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DES202 Design Contexts Charles Scammell 1602255

Design Contexts - Negotiated Response:

Will In-Game Ads Ruin the Industry with Developers Greed?

Looking into what could be a possibility to base this assignment on, I looked at complaints in the industry, as nothing sparks discussion more than online rants, and I came across this topic that I never knew was rapidly becoming a common complaint in the gaming community. I always looked at in-game ads as simply part of the industry and that people had made their peace with it, but then again I have rarely properly played a game released after 2013, I’m still very much stuck in the Skyrim and counter strike era of games. But moving on, I found large online groups relentlessly complaining about how the constant attack of advertisements break the immersion into the game story lines when they see ‘real life’ products being advertised through-out the game.

The most subtle type of in-game ads are called static, these are most commonly built into things like story line or integrated product placement, a perfect example would be EA Sports FIFA, or mainly any real life simulation sports game, to create a real life environment requires an array of billboards and advertisements in the stadiums. I found however, what irritates people most is the more, in your face, style of in-game ads commonly known as ‘dynamic’ or ‘DIGA’, this is the newest version of marketing that has become common and usually involves real word products such as the latest ‘Dell’ gadget being advertised on billboards or posters in-game. This used in a non-real world simulation game is understandably distracting for serious gamers; however I myself don’t feel this way just yet.

What first came to mind of ‘in-game advertisement’ for me, were small game apps from in the app store, I understand it is frustrating when pop ups constantly interrupt games on your phone and/or can’t actually be closed. I thought to myself though, that’s not a big enough point to base a submission on, but this came up, time and time again, as a complaint from more serious , some might say ‘self-important’, gamers on console and PC games. In fact the advertisement industry last year reached over ‘2 billion dollars’ for in-game advertising, and, shockingly, is estimated to grow to 7 billion dollars by the end of this year. This rise in profit to the industry is what worries gamers that these small inconveniences in today’s games are only the beginning of such a rising, and very profitable, part of the industry.

If that is the case, then is it only a matter of time before adverts actually interrupt gameplay itself, just like it does in television? Relentless and seemingly never-ending advertisements today have all but driven the younger generation away from television and onto online ad free streaming and sites like Netflix. Sony has actually released a patent for these interrupting, TV show like, ads, but I feel the lack of information on this ‘patent’ towards console and PC games may be a sign they don’t intend to fully go ahead with the interruptions just yet, but it shows the industry is beginning to change for the worse. However as long as they stick to breaking adverts into the free-to-play apps, I don’t have any complaints against Sony; I mean the apps are free after all.

I think what people are noticing more today is the greed shown by big companies in other aspects of the industry, like the software that blocks used games, which is causing a concern. This greed threatens to change the industry for the worse with rising prices, less content included (so that gamers have to buy more and more in-game purchases) and of course selling more and more advertisement space in games to the point PC and console games become just a glorified App store.

Although if anything I actually see a silver lining coming from these changes, the further I research this subject, although there is a significant rise of dynamic in-game adverts, the reality of the business side of this, is that the industry is getting a serious rise in profit and funds. For example in 2006 the industry received 34 million dollars for its advertisement schemes in-game, and it is now a seriously fast rising billion dollar aspect of the industry. This opens up more opportunities for bigger and better games to be released in the near future from the industry.

Also on a not totally unrelated note, it also opens up countless opportunities for the advertisement and marketing industry. An industry that has, in recent years, taken a large hit with the rise of online streaming and ad blockers used more and more by the younger generation. Done in moderation this could bring out the best in both worlds in the years to come as it combines two very different businesses, using purely digital platforms.

However, again the arguments stands that it is not in large corporations’ nature to not go completely over-kill on any profitable opportunity that rises in the new digital age. An example of how this has already started to show is that the very first known example of an in-game advertisement was released in 1978, in a game called Adventureland. In it, the developer, Adventure International, placed a very small advertisement for another game called Pirate Adventure. At the time it was seen as an innocent, rather clever idea, although now that original concept of Adventure Land has turned into a multibillion dollar industry.

