Context & Research
Assignment Brief
Looking at the brief for this project I have been given complete control in whatever I'd like to create, I intend to showcase my skills as well as the knowledge I've gained throughout this year but to also show how my work has improved when compared to my Unit 8 Final Project. At the moment my core Ideas for this are to create a weapon pack within VR where players can use them within certain games, I'd like to as a possible back up plan create a little scene for people to see within Unreal Engine. The VR weapon pack I’d like to theme around Japanese weapons such as a katana and Kunai. Another thing I need to mention is that the brief states I must showcase the skills, processes and evaluating skills I've learnt through this course, so I intend to demonstrate how I've improved and etc.
Idea generation
Below I created a series of mind maps containing my first Ideas and then my final Idea for this project ranging from Ideas to create a weapon pack to a Japanese themed weapon pack and then finally an Ancient Japanese blacksmith/forge.
At the beginning I thought about making a weapon pack for VR as I wanted to try something new, Unique and bold but after a discussion with my peers I decided to change my plans as there were others who also wanted to do the same.
For my second idea I moved away from VR and turned my attention to making a specific themed weapon pack, This would allow me to maintain my initial idea and create something different from my peers but it would also allow me to challenge myself with certain weapons to design for this project.
After Getting advice and multiple different points of view based on my second idea it’s now clear to me that making the weapons pack, but it also doesn't go with my main goal for this unit which is to showcase my skills and display how they have improved. My backup plan to create a Japanese themed scene is now my main idea however, I'm going to mix the two ideas together and by that, I mean I will now create a Japanese themed forge/blacksmith area. This allows me to improve my skills, but it also allows me to create the weapons I’d like to make which are a katan and a kunai.
SWOT Analysis
The point of the SWOT analysis is to allow me to talk about my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for this unit. I intend to be highly critical as I believe that by doing so, I can efficiently display what it is I can improve upon throughout this unit.
Strength's
What skills do you feel confident with so far?
Throughout this year I have been able to further develop my skills within Maya and I am confident in being able to gather a range of different research topics to aid me in modelling and idea generation. I am now more confident in myself as I now worry less when modelling and focus on a more realistic goal while I work.
What resources do you have access to, to help you develop a product?
While at college I have access to a wide range of different software's such as Maya, Unreal engine, Substance painter, Photoshop and etc which allow me to create some cool looking assets and scenes. However, if I ever needed to work from home, I am limited in what I have access to. From home I can only access Maya, Unreal, Krita and Magicavoxel.
What are you already knowledgeable and passionate about that can help you develop a concept.
For each project I try to bring a level of enthusiasm and determination, I am quite knowledgeable in Idea generation as well as the different forms of research I can conduct while making a project as I believe it’s best to fully understand something so that when you make it mistakes are less likely to occur.
Weaknesses
What aren’t you good at?
After Looking back at my work from this year my modelling skills aren't at a level I'd like and for this so I intend to look at more tutorials online, more hands-on modelling to further my skills but I also will look at people within the industry's workflows, existing pipelines as well as any articles that can help me.
What do you recognize as personal traits that have created barriers in the past?
I do sometimes get in my own mind and doubt myself before even attempting something as I worry that I'm not good enough or some of my ideas are just dumb. I do talk a lot more about my ideas now and I have worked to get more confident in myself so that I don’t always doubt what I can do.
Where are there gaps in your knowledge?
Overall, the biggest gap in my knowledge is texturing as I have spent little to no time doing this, so I will have to find a good amount of time within the project to learn this. I also recognise areas of my modelling and work on Unreal could use some improving via more use and watching more tutorials to further my understanding.
Opportunities
What new skills can you learn to eliminate your weaknesses?
When learning to improve me skills I believe I can improve my modelling as well as my texturing as my current experience and development with both when doing projects varies as I have some knowledge in modelling and little knowledge in texturing. With modelling I need to learn to use a mix of the different tools and shapes to create as well as UV map those models. And with texturing I mainly need to get more acquainted with substance painter.
Is there a gap in the current market for your product. Will you have a unique selling point?
Looking at the market for games there is a lack of Japanese blacksmith workshops so that gives me an advantage as it’s not a common idea to do within the industry. This project allows me to focus on something that players don’t get to see within games set in this era and I’d like to try and create something that will make people want to learn more about this culture and the time period.
What can you get access to?
When working at college I have access to all the needed recourses for this project but also the resources needed to improve my skills I will aim to focus my attention towards Maya and substance.
