Update: Project Idea

Hello,

So yeah, after my meeting with Ryan we thought it would be very important for me to get an idea of what i was going to do as my final project. I think after my most recent presentation and results put alot of negative thoughts in my head and made me very unsure where my project was leading too.

So I spent my time since thinking long and hard going back and forth from ideas in my head. So what i did was think about what relates most towards my Aim:

"Does Pixel Art add to the play experience of games other than the perceived nostalgic value?"

So with the aim in mind, I then compared my ideas to see what would in my opinion answer the question more accurately.

So here are the ideas,

#1 - Game

A game that uses its pixel art as a sort of gameplay mechanic, and showing the various different styles.

I didnt go into this idea in a great deal but I had an idea that you could manipulate the resolution of the game to get past puzzles.

for example, low resolution pixels would be bigger and harken back to the times of the 8-bit era of games with limited detail and colour making things unclear such as signs. 

16-bit would add more colour and pixels/detail are added so what was once a solid block would be split into smaller blocks and show maybe a cracked/weak structure thats able to be broken.

3D would work in the same way as say Fez

Does it answer the aim?

in a way, it answers in that it can show all the different styles that pixel art has rather than the one we all remember from the past.

so whats wrong with it?

well me not knowing how to code atall makes this game impossible for me to make playable especially in the time i have.

I think if i created a game in any sense people will still have the thought that pixel art outside of games doesnt work, when im trying to point out that pixel art can and should be considered as a type of abstract at movement relevant outside of games. I think this would be able to argue and show the "aesthetic" side of my aim so therefore a game might not argue my point thoroughly enough.

#2 - Animation

A short animation showing the different styles of pixel art (see concept development & pre-production portfolio)

Does it answer the aim?

same as above

So whats wrong with it?

Time probably being the biggest negative here, take a look at my animjam animation for example. 30 seconds of rather limited unfinished animation took me 48hrs to complete now if i wanted to animate a short story say 1minute long with various different styles etc i just dont think it would be possible in the time frame given

#3 - Showcase

What do i mean by showcase?

Well, what i was thinking was lots of different forms of pixel art from 8-bit classic era stuff too 3D environment ranging from models to lots of spritesheet animations etc

Does it answer the aim?

I think in a more interesting way, yes. As I would be allowed to create whatever i feel inspired to do rather than having to make it fit within the constraints of say a game/animation theme this would also help in people having a more open perspective rather than classing it as a game straight away and think of the more artistic implications.

I am going to pitch all these ideas to Ryan and see what he thinks, he told me to be ready for him to shoot my idea down (in expectation i can and will defend my point) hoping to have atleast concept doodles of how i see my project turning out.

so yeah come thursday at 15:00 BRING IT ON RYAN!!

haha but in all seriousness i think i have gotten past the massive dip in my productivity and on a more confident incline back up.

David M