Thing is, they have actually gotten cheaper. The problem is that they’ve gotten far more expensive to make. And because consumers don’t want to pay more for a game (though historically they did previously), the answer is DLC. In some cases, it unfortunately feels like the DLC is required for the complete experience,…

Absolutely, consumers shouldn’t have to feel like they’re being fooled out of their money. That’s why I was saying in terms of E3, maybe it’s best to think of it less like an advertisement. Then you can enjoy what E3 offers without feeling like you’re being deceived. I would say let trailers closer to launch along…

I totally agree with you on being more honest about a “target render.” I’m all for more transparency. Though for a lot of what you were saying, I don’t think it’s quite as black and white as that. Game development is just way too dynamic and prone to extreme fluctuation. The entire process is one of discovery - both…

Definitely happens, but I don’t think that’s quite as ubiquitous as you’d think. Particularly these days. Depends on the developer though.

I think its just a matter of changing perspective. No developer puts out a demo with the intent to fool you while knowing full well that the real thing will never live up to what’s presented. And E3 is often less a showing of “here’s our game and where it’s at,” and more, “here’s our chosen direction. Here’s some art…

I think the biggest financial hurdle will actually just be getting an affordable license to use this/similar tech. Luckily, cost to develop assets won’t really change because it sounds like it’s a post-processing effect and can be effectively used on anything, spheres and cubes included. This sort of advancement is…

I think she's advocating more for truth and believability alongside diversity, not conformity. It appears like a very feminine seated position. It's as if every action the character takes must remind the viewer/player that she's a woman, rather than just being true to the character she is - the warrior/soldier. Were…

I don't believe the complaint was that they were animated differently or the same. There's an incredibly wide variety of ways a person can sit beyond these two. I think the issue Crimsonkitten had was that it's very clearly a dainty, intentionally overly feminine seated position. If the dude had been sitting that way,…

The road to good sausage isn't by telling the people making the sausage that they're lazy idiots and clearly they just need to use sharper cutting tools when you know nothing about the process. Meanwhile, telling the people making the sausage that the meat is always too dry is hugely helpful and can result in a better…

I do 3D anim, and I have an enormous amount of respect for 2D animators. That stuff is bananas. So huge props to you. I will say though, I don't think you can say either is objectively easier. You're absolutely right that changes are typically far more difficult in 2D given the amount of work that must be redone. And…

Very well said. Feedback is most often far too specific, particularly because it comes from a place of ignorance. The logical leaps are what kill me. Getting feedback saying that this thing needs to be tuned exactly this way because I play games and just know isn't helpful, just groan-inducing. However, exactly as you…

Andim pretty much nailed it. The model and texture detail is a big issue, but the primary reason is, as you suggested, parenting the camera to the character's third-person head would make it next to impossible to understand what is happening. It'd be hugely disorienting. Each first person and third person animation is…

Not making a comment here on fps either way, but just wanted to make a little correction. I've animated on both 30 fps and 60 fps titles and the in-game frame rate is not due to the difficulty in keyframing animations at a certain fps. I've never seen anyone actually animate at any fps other than 30, even when it's 60…

Hah definitely tedious. But hey if you're not so much into acting, but love animation, there are tons of avenues for that. Games and a lot of visual effects films are great for doing fun, satisfying animation. It's primarily the animated features from Disney/Pixar etc. that are acting heavy.

So be one! There's zero barrier, other than the perilous, expansive mountain ranges of hard work ahead. No gatekeepers. Pick up The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams and get going. Tons of resources online these days.

A knowledge of rigging is still an enormous plus though. Going back and forth between the character team, TDs, and engineers, its outrageously helpful to be able to speak to the technical intricacies of your rigs when setting up new characters - if you work at a place large enough to allow you to do primarily just…

I'd say something similar about animation (at least CG animation) when it comes to taking a break for a few years. Though I suspect that programming is also similar in the sense that it's the technique and right type of thinking that are more important than the software you're animating in (or language you're coding…

I work in AAA development, so I won't claim to be an expert, but I have a decent handle on what I'm talking about. The interesting thing about games getting more and more complex is that the complexity is increasingly invisible. They're either under-the-hood technical improvements or, graphical fidelity as an example,…

Agree completely. Of the art disciplines, relatively speaking, I would say that concept artists actually get the most credit for their work. The bigger names (this idea exemplified by the fact there are "bigger names") actually get quite a following and maintain a niche celebrity status. Not nearly as common for other…

Aside from increasing conflict between budget size and dev time, it's a simple matter of games becoming exponentially more complex. The more moving parts there are under the hood, the more issues there are going to be. Pair that with the fact that the internet allows for bug fixing post-launch and you have what…