Concept art is created early in the design process to visualize ideas before finalizing assets. Examples shown include weapon and background concepts later turned into finished digital designs. Multiple stages of refinement are often needed before a concept is complete. Other graphics discussed include pixel art like in Minecraft, textures to add surface variety, backgrounds for menus and levels, and promotional cover art to attract audiences. Collectors editions and pre-orders offer extra merchandise to dedicated fans. A variety of advertising methods are also used to promote games.

1. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
Concept art is an example of what you are creating such as if someone was designing a weapon for a
game and they design it on paper they then in order for it to be released onto the game it must be
digitalised the process before the finalising is concept art it is used to give you an idea of what you
are creating here is a few examples of different types of concept work followed by the finished piece
from different genres.
This is the weapon
concept. Used to
give an idea of what
is being created.
This is the finished
design created in
adobe flash and
edited in Photoshop.

2. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
This is concept art of a
background for sonic the hedgehog. The background has an animated look this shows that the
graphics have Cel shading.
The concept for a game is very important and takes several reruns and stages before the developers
get it right in most cases. But as well as being one of the most important stages this doesn’t change
the fact that there are milestones that need to be completed within a certain amount of time in
order for the financial things to go as planned so after a certain amount of tries the creators need to
be happy with the look and feel of the game. But also thinking about the target audience so it is
successful.
Here are examples of stages of game creation.
This is a simple concept of
sonic the hedgehog
This is a more developed
concept with more detail
and has more of a chance
to succeed in sales and
production.

3. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
The next kind of computer graphic art is pixel art this is where everything looks very distorted and
blurry. A great example of pixel art is minecraft, this game is very pixelated and everything is made
of some form of a cube. Pixel art is a form of digital art created with the use of raster graphic
software usually used in older games or in modern games to give the game a retro look. When
pixelated raster graphics are scaled they become very unclear and distorted creating this kind of
effect.
The third kind of graphic art I’m going to talk about is texture art this gives everything a surface
ranging from anything creating the effect of rocky surface and shiny tiles to a soft material surface
such as wool or cotton.
Texture in games is very important because without it everything would look the same like a puzzle
room on the popular mind breaker portal.
This is an example of a successful
complete background. This will be
used in the finished game.

4. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
But even portal has used some texture without it everything would look the same and have the
same surface and feel. An example of a game with lots of texture is bioshock infinite very good
gameplay with lots of different surfaces some examples are the rusty metal steampunk look on most
of the characters. Another example is the broken wooden boards that create walk paths and also the
soft fabric texture which is used in the clothing of each character.
Broken wooden boards
l
Soft clothing material
Shiny Beak
Steampunk themed hand metal
material

5. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
One of the last graphics I am going to talk about is background graphics.
Background graphics main purpose is self-explanatory but the full use of background graphics in
games can be used for many things one of which I am going to use as an example.
One of the uses of background graphics are in fighting, racing and first person shooters such as the
track map or in fighting games different areas.
Here is an example of a background select menu.
The three I have chosen as examples are naruto shippudenultimate ninja storm 3, forza motorsports
4 and call of duty black ops 2.
- This is the background or stage select menu
for naruto ultimate ninja storm 3. This menu is used
to select which stage you would like to fight your
opponent on.
- This is the track select menu for forza
motorsport 4 used to select which track you will
race on.
- This is an example of one of the maps used
in call of duty black ops 2.

6. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
The last kind of graphic I am going to talk about is print media, cover art which is used to show
aspects of the game and to catch the audience’s attention. Cover art does this by giving the certain
pose and objects such as in call of duty it would be a soldier wielding an automatic sub machine gun
pressing onward with a helicopter firing rockets and pieces of ground flying everywhere and a
injured comrade waiting to be treated or bleeding out. The font and text used is a very bold silver
stainless steel like effect with a night vision text style which implicates they are some form of secret
but powerful soldiers.Because of all the gore and violence in this game it is rated m for mature and
the target audience is mainly teenaged gamers.
Another slightly less violent example is sonic the hedgehog advertisement on the back of a gaming
magazine.
This advertisement is used to catch the magazine readers attention with little in game screen shots
and a catchy line of text in this case “A new Beginning” which reveals to the reader that it is a
remastered version of the classical game everyone knows of, and the bold blue gradient text which
is used in the game title and the line of text to make it stand out and have meaning, blue because
that is Sonics main colour. In the image on this cover you can see sonic with a very determined and
focused look. Sonic isn’t violent in most instances and for this reason parents allow their children to
play this game. The game is rated 12+ mainly because of the technicality of the game and some very
mildly violent scenes.

7. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
With some games that are sold in the industry dedicated gamers will pay extra money or pay before
the release when you pay before the release of the game this is called a “pre-order” and in doing
this with most games you will receive some form of related merchandise which can be anything from
a t-shirt with the game title or main character branded on it or an added in game downloadable
content.
When you pay extra money for a game being released it is normally some kind of collector’s edition
which will usually come with a different kind of box art as the regular game a downloadable content,
soundtrack of the game and in some cases a statue of one of the characters such as this.
There are many other ways of advertising games like this and some known games developers have
support from public transport such as busses and some games are advertised on billboards and
banners.

8. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
Bibliography
Dage Concept - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEpdqkHCMAEsdAt.jpg:larg
Dage Finished Design -
https://o.twimg.com/1/proxy.jpg?t=FQQVBBgpaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0cGljLmNvbS9zaG93L2x
hcmdlL2M5Zmw2dy5qcGcUBBYAEgA&s=1X5hYxvV7fmeSPl1CIMTwhRowVa0OO6M8noBY
6OzTJo
DC Finished Design -
https://o.twimg.com/1/proxy.jpg?t=FQQVBBgpaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0cGljLmNvbS9zaG93L2x
hcmdlL2NiMzZubC5qcGcUBBYAEgA&s=1oGNJdinNb-LuvA_1VH8a7d9Ysxkk9-
haMSNnvuKWfY
Dc Concept -
https://o.twimg.com/1/proxy.jpg?t=FQQVBBgpaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0cGljLmNvbS9zaG93L2x
hcmdlL2M4cWpneS5qcGcUBBYAEgA&s=xBTpN7rnydps7gDdm2tLItkmvuyhIWrJ0oGDmbO
7tx8
Sonic the hedgehog background + Items -
http://mobianlegends.com/media/sprites/www.themysticalforestzone.com/Sprites/Soni
c/Sonic%20Backgrounds/EmeraldHillBackgroundKit.png
Sonic Simple concept -
http://i.neoseeker.com/ca/sonic_the_hedgehog_2_conceptart_HRdS8.gif

9. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
Sonic advanced concept - http://www.x-
cult.org/images/games/1/Sonic%20the%20Hedgehog/concept1.jpg
Minecraft Herobrine-
http://cdn2.planetminecraft.com/files/resource_media/screenshot/1125/heronbrine-is-
good-now_84442.jpg
Portal white room - http://modsreloaded.com/downloads/7p0qc5ho3s/03og8gsjic.jpg
Bioshock end scene - http://www.gamespersecond.com/media/2013/03/bioshock-
infinite-gallery-23.jpg
Bioshock songbird - http://i1.wp.com/www.therefinedgeek.com.au/wp-
content/uploads/2013/04/Bioshock-Infinite-Screenshot-Wallpaper-Songbird.jpg
Bioshock Handyman - http://www.dpadmagazine.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/04/Bioshock-Infinite-02.jpg
Naruto stage selects - http://cdn2-
b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/66/4d/136210332
3_6218_stage.jpg?itok=EHnzoGRY
Forza 4 track list - http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz205/skinAUS/FM4Tracks.jpg
COD 4 - http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af174/gibbers82/Game%20Covers/ps3-
cod-4-box-art.jpg

10. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3
Black ops 2 map - http://www.callofdutymappacks.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Ops-2-Multiplayer-Map-Standoff.jpg
Sonic the hedgehog - http://downloads.sega-
europe.com/blogs/soniccity/20061103/Sonic-Next-gen-Ad.jpg
Halo 4 DLC- http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTYwWDU3NA==/z/SigAAMXQ8OdRI-
o~/$(KGrHqNHJE!FEN1l02ggBRI-o+RVCQ~~60_35.JPG?set_id=880000500F
Sonic collectors edition - http://zomgplay.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/11/sonic_generations_collectors_edition_unboxed-19-
1024x768.jpg
Sonic bus and mascot - http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-
images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/4/21/1303409560174/Mario_and_sonic.gif

11. Betec Level 3
Extended Diploma in
Unit 78 - Digital Graphics For Computer Games
Task 3