I am not saying I completely agree with the money-grabbing, over the top actions of developers and the marketing industry in today’s entertainment business. But I personally think the reality of the situation is that the standard of production and storytelling that is given through games today deserves to ask for slightly increased prices, and for companies to look elsewhere to bring in profitable income, such as oversold ad space, will only keep prices of games from rising further. The day my game is interrupted with an advert for say, the latest IPhone, then I will definitely side with the online community currently in rebellion of the industry, but for now I have nothing but admiration for where the industry has come in the past years.

References: Rapid fire: http://www.rapidfire.com/blog/the-three-types-of-in-game-advertising/

Cracked: http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-video-game-complaints-were-just-going-to-have-to-get-over/

G4TV:http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/704876/alan-wake-the-worst-product-placement-in-gaming-history/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-game_advertising

Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/tag/in-game-advertising

Two Critiques

CRITIQUE ONE:

Y Tu Mama Tambien 

(film)

Critique/ review

Y Tu Mama Tambien is a 2001 Mexican film following the travels of two teenagers and an older woman as they drive across Mexico to a supposed hidden beach known as “Heaven’s Mouth” and gain a greater understanding of life, love, death and friendship along the way.

Before I delve into why I found this movie to be appropriate to critique in my submission I’d like to mention that the director and joint producer of Y Tu Mama Tambien is Alfonso Cuaron, the Mexican filmmaker responsible for Prisoner of Azkaban, which transitioned Harry Potter from pre-teen adventure escapades to a much darker and menacing series, throwing it into the sub-genre of fantasy thriller that captivated a much wider audience than the previous two films, and arguably created the most visually interesting instalment of the entire franchise, this is just my opinion, I add this extra line as I have found others to disagree but I digress.

“Y Tu Mama Tambien” translates to “and your mother too” which said on its own is not offensive, but if put in context of an argument or used as a deliberately arrogant retort then it becomes offensive. This is appropriate because the title perfectly describes the relationship between the two male leads, Julio (Gael Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) two best friends who revel in insulting each other in an attempt to charm Luisa (Maribel Verdu) sometimes playfully and other times with a bit more cruelty.

Though all cast members give great performances, surprisingly I would say this for all actors for such a small film, the stand out is Maribel Verdu whose portrayal of Luisa is nothing short of flawless. Whether she’s teasing the boys with questions of their sexual endeavours or on the phone to her cheating husband trying to keep composure in her voice as she breaks down in tears, Verdu steals the show for performance.

Thinking about what film to do this assignment on, I was scanning my own movie shelf for ideas, Y Tu Mama was always one I avoided purely because of the foreign title, however earlier that day I had been watching a video essay by the Nerd writer (I’ll put a link to his YouTube channel somewhere in my blog) on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and in that video the Nerd writer notes how surprising it would have been at the time for Warner Bros. to choose Alfonso Cuaron to direct a film in a series that was essentially for children when his previous film had been Y Tu Mama Tambien, which the Nerd writer described as “an explicit Mexican road trip drama about sexual discovery.”. I then looked up Roger Ebert’s review of Y Tu Mama, the opening lines of which explain how though marketed as a teen drama with a very used premise, and while that premise is technically true, it in no way prepares you for what the film is really about or how long the thoughtful silence after you watch it will be. This is what made me pick this film up after so long of avoiding the ‘crazy’ looking title, regardless of my appreciation of foreign films.

The DVD I own, I have no Idea where it came from,  has a number of special features including a short film written and directed by Carlos Cuaron, a couple of radio interviews with Alfonso himself, a pretty entertaining behind the scenes video and a load of marketing material (an overload of misleading trailers). I watched one of the promos before I watched the film itself, and after watching the film I completely understood what Ebert meant. The marketing would have you believe that Y Tu Mama is a raunchy all out sex romp of a film and even though there are sex scenes in Y Tu Mama they are filmed in a way unlike any other film I’ve seen that depicts the act of “love-making”.

