All Games Have To Start With a Concept

Take a moment to think about your favourite video games. What aspects immediately come to mind? Graphics, the level of interactivity, difficulty, and technical reliability are a handful of the most common. However, relatively few of us consider the notion of game concept design. From the simplest of game designs to those which require years of work, a concept artist will be involved. Let’s take a look at what concept artist jobs entail, as well as how they will impact the entire outcome of a new game release.

Concept Artist Jobs at a Glance: From the Ground Up

Concept artists are responsible for creating the visual elements of a game, in either 2D or 3D form. Some concept artists specialise in a specific area of art, such as characters, textures, environments, lighting, or assets such as vehicles or weapons. However, others artists are involved in the entire creation of artwork for a game. Once the high-quality artwork has been created, it allows programmers, developers and animators to understand how the game will unfold over time, and helps them to appreciate the experience that is desired for the players. This allows them to develop the design into a end product which is suitable for the consumer.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities

The use of this concept art is only the beginning. Any idea needs to be fleshed out in order to establish a well-defined workflow. In some ways, this can be similar to providing the rough outline for a graphic novel. The art is then complimented with other key elements including (but not limited to):

• The main characters and their associated arcs.
• Background elements such as levels.
• Items that can be collected.
• The role of the player and the ultimate goal.
• Twists and turns (such as subplots) that may occur during gameplay.

Concept artist jobs rely heavily upon innovation as well as the ability to think outside of the box.

Appealing to the Investors

Another trait that is often required from concept artists is the ability to appeal to investors. After all, these stakeholders could ultimately determine whether or not the game is approved for development. Concept artist jobs will therefore focus around providing investors with a clear understanding of the appeal of the game in question. They need to be able to explain the design simply and effectively, and possess the talent to convince others with what is a mere vision and a few storyboards!

From Super Mario Bros. to the latest first-person shooter platforms, every game is created within the mind of a game design specialist. While this is a highly rewarding role, it also requires a great deal of determination and perseverance. The end result is well worth the effort when we think about how many games have come to influence our modern society!

If you are looking for your next job in the gaming industry, take a look at our current vacancies for concept artists, video game designers, and other creative roles!