Threats
What can’t you control around the world around you?
When it comes down to things, I am unable to control there are a lot I could mention however I will only mention the main factor I believe to be a threat. If I am unable to access my Wix due to internet outages or the site is down I will need to find other ways to write down my work such as on word on Paper, Once I then have access to Wix I will then put all my work on to it to keep up to date. Another threat is time management with this I need to ensure I follow what I've set as going over could cause me to fall behind or have less time working on practical resulting in something not to the standard I want.
What problems can’t you control if you need other people to help you out?
I can only receive help when it comes to people giving me feedback or asking for advice with this project, No one else can really help with research as they may have other ideas then me but also, we all have limited time to get this work done by so helping each other could a risk to our own projects in the long run.
When will you need to complete all work by? How will you achieve this?
The deadline for this project is the 27th of May 2022, I personally don't see this as a threat as in workplaces across the world companies set deadlines for work so if I make notes on my calendars and make an effective and well-made plan, I will be able to know what it is I'm doing.
Reference to Year 1 FMP
When I was in Leve 3 Games development Year 1, I decided to create a Sci-Fi horror Hallway for my FMP, looking back at this idea I think it was a big mistake. This FMP had the same time as the one I am currently doing but the issues it suffered came from its development cycle. During the production for this project, I became unmotivated and lazy with my assets I only picked the simple ones and I never picked ones that would make the hallway look more alive and decrepit, another issue was the idea in general. I admit I'm not that great at modelling and it’s something I have been working hard on to improve however during this project I threw myself in the deep end and made my life a living hell as a result. I did put lots of work into my research and pre-production but when it came to making the scene, I ignored all the references and things I’d done to help me, I see now while looking back my key mistake was picking something that wasn't realistic to make aka SCI-FI had I picked another genre this scene may have been better, but the problem was being realistic.
My next mistake was ignoring the research id done to help, after gathering images on my assets and scene I never looked at them again causing me to make something different then intended but also something that wouldn't look good either.
The next mistake was effort and motivation, during this projects development I became lazy and unmotivated the reason for this was due to fears of the project being cancelled due to Covid-19 but also feeling like I wasn't good enough.
Areas I've learnt From
Moving forward to this project I've made sure what I'm making is realistic to what I can do, my project is built around Ancient Japan mainly the Sengoku Period. I can’t be completely accurate to this era however as tools they used aren't really known today so my work is more inspired by ancient Japan. The scene I hope to make is a Blacksmith/Forge which contains assets of different difficulty's, the reason I say it’s more realistic than my last project is because I'm making assets which most of share the same shape that being whether a cube or cuboid shape.
This time round every bit of research I've done as well as image gathering, I've used to help me further my understanding of this era but also the designs of the tools, structure and weaponry. Even though I'm still only at the beginning of the project I have already been looking back at what's been done before to ensure I don't repeat my past mistakes.
Lastly effort and motivation, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to stay motivated and maintain a good mindset to help keep my effort to a good standard and the key thing was to pick something I had a great love or interest in. Ancient Japan has been something that has fascinated me ever since I saw it In movies and then Video Games This project allows me to do research into something I have a great interest in but also something I want to know more about, when I compare my effort of this project to my last I realise I picked something I really didn't care for and something I thought was easy so this time I'm going to make sure that I research is one relevant to my project but also two something that can help me with this project.
Proposal Form
The proposal form is a document where I talk about my project but also how I plan to make my project. There are three sections to this document and each document I talk about what it is I will do but also how I will do them. The proposal form also allows me so to showcase my project time plan aka when I will do something and the dates, I'm doing them.
Proposal form Word Doc
Below I have provided a downloadable version of my proposal form for anyone to lookover if the images above aren't clear.
Pitch
The pitch was a presentation where I discussed my idea to my peers going over what it was, how I would do it, why I did it etc. The pitch video recording Is on my evaluation page with a downloadable copy of the PowerPoint.
Improvements made after pitch
After finishing the pitch, I began to make changes to help me further explain my project but also the key things I want to do within this project.
Asset List
With the assets I will be making I have put them in order of most important to not as important, this allows me to clearly see what assets I need to spend the most time on compared to others.
Furnace katana Bellows Quenching Trough
Anvil Liquid clay container Hammer Weapon stand
Tables Windows Ceiling supports Polishing stones
Floor Walls Ceiling Kunai
Final Project output
once the project is finished in unreal, I will take multiple high-resolution screenshots to fully showcase what I have created. The main areas the picture will focus on are the front and side of the scene as I want to show the whole scene in one photo and the core elements of the scene in another (the forge).
