In 1958, Tennis for Two was created by Physicist William Higinbotham and is considered by historians to be the first visually-displayed video game ever made. Although video games would not become widespread for another four years, advancements such as Higinbotham’s slowly sparked the need for artists and designers to tackle this new demand. Eager creatives were soon creating video game art for early adopters of the medium such as Sega, Atari, and Nintendo.
Early Years: Pixel Art and 8-Bit Nostalgia
During the early years of mainstream gaming, around 1980, games such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders dominated the global video game market. Pixel art, also known as 8-bit art, was the main game art style of the time. Illustrators were tasked with creating designs on custom machines that were highly specialized, and expensive, for the task.
16-Bit Renaissance: Advancements in Detail and Color
Less than a decade later, advancements in technology allowed illustration specialists to make use of 16-bit, which displays over 65 thousand colors. In comparison, 8-bit produces a much more limited 256 colors. Along with these advancements, 16-bit empowered illustrators and designers to create higher detail in their game art, allowing for greater artistic expression.
The 3D Revolution: Polygonal Worlds and Realism
Soon enough, the game art industry started to make use of 3D technology. Battlezone (1980), Tempest (1981), and Star Wars (1983) were some of the first hits that took advantage of 3D modeling and rendering. Artists were able to continually enhance the realism available to consumers through their expansive polygonal worlds.
Artistic Innovation in the HD Era
The shift from standard definition to high definition (HD) brought a new era of gaming to the industry. Artists and studios were now able to push their game engines further than ever. From the textures on walls to the grass characters walked on, it was as important as ever for artists to keep pushing the status quo.
Importance of Environmental Design
Without environmental designers working in game studios, the world game characters inhabit would feel disconnected from the story. It’s the job of an environment designer to blend the story and world together. This begins with communicating their vision to concept artists. According to Adobe, “Video game concept drawings help create the building blocks for the immersive, authentic, and unforgettable worlds that gamers explore.”[Bowden, Trevor. ]
Like art in any genre or category, art in video games has evolved a long way since the pixel art of early 8-bit games. Over the years gaming art heavily relies visual and interactive design to engage users. Where the evolution of these games succeeded is taking simple game mechanics and displaying them in an accessible format. As this art style evolved many lessons were learned, how can we take what was learned in video game art and apply it in a design that successfully informs users about financial topics? As the capacity of games increased over time from 8 bit, to 16 bit and eventually to 3d it allowed for more immersive gameplay. In the same way, how can we utilize these technologies to create an immersive experience for the user?
Bowden, Trevor. “Pixels to Reality: The Evolution of Video Game Art.” RMCAD, 31 May 2024, www.rmcad.edu/blog/the-evolution-of-video-game-art/.
