On March 27^th I had a fun opportunity to speak to the students at Southern Utah University at their Art Insights program.  We covered a broad range of topics over the evening which included a brief history of video games and their genesis from electronic amusements machines, key stages in the development of MMOs, and an overview of how we create large virtual worlds at SOE.  

I also had the opportunity to speak to an illustration class and review a class assignment.  I got show some of my pen and ink work from my editorial illustration days, which was a rare treat for me.  We explored the creative process involved in visually communicating the key points of an article (or any assignment) and how to take it away from the obvious solution into something more abstract and interesting.  

The hospitality at SUU was great and there was some excellent student work. I hope to go back again.

This past week students from the Art Institute of California – San Diego were invited to SOE to present their end of semester work for their game prototype class.  Nice job all around.  One of the things I noticed checking in throughout the semester as “producer” for the class (besides the challenge of self scheduling) was the adjustment in thinking students needed to make the transition from working as individuals to working as a team.  More than the final portfolio result, learning to work well on a team is probably one of the most valued skills to possess for long term success in the industry.  Nice job Art Institute in making this experience part of the curriculum.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Ex’pression College for Digital Arts.   They have a beautiful campus in the bay area near San Francisco and a new Game Art and Design program that just started a few years ago.  I was a guest for their on their “Insider’s Day”.

I flew from San Diego to San Francisco in the afternoon and then back that same night. Unfortunately, I was just starting a cold so my ears were completely plugged from the plane trip. Other than sounding (to myself) like I was talking underwater, the presentation was great fun! 

The students received an overview of SOE games and the skill sets needed for our next two big projects, Free Realms and The Agency, along with some behind the scenes looks at those projects.  They asked great questions and the enthusiasm from the group made the session a real pleasure.  I’m looking forward to seeing their student work each grad cycle.

There were many inspiring presentations at last week’s DICE conference in Las Vegas, a gathering of CEOs and senior staff from around the game industry.

A few things that resonated with me:

Gore Verbinski talked about the exciting threshold we are on in game development and encouraged us to explore the “white canvas” which is still wide open for gaming innovation. We have just broken the surface of possibilities on the merging of gameplay, stories that evoke strong emotional response, and community participation.

UBIsoft’s Yannis Mallat argued effectily that technological improvements will no longer be the prevailing factor in creating the next level of game experience. The more important factors will be: talent, innovation, and generating deeper emotional response from users.

(Presented by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Siences, DICE stands for design, innovate, communicate, and entertain).

I’d like to wish all SOE gamers a happy and prosperous new year!

Reflecting on many of the project teams I’ve had the pleasure of working with last year, I’m particularly proud of the expansions to EQ and EQ2, Secrets of Faydwer and Rise of Kunark.  I always enjoy Frostfell season in EQ2 and the quests associated with McScroogle and the Gigglegibber Grump.  I especially like collecting snowballs to throw later in June when everyone else has run out!  Working with all the artists contributing to Legends of Norrath has been gratifying this past year as well.  Many of the best card images now grace our hallways to show off some SOE’s illustration talent to tour groups.

This year I’m excited about our projects moving toward completion.  A few words about the first ones up, Kung Fu Hustle and Free Realms: Both titles will have a low barrier of entry for users, meaning players can get in game quickly without large downloads or cost commitment.  Last year in Shanghai I had the opportunity to work with martial arts and choreography talent to mocap avatar reference for Kung Fu Hustle. I got a new build of the game last month and its fast and furious fun. The application of captured performances overlaid with hand tailored polish gives the animations a very fluid feel.  The authentic martial arts performances come through surprisingly well on the highly stylized avatars.  

There is a solidly established stylized look for both of these titles.  Establishing the art style begins by building a very solid concept and color palette plan at the prototype phase and keeping that vision throughout production. Free Realms is looking great in this regard.  The art production quality is top notch and the team has a unified purpose and vision of what belongs in Free Realms.  It’s shaping up to be the most visually cohesive game we’ve produced.  Anyone looking for a game you can enjoy with the kids won’t be disappointed.  Expect to hear more about these tiles during 2008!

Image from Free Realms

We just completed Legends of Norrath, (our tradable card game that can be played from inside EQ and EQII).  One of the exciting things for me, besides the game itself, was the opportunity to work with artists from the SOE Denver, San Diego, Austin, and Seattle offices to add some great illustration work to the game.

While this project features many accomplished artists whose work you’ve seen in some of our other TCGs, this time we were able to expand the effort to include artists working on other SOE titles. It was an opportunity for some talented team members to take a break from 3D and spend time doing traditional drawing and painting.

Each artist brought their own subtlety and style to the pieces they contributed.  Comic book legend and EverQuest fan Jim Lee also joined the effort. I think you’ll be very pleased with the results!  You’ll find the artist’s name on each card. 

Artist: Edwin Rosell

Do you like going to conferences and conventions?  I enjoy going to a few throughout the year, it’s always a fantastic opportunity to meet friends, gamers, aspiring artists, and other developers. Usually the events are a bit more spread out, so I think the end of this month is going to be pretty interesting. There are four major events to attend in San Diego and vicinity, (if vicinity can extend to Las Vegas) during a two week span beginning July 26th.

Starting the 26th, Comic-Con International is here once again http://www.comic-con.org/.  I’ve been to our Austin studio recently and it’s exciting to see the DC universe taking shape in MMO form, so until I can play the game I’ll settle for a dose of DC goodness from the Con.  After Comic-Con I’m going to make another visit to the Art Institute of California - San Diego to see the exhibit:

“The Masters of Fantasy Art - A Tribute to Keith Parkinson”

I had the pleasure of attending the opening last month, and I’ll be taking a few friends along on my second visit.  Seeing these original pieces is a rare treat for any Vanguard or EverQuest fan, not to mention fans of fine art in general.  The exhibit will be finishing its tour on the last day of July.

Just a short hop away we’ll be hosting the SOE Fan Faire in Las Vegas August 2-5.  Fan Faire is my favorite event for two reasons: first, meeting the players and getting feedback we can put into development; and second, seeing what the people in my EQ2 guild look like IRL. Finally it’s back to San Diego for the Siggraph conference August 6-9 .  Keep an eye out for us at any of these events.  Hope to see you there.

-Rystall

(Joe Shoopack, Director of Artistic Development)