Research Plan
The picture below displays what research I will be conducting for this project, now over time some of this research may not be done as it may not be fully relevant or important but for now, I aim to get all of it done. I have not only put the different things I want to research but I have also put the dates I will try to have this research done.
Primary research
Survey
To help me further My research I decided to create a survey on Microsoft Forms to ask people for their views were on games and specific types of games. I will admit I didn't pick the best questions for this survey, so I doesn't really get any point across besides what Peoples preferred art styles are as well as camera view.
Secondary Research
Brief summary of The sengoku period
After looking at sengokujidai.org the sengoku period was a sub period which was set in ‘’1493 to 1590’’ the Muromachi period which ran from 1336 to 1537 was the main context behind the Sengoku and would eventually lead to it. Like I said earlier The Muromachi period included two sub-periods which marked important events in Japanese history The Nanbokuchō period which ran from 1336 to 1392 and the Sengoku Period which was from 1493 to 1590.
After looking at thoughtco.com The Sengoku was a century-long period of political disruption and conflict in Japan, which lasted ‘’from the Onin War of 1467 to 1477 through the reunification of the country around 1598.’’ This was an era of civil war and no government to establish laws, and due to this the feudal lords of Japan fought one another in constant battles for land and power. Some refer to the sengoku period as Japans ‘’ waring states period’’.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9eq8PW
The origins of the Sengoku period according to thoughtco.com began with the establishment of the Ashikaga shogonate during the War between Northern and Southern Courts which ran from 1336 to 1392. Inside the shogunate, appointed governors were given a wide range of powers and a series of failed shoguns weakened the governor’s power and in 1467, fighting within between the governors broke out in during the Onin War.
As the shogun lost power, warlords by the name diamyo became independent, and fighting one another became a regular occurrence. During this time frequent gaps of power led to uprisings from peasants which are known as ‘’ikki’’. Thoughtco.com stated how ‘’some of the uprisings were conducted with the help of Buddhist militants or independent samurai, to try and accomplish self-rule.
While on Thoughtco.com Japan apparently had what is referred to as the "Three Unifiers" who brought an end to the Sengoku Era. The first was Oda Nobunaga who conquered many other warlords, beginning a process of unification through strategy and ruthlessness. Nobunaga’s general Toyotomi Hideyoshi continued the process after Nobunaga was killed, but he was more diplomatic but he was equally as strategic. Lastly a general called Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated all opposing forces in 1601 and established the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
Even though the Sengoku Period ended centuries ago it continues to be depicted in Japanese culture to this day via Characters and themes showcased in manga, anime and video games, allowing the era to remain alive in modern day people.
Brief History of the Katana
While looking at the website toki.tokyo it was clear to me that the sword known as the katana had a more interesting history then I first thought. In more recent year the weapon has seen a high increase in popularity with people seeing it as a ‘’work of art’’. Most of the people who seem to have an interest in this ancient weapon are the younger generations due to its appearance in different media such as Movies, shows and video games. The term katana was first used during the Kamakura period which ran from 1185 to 1333 but according to toki.tokyo the weapons history dates back over 20 centuries. Japanese weapons at first were just variations of Chinese weapons but the over time the Japanese began to create what would be called the ‘’precursor’’ to the katana as the blades they constructed different to the Chinese designs and something entirely unique. What we call the modern Katana began to appear during the Heian period which is set around 700 CE.
The legendary weapon was mainly used by the Samurai who were the military of feudal Japan in 1185 to 1600 and that continued to 1603 till1868. The samurai had a high love for the katana due to the change in combat as the quicker you draw your sword the better chance of victory you have, the katana gave its users quick draw speeds as it was positioned at the warrior’s side, but this also allowed the warrior to respond quickly to attacks as well. The katana was designed so a Samurai could draw the weapon and cut the enemy within a single motion hence why the weapon had a deadly sharp edge and light weight.
At the end of the Edo period and the start of the Meiji period Japan moved into more industrialisation and it followed the west in its change of military might, Japan shifted its focus on weapons from swords to guns and as a result the katana wasn’t seen in daily life as much as before, now you only saw the elegant weapon among police and military personnel. Due to laws and regulation many of the old swordsmiths had to close their businesses which lead to a near extinction of the old tradition, but in 1906 two well-known swordsmiths were appointed as ‘’Imperial household artists’’ which allowed them to preserve the skills of the sword smiths but also its legacy which has been passed down from generation to generation and is still done to this day.
