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[ANtY]

Hehe, I know this ain't gonna be popular in this forums but anyway, what is life without flame ^^

our programmer waxx got angry after seeing 100th retro 8bit project without any content earning shitloads of money on kickstarter and here's the result:

http://codedaemons.com/this-pixel-art-hegemony-has-to-stop/

[brettchalupa]

This is a really good thing to talk about, especially based upon how this article was written.

1. The article comes off as a poorly written rage piece. If the author had taken the time to be more constructive about his approach to this, it would have been a little less immature sounding. What I mean is, if the focus on the article was on how and why people need to make more games that aren't pixel art based, then I think it would have resonated more. Instead, it came off as just someone who is tired of games with pixel art and wants to curse about it.

2. I don't think it's really that big of a problem. It's about the creators of the game and what it is they want to do with the style. If they choose pixel art as a medium or traditional art or vector art, then so be it. There are plenty of each to be honest. I don't think the media tends to cover more pixel art games than non-pixel art games. Look at Super Meat Boy, Braid, Spelunky XBLA, Limbo, The Binding of Isaac, Dust XBLA, Recettear, etc. There are plenty of non-pixel art indie games. I think that people should work with a medium they enjoy working in and can grow with.

3. While Super Retro Squad had no gameplay, which I think really means it wasn't ready for a Kickstarter, there is a reason why it already successfully got funded. The guy made Super Mario Crossover, so he has at least a little bit of credibility for sticking with something, finishing it, and updating it. Secondly, the video was quite good. His speaking was slow and understandable. I enjoyed listening to what he had to say and it felt genuine. 15k is a good amount of money so far, but he took on eight people to get this project going, so after taxes and reward tiers, it is going to quite a bit less (assuming there is no other day spike increases).

If your programmer's biggest problem is that there are too many pixel art games, then make games that don't use pixel art. It's that simple. If he wants to be vocal about it and address what he thinks is a problem in the world of indie games, then address it in a way that is honest and constructive.

I know I enjoy seeing it, playing it, making it, so I am going to continue to. If it fits the style of the game, then I don't see a problem with it.

[waxx]

@moooosh
not wondering, rather annoyed that things like that get fame and community just because its 'retro' and nostalgic ;p

[ANtY]

@brettchalupa: I wouldn't agree with

I don't think the media tends to cover more pixel art games than non-pixel art games.

I think they actually tend to cover more crappy pixel art games than average non-pixel art games! Or maybe I'm just tired of seeing so much crap making cash on the whole retro flow thing. Not saying that there are no good pixe-art games and that they can't look good ofc.

[brettchalupa]

I think media coverage is all super super relative and hard to talk about without actual numbers and references.

I guess I should change what I said: based upon the media coverage I see (which is basically three or four sites in my RSS feed), I don't feel that it is too much. I guess in general, I have no idea how to talk about media coverage as a whole.

Maybe that is worth talking about?

Also, I think tools like Unity3D have been a great way for people to make games that aren't pixel art based. Making other art mediums more accesible will definitely help create a more variety of games.

[Superb Joe]

it's really funny that that guy asked for 10k to make a game he's already made. the game is already made. he's designed the new characters. he's done the things. he's made the game twice already. the game is made. he's making it a third time, and needs to make the levels. but the game is already made. he has made the game. he has been given thousands of dollars to perform a task he had already performed. in addition, his hairline is really funny.

[ANtY]

it's really funny that that guy asked for 10k to make a game he's already made. the game is already made. he's designed the new characters. he's done the things. he's made the game twice already. the game is made. he's making it a third time, and needs to make the levels. but the game is already made. he has made the game. he has been given thousands of dollars to perform a task he had already performed. in addition, his hairline is really funny.

even if it's irony - this

and also

@mooosh: this

[s0]

as a developer i don't care, people can make whatever they want.

as a player tho, i'm sick of "retro" games. it'd be more tolerable if more people tried to imitate something other than the NES (or spectrum if you're lucky) for a change and if these games were actually as good as the games they rip off/pay tribute to (which they never are with very few exceptions).

[Superb Joe]

bro. take that 16k and get your ass to the salon.

[Superb Joe]

homie lookin like bobcat goldthwait lost all dignity

[Superb Joe]

Seeking investors for Super Mario Combover. I have already done the hard work (grown out an incredible excess of matted, straw-like hair from the very top of my head) and have already hired a team of 8 to figure out ways to assemble my wispy thatch into a reasonable facsimile of a human hairstyle, but here's the issue: these people need to eat, and apparently they don't like sebum and keratin very much. So I'm faced with a conundrum, Code Red and Burger King are expensive. So I need you to give me ten thousand dollars, and once you've done that, and I look like a goblin in a cool wig, I will say "yahoo" and "mamma mia" repeatedly on justin.tv at 2:30 EST each afternoon for 6 weeks.

[TeeGee]

 

[JWK5]

Superb Joe, it is called the 'phullet'. It's a new take on the mullet and it is all the rage. Phil Collins in the front, Fabio in the back, and a man with distinguished tastes in the middle. Retro pixel art demands nothing less.

[Player 3]

Almost looks like a regular troll. Or a goblin.

[Superb Joe]

anyway people use pixel art as a crutch because art is hard and it gives you lines to colour inside of

[JWK5]

On a more serious note, I find the issue (of retro styled games) a rather murky one. On one hand, I am all for any visuals (within reason) that adequately give context to the theme and story of the game world, retro or otherwise.

On the other hand, what bothers me personally is the general lack of imagination and effort I see put into some games when it comes to their characters and story world. "This is block guy in purple forest, he fights giant hotdogs and green muffins!" I see this kind of stuff getting passed off as being abstract but even abstract art should have significant thought put into it. They're not even trying.

It seems to me that might be what is eating at you as well, Waxx, that despite an "Oh well, fuck it" attitude some creators seem to have their works are turning out quite successful. Unfortunately, it is up to the consumers (regardless of whether the work is purchased or free) to decide what is worth their time and what appeals to them. If they like the work of a lazy creator then that is that.

I don't think retro graphics themselves are a mark of laziness, and I think sometimes it can be a worthy challenge, but it is just kind of a bummer to see so many trying to recreate NES (or whatever) visuals instead of forging their own style and developing their own conventions.

[Player 3]

"Retro" graphics have such a vast range, from single (or multi-colored rows) colored ham-sized pixels on the Atari VCS to the famous NES three-color-per-sprite palette. Sega Master System games have always had the better graphics to me when it came to 8-bit shenanigans. It can be done very well, but there's a point where it needs to stop.

[Superb Joe]

i tried to make a jet set willy sequel with ultra fluid animation for monochromatic sprites but i couldnt figure out how to not be terrible at programming

[Claw]

I use pixel art for my current game, well, just tiles limited to 16x16. I wanted to do this because I'm combining normal maps and pixel art, thought it would look cool. Also art takes time, and I'm hand drawing normal maps for everything - if I bumped that up to 32x32 resolution that's pushing for around 4x as much effort for art work, time I don't have.

I think time and energy is the reason most people choose to limit resolution like that (unless they want to specifically replicate an old console like the NES); since a lot of people making games in their spare time are doing all the coding + audio + art, it's just easier.

I'm sure everyone already knows this, just felt like throwing my 2 cents in. Initial article in OP is mega ranty though.

[s0]

welp at least the "retro" thing is a bit better than using shitty internet memes as a kudos grabbing tactic