It was either Alfonso Cuaron or Emmanuel Lubezki (I forget exactly who as the interview contained both) who said that the sex scenes were shot in one take deliberately from a distance so as to create the impression that the events unfolding were just happening naturally and that just by chance there was a camera nearby, therefore any nudity you see appears to be down to subtle and seemingly unintentional movements by the actors and not by result of the man behind the camera. Never do you see a jump cut to a glorified close up of perfectly lit breasts or hear unrealistic pornographic moans; what you get with the combination of excellent direction, and great cinematography and a cast with brilliant acting ‘chops’ are sex scenes that are grounded in reality, and to comic effect in a number of ways. In fact some of the funniest takes in the film stem from the awkward fumbling of the teenage characters treating sex like a race.

I briefly mentioned cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki above and I have to praise him further as I have a great appreciation for the art, he apparently used 90% natural light for most of the film, which I have found from further research is a key feature of his, which adds to the environment the characters are travelling through. The flat desert-like daylight shots use the sun as the key-light to create a slightly iconic contrast with the harsh fluorescent high-key lights of a ‘throwaway’ Mexican bar at night that illuminates the actors from above in a much more dramatic and dynamic way. Even today this is a very uncommon take on lighting for a movie, which I have even tried to incorporate in the lighting and mise-En-scene for another cyber punk style module I have been working on for my second semester; I will credit Lubezki in my assessment for this module.

A key artistic choice I’ve yet to mention in this film has little to do with visuals and everything to do with audio, I realise now I have understated this so far but at least 50% of this film is credited to the voice-over narration throughout. Narration that doesn’t just speak the minds of the characters, but instead tells stories of events that happened in the same places the characters are travelling through, but only years before, and at some points even tells us the future, not just of the characters but of Mexico itself and how century old traditions are ended by ‘corporations’ ever growing need to expand business.

It took a bit of time to get used to, mainly because of the complete 2-3 seconds of silence that immediately precedes the narration, which I find to add more to the film than it is given credit for in any online review I’ve seen, I honestly was fooled at times into thinking my speakers had cut out without warning. The narrator himself, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, delivers his speech in a, matter of fact, sort of way, much like the narration found in “Amelie”, which is a reference I was given by a friend but fits perfectly (link to his blog will be included also) only with less of a flair, quoting a friend, the performance is dead pan but completely fits the tone of the film.

I get the feeling that I’ve used a lot of words thus far but I haven’t really said much about my personal opinion on the plot, other than praising the genius behind the camera, but to be honest I don’t want to say much more than what I have as I spent more time enjoying the extras than the film itself. This in truth was the reason I chose this film to submit my critique on.

I definitely suggest having your own copy of Y Tu Mama Tambien because after the first viewing you’ll want to watch it again and I guarantee that you’ll find the second sitting to be almost an entirely different but equally powerful and deep film. It has easily become one of my all-time favourites, well in fairness a favourite in the foreign category of films but still worthy of submitting my outlook on another wise overlooked film.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Tu_Mam%C3%A1_Tambi%C3%A9n

Aint it cool: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/11923

Guardian Review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/apr/12/1

CRITIQUE 2:

Darksiders II.

(game)

Critique on game art and design

Darksiders is a game trilogy that is produced by Vigil Games and is now possibly coming into its third instalment of the franchise. I previously owned the second instalment of the series Darksiders II, which is why I have chosen this game to be appropriate to critique. Noteworthy points of this game is that the plot follows the main antagonist which a rendition of Death and it is set in a gothic inspired fantasy world and is primarily a third person single player game.