Brief History of the Kunai
A common misconception with the Kunai is that the weapon was just a knife however after looking at knivesdeal.com it was clear this blade was actually a ‘’multi-functional tool’’, the kunai had multiple uses as it was used for Gardening, masonry (breaking small stones, rocks or plastering things), climbing, standard knife and throwing knife. The kunai was a very easy weapon to get hold off due to its price hence why most of the lower class used them such as farmers. Not just the lower class used them however Ninjas found the blade extremely useful as a tool and as a weapon. The Kunai’s design was incredibly unique as it has a loop at the end where you can attach a rope for throwing or having it attach to a belt, the rope also allowed the user to have better control and grip of the weapon when in use. The kunai has two different variations one called Shokunai which is a short kunai, and the other is called a Dai kunai a longer Kunai.
The Kunai came about during the Sengoku period of Japan as stated earlier it was originally just a tool but became a highly loved weapon by the ninja as it made their jobs easier when climbing or throwing. The Kunai doesn’t have much detailed history, but it is a common weapon to see within Japanese manga and anime in media, such as Naruto where the Kunai is in most of its content. Due to how popular Naruto is this also helps to explain why most people only see the Kunai as a weapon. In the 2021 film Mortal Kombat the Kunai is featured during the movie and it perfectly demonstrates its muti-functional purpose as you witness Harumi Hasashi the wife of Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) uses the tool for gardening before it’s later used by Hanzo in combat as a handheld blade and a throwing weapon.
Japanese Blades Now
When looking at kamikotoblog.com it states how Japan has a long history of skilled blade makers who have created effective blades throughout history. With the legendary blades they make its split into multiple components, the first is a local steel which is made from a high carbon, iron rich sand. This sand is used in their smelting process, and it produces some of the hardest steel to date, its strength makes it the perfect material for weapons or just standard day to day blade such as knifes. Japanese blades for centuries have been known to be the sharpest blades around and thanks to the steel it gives ultimate performance to each blade. The Iron sand is still used to create swords however it is mostly used now for kitchen knives as they allow chefs to be extremely efficient when cutting certain meats and vegetables, strength of a blade is extremely important as it needs to give an excellent performance and the knifes made in Japan are some of the best in the world.
Core elements to a Japanese Blacksmith hut
From looking at various images and videos it's clear that the typical elements to a Japanese blacksmith/forge hut are the Furnace, Japanese Bellow box, Sharpening stones/polishing stones, Quenching Trough, Liquid clay container, anvil, Table and other tools. A Japanese forge/ blacksmith share a lot of similarities with more western forges so there isn't really a major change in tools and devices.
What wood was used for their Buildings
After looking at nippon.com Japanese buildings use very common types of wood such as ‘’cryptomeria, cypress, and pine’’, these are generally ready to harvest and use after 40 to 60 years of growth. Cryptomeria and cypress are both resistant to things like mould and insects, making them good building materials for the Japanese climate. One of the benefits of building with wood timbers decreased the danger of fire but in the event of a fire the wood could be easily extinguished.
Sounds Within A Blacksmith/Forge
While looking through YouTube and various web pages I discovered that a blacksmiths shop doesn’t always have the same sound, each shop has a range of tools such as hammers, anvils, furnaces and etc but the type of tool depends on where they are and what they have access to. In a few different videos where Blacksmiths are shown making blades, they each use a different hammer or anvil they will each do the same job but the sounds they make can be a little bit different. Below I have found Three videos where you can listen to the different sounds from inside a blacksmith shop Its worth mentioning that the first video is more in line with what you would hear in a video game compared to real life and the remaining two are real life blacksmiths who have recorded the sounds you'd hear while making something.
The typical sounds you can expect to hear from a forge are the sounds of a hammer hitting the molten metal, the sound of coal being placed into the furnace, the furnace while its lit, Machinery to help mould the metal, the anvil and much more. The videos below come from creators by the names of Michael Ghelfi Studios, Sound travel and Friidom2.
