. Whilst they are not necessarily in order I will arrange it so that each paragraph flows into the next smoothly, transitioning from one discussion to another.

The contents may change as I do further research and look into existing arguments and examples. I wish to make sure that everything I discuss is relevant to the question at hand - the necessity of mature themes in video games, and I do not wish to deviate on another argument, although it will be important to explain arguments that detail why this question is posed to begin with. There are some who believe that violence, sex, drugs and such do not have a place in video games or that their impact is only negative, but I know as a gamer that this does not do the industry justice.

Necessity of mature themes in video games.

Reading through your proposal, I see the classic violence in video games discussion emerging. Though I think it is a fascinating topic to explore, be careful of the loaded and biased information that is out there on the topic, there is a lot of mis-information with a political agenda – so really scrutinise the source and value of the material.

 - How, what, where, who and why, questions across the board. What is the purpose of these themes, how do they change the game, who are these themes aiming to target, who is responsible for the themes that gamers are exposed to, why are video games under more fire than film and TV. Look at the language used, how the game is portrayed / described - particularly the title, whether they neglect to mention responsibilities.Ties into culture - sex themes in UK are fine whereas violence isn't, reverse in USA. 'No Russia' banned in USA etc, in-game warning.

Going to the title though – are mature themes necessary in a game, suggests also the ludic vs narratology discussions that are in the realm of video game studies. So when considering the mature theme – is it in context to the story?..  violence can be a good motivating tool for a heroes journey? And as video games are an established art, it needs to be open to a wider audience, as much as books and films are, this in turn means a broader palette of life experiences.  One question then similar to films – where does responsibility lie.

Different media - interactability creates immersion, substitute for reality? How accepted would a Game of Thrones game be if it involved the same amount of sex and profanity? Would the nature of the series lost in translation? Are there games with pointless violence?No mature themes = sugarcoating? Drama, strife and conflict are interesting, relateable. 

Example: 1, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401297/Eight-year-old-shoots-caregiver-87-playing-Grand-Theft-Auto-says-accident.html

Looking for Games IV

World of Warcraft is a game I have already played for years and could confidently talk and write, in great length and detail, about, in many aspects. It's social aspects, game design and designer philosophy, content such as player vs environment, or player vs player, Questing, leveling, exploring, achievements, lore, each of these words carries associations to the game which have been established since I began in 2006.

As such I feel it would be an appropriate game to talk about. It is not inclusive of many mature themes, but by intent, to expand the age of gamers and the range of audience that can play it, but also because of the very nature of the story and game design. Warcraft was never a gritty, dark and gruesome world, and whilst there are a fair many examples of historic occasions in the game's story which would suggest so, Warcraft's universe is ultimately a mix of things.

There are frequent pop culture references, a mix of light and dark humour in quests and story all over the world. We play adventurers of one of two factions, the Horde or Alliance - each side painting the other as the enemy. Both sides could arguably be protagonist and antagonist and there is sufficient lore to give testimony to this, as each side has reason to hate the other. But the player has a choice, mostly by their own - not brought about by the game, to act out what they make. Some often see past the prejudices of the Horde and Alliance whilst others are very proud of their own faction and maintain a hatred of the other.

The point being, Warcraft does not use many mature themes where other games might. There is plenty enough about the game to be suggestive but the graphical nature of the game is cartoonish and stylized enough to separate it from reality.

Warcraft's success is in it's social community and huge online presence. Friendships are forged, perhaps even enemies are made. Warcraft has mature themes but uses them sparingly, as flavour for the story, rather than as the bulk of it. It does not detract from the sense of adventure. Despite the blood of war and violence of combat, presence of alcohol and drink, there are still some off-limit things for example.

The presence of drugs or narcotics and their abuse is a theme that if present in Warcraft would bump the game's rating up to a 15. Furthermore there is a rumour that one in-game zone was blocked off to players because it was ominous enough to do the same, and raise the game's rating from a 12+ to a 15+.

I would use World of Warcraft as a comparison device if anything, as I don't consider it as a game with mature themes - or at least a game with extensive use of them. But they are present and I do think it is a good example of a game which uses the themes it can wisely.

Looking for Games III

My experience with Fallout 3 is mostly watching my older brother play it, but I was always intrigued with how it worked because it had a very in-depth system of morality to me. You could choose to be good or evil, and this brings in an important element. Usually we play the hero, but the reward for doing so beyond completing quests and getting the expected reward became normal after a while and the gratitude is lost on us. By giving us  not only the possibility of being evil, but the choice, we are given an entirely new way to play the game and progress through the story.

Doing the right thing is no longer the only thing you can do, and so you can harbour some degree of pride in your actions. The karma system in the game rewards and shapes the player's choices. Being evil and selfish can often work to your own ends in the short term but in the long run, it may mean making many enemies and consequences.

There are other games which use a similar system such as Fable, whilst in other, more recent titles, Elder Scrolls game Skyrim simply gives you the option to kill anyone, anywhere, at any time - steal from anyone or anything and there are only consequences if you get caught.

I will likely look at Fallout 3 as an example game to use as well. It was an influential game for me, and I think it still holds it's own as a good game even today. It raises the idea of playing the good guy or the bad guy in the game and what it adds to gameplay, or what it speaks of the player if they choose to be good or evil. Does it reflect their inner desire or nature? Or is it simply fun to be a little bad, for once? Isn't being the good guy when you have the choice to even more important than being the good guy when it is the only option as it has been in so many other games?

Those are the types of questions I wish to discuss with Fallout 3 as an example.

Looking for Games II

One of the earlier games I played on the PS2 was Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven, an extensively violent and graphic game in which one plays the protagonist ninja in a sub-fantasy setting of feudal Japan.

But what is it about this game that seperates it from the controversial titles such as Manhunt? The 'stealth kills' are arguably graphic, featuring gruesome decpitation and impalement with bladed weapons, blood spray and dying screams. Is it because we are a good guy, a protagonist? That the ones we're killing are clearly bad guys, so subjecting them to violence is alright?

Is it because it is set in an old setting, and isolated from a modern day reality?

The game featured a level set in a dystopian future in which an evil CEO created a virus and sold the cure for profits. But again, the game was 18+ rated, and my parents felt it was alright for me to play it.

I don't feel that Tenchu inspired particularly violent feelings or instigated violent thoughts in me. I simply enjoyed it for what it was to me, a ninja game. I appreciate that my parents were lenient when it concerned letting me play games rated above my age, but at the same time I wonder what the thought process behind the decision was. I remember getting the game for my birthday after temporarily renting it and enjoying it a lot. Perhaps my parents were able to see that enjoyment and look beyond the graphic nature of the game, or perhaps they were never aware of it at all, as I haven't inquired about it.

That might be a good place to start, and so I will consider Tenchu 3 as a game to refer to.