What attracted me to this game originally, and why I feel it fits the assignment, is that in-game Darksiders looks exactly like the concept art, which I feel is rare in this industry. This was the goal of the games art-style inspiration and co-creator Joe Madureira, originally a comic book artist for X-men. This style was taken by teams of artists and brought to life by Vigil. Other key artistic inputs include free-lance environment designer Jonathan Kirtz, and a character artist’s team led by lead character animator James Brian Jones.

Character Artwork and Design

I find it hard to fault the character design in this game series as I think it is probably the most relatable to my own style of art work and the style of work that inspires me to improve. Notably in the style of the characters created by James Brian Jones’ art team is the exaggeration of strength and stylised frames of the characters. This is a very satisfying combination with the exaggeration used in the games environment art. Along with one of the most impressive and iconic horse designs in any game around today.

The main character design for Death however, I feel fell short in delivering on ‘the most feared’ of the four horsemen. In a world that is filled with such giant and powerful looking characters the main character seems rather small and un-menacing. This was a let-down for such an anticipated character. Although the visual of the character fits perfectly to the theme, the colour purple fits the role of death. Of course Black would be the go-to colour for death, but would not be as recognisable in a game like this, I mean it has the word ‘dark’ is in the title, more black really would be bordering on over-kill, the purple works best for this character in my opinion.

Another aspect of the main characters design is his face, which is a mouthless skull, this caused real concern for the character designers as it created a real restriction on expression from the games main character. However they found a way to modify the eyebrows and head movements of the character, which I feel, works even better than a talking skull as it brings a real creepiness to the character, along with a really strong voice actor.

Environment Artwork and design

The style of Darksiders is unquestionably heavily stylised and chunky, which would best describe the architecture of the environments used in this game. The majority of the environment art is set inside monuments and ruins of old halls and cathedral like structures. This shows off some impressive architecture designs done by Kirtz.

The overall aesthetic of his work in this game is very gothic and medieval with excessive use of heavy arches and strong pillars that bring a hint of religious structural design to the environments. This comes across profoundly on the design of windows and arches which strongly use geometric shapes to create gothic medieval designs, used almost as a substitute for stained glass windows.

However this plays nicely into the constant use of skulls in almost every design used, which was said in an interview with some of the main artists ‘where used purposely as a symbolism of ‘death’’, which in this context is one of the four horseman and main character.

Although constant use of skulls in almost every area of environment becomes very arduous to look at and even though there is some variation to this with the use of bird and animal skulls etc. The aesthetic seems to be rather stuck in one place when it comes to the design aspect of the atmosphere in this game, however attractive the art style may be.

Colour palette, I don’t see much other ways they could pull of this style of environment of endless stone walls and floors without the excessive use of stone grey. However this again becomes very strenuous after constantly being hit with a grey screen on every level. Although in fairness this does get cut through with the beautiful lighting used in this game to not be a main criticism.

Even though I did put some thought on what game to critique for this module I was pretty sure I would end up writing about the Darksiders artwork, as I feel it just, at the time especially, was iconic and the characters had so much story behind them for such a small game, which really came across in the designs for each. I can’t say Darksiders is my favourite game in the world, or that in fact I spend enough time playing games to have experienced a wide range of styles out there, but I definitely recommend anyone with an appreciation of Game art to play these games.

 References:

Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5935552/the-art-of-darksiders-ii

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darksiders_(series)#Games

Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5929162/the-heavy-metal-art-of-darksiders-ii

Forbes Interview: https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/08/13/the-art-of-darksiders-ii-an-interview-with-vigil-games-creative-director-joe-madureira/&refURL=https://www.google.co.uk/&referrer=https://www.google.co.uk/

Google Image Search: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=darksiders+2+art+style&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiTwpOr9vTSAhVHLsAKHZiKCgcQsAQIIQ&biw=1707&bih=789

Game Informer: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/07/01/embracing-the-supernatural-the-art-of-darksiders-2.aspx

PRESENTATION SLIDES:

Eddo Stern - Week 12 presentation

1602255 - Charles Scammell