PDA

View Full Version : Help a Game Out


Jonathan Blow
07-03-2006, 11:27 AM
(I got permission from Mr. C to post this a while ago.)

I am working on an indie game. A lot of people like this game, in fact it won in the Game Design category of the 2006 IGF despite its woefully unpolished state.

The game is very nearly done, and the main thing that needs to happen is to go through and replace all the placeholder art with real stuff, and do some accompanying visual design. I am trying to hire an artist to do this. But I've been trying for a long time, and things are getting dire. The market just doesn't seem to be set up for indies to commission quality work for anything bigger than a match-3 game, especially in 2D -- the skillset of the industry has moved mainly to 3D. (I am starting to worry that I'll have to ship the game with mediocre art, which would be very sad).

This is a paying job. The game is a 2D platformer, the main thing that needs to be done now is environment art (design of platforms, background paintings, general design concepts for different worlds). Ideal people for this:

* Know how to make 2D art that looks good, at high color depths (not the same as mobile phone/etc 2D!)
* Has played platformers, or at least understands them,
* "Gets" games, understands that art has a large impact on gameplay, knows how to make art that doesn't confuse or conflict with the gameplay objectives.


So if any of you kind-hearted qt3 readers know someone who might be appropriate for this, please drop me a message. This game is very creative and different, and I know there are people out there who would love to work on something like this. It's just hard to find them.

Charles
07-03-2006, 11:34 AM
I have some friends who might fit the bill. I'll run this by them and see what they think. They are both employed game developers, but they may not mind it as a side project. Both are awesome at 2D, and are trained as traditional 2D animators. Hopefully one of them bites.

Jason McMaster
07-03-2006, 11:35 AM
I also have some people I can point this to

Alan Dunkin
07-03-2006, 11:35 AM
PM sent.

--- Alan

Warren
07-03-2006, 12:24 PM
I think Phil Steinmeyer got some good stuff from a similar call some time back. Maybe you can get some of the contacts he made?

http://philsteinmeyer.com/

nabeel
07-03-2006, 12:41 PM
I don't know anyone personally, but the Polycount (http://boards.polycount.net/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0) community is a really great place if you're looking for really talented and experienced artists - it's a gaming art community that's been around for ages and a lot of it's members are in the industry. If you pass a word onto one of the administrators I'm pretty certain they'll give a heads up to the rest.

mok
07-03-2006, 02:19 PM
these guys:

http://www.asorsonstudios.com/

contract to indie's. Very professional looking. You would have to talk to them about rates.

If I have another person you might want to talk with. Send me a mail at mok@killerbeesoftware.com if interested.


--Mark

EvilIdler
07-03-2006, 02:42 PM
Asorson Studios posted on the Garage Games forums, and explained a bit
about their licensing, which is really nice. You buy their art, you own it.
I think there were some more screenshots posted that I can't find in the
galleries, and it all looked great.

I didn't see any prices, but they hinted it was within indie range.

Jonathan Blow
07-03-2006, 09:24 PM
Thanks for all the info + ideas.

I have actually posted on several forums in the past, as well as paid listings to places like Gamasutra. All these avenues have their own problems though, so I am hoping that connections I get via qt3 will have some extra/different mojo.