Sword Sharpening Sound
After looking at what you'd hear within the blacksmith shop I wanted to look up what sound you'd hear while sharpening a Katana Its worth mentioning that Japanese sword makers use whetstones to sharpen the blade, like with sanding paper there are different types of stones used to help give the blade its legendary sharpness and razor edge. The video below created by Samurai Sword Seek Goes over the different sounds you'd hear from the various stones used. The stones he uses are called Arato, Binsui, Kaisei , Chunagura ,Komanagura and Uchigumori
Games Set In Ancient Japan
Games Have been around for a long time and with each new game comes a new location and story to discover. After looking at various articles such as thegamer.com I made a list of some games set in Ancient japan games such as Ghost of Tsushima, Okami, Nioh and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Ghost Of Tsushima
Developed by the Studio Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony interactive entertainment Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game containing an open world story filled with many side quests. You the player control a character called Jin Sakai, a samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Ghost of Tsushima released Worldwide on the 17th of July 2020 as a PlayStation Exclusive title, and would be later released for the PS5, Ghost of Tsushima took six years to develop according to a Gamesradar.com article meaning Ghost began its development sometime in 2014 maybe even late 2013. Ghost was Initially revealed in 2017 but a full gameplay showcase wasn't seen until E3 in 2018. Ghost of Tsushima is the longest game to be in development at Sucker Punch. With all the story missions and side quests Ghost of Tsushima stands at a 25-hour long game and in august of 2020 the game would receive a new version called the director’s cut which pre-existing players could upgrade to and for new players they could buy immediately this new edition allowed players to witness cut content giving them more to playthrough and explore. Also, its worth to mention that on the 16th October 2020 Ghost of Tsushima would receive an online multiplayer in the form of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a co-op expansion for up to four players.
Ghost of Tsushima uses a third person perspective for its game, The game has a large open world and players can visit different parts of the island via horseback. The game gives players a grapplehook like item to help access difficult areas to reach. When the player is faced with combat, they have different options they can tackle the situation with, if a player chooses to have a direct confrontation with enemies it’s called a ''standoff'' where the player can use a chain of fatal strikes on a range of opponents using their katana. The player is also equipped with a bow to use on enemies at range if they want, players can also get a range of different arrow types to use to help mix up gameplay as well. Ghost of Tsushima also allows players to play use more stealthy approaches when playing, as they can evade enemies then use a silent attack like that of Aragami. The player can use tools such as fireworks create distractions and confuse enemies but if an enemy is alerted by their presence the player can use a smoke bomb to disorientate the enemy and then kill them.
Through playing the game players can unlock a range of different armour sets, clothing and charms. Each set gives the player different benefits in combat for example some armour can reduce damage taken while others increase health and damage. The player can upgrade their armour or clothes via completing quests which gives them materials based on the location of the quest. The players headgear and face masks are used for more visual appeal within the game. Charms in the game are items earned/found through exploration, they effect the overall gameplay, by doing things like decreasing the amount of damage taken, or increasing the amount of health recovered from healing and etc.
Okami
After looking at steam and okami.fandom.com Okami was Developed by Clover studio and published by Capcom, The game originally released on the PS2 Back ''in 2006 in japan and north America and in 2007 the game would release in Europe and Australia''. A Hd version of the game was later released for the PS3 in 2012 and due to the games popularity a the game later received a more improved port for PS4, Xbox and steam in late 2017.Okami is a action adventure video game were the player plays as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who takes the form of a legendary white wolf, the players mission is to defeat Orochi, an eight-headed demon and tyrannical monster responsible for turning the world of Nippon into a ruined wasteland.
Players can fight enemies using a range of weapons, fighting techniques and Brush methods to defeat enemies. Once the player beats the opponents, money is earned, if the player completes a battle battle quickly and without taking damage they revive a bonus. The money you earn can be spent on many items from merchants across the games world, including healing items, more powerful weapons, tools and Important items that are used to complete quests. The money earned can also be used to buy new combat techniques at dojos to further the players range of attacks. The okami.fandom.com page talks about how The gameplay is a mix of various styles ranging from ''action, adventure, platform, and puzzle gaming genres'', and after looking at the games steam reviews many reviewers noticed the similarities in gameplay style to that of The Legend of Zelda series.
Nioh
While looking through multiple sites such as koei.fandom.com, steam, playstation.com and Wikipedia Nioh was Developed by two different groups the first being Team Ninja and the second being Kou Shibusawa and published by Koei Tecmo in japan and then Sony Interactive Entertainment world wide. Nioh is a action role playing for the PS4 and later remastered for the PS5. The game was released worldwide in February 2017 and in later 2017 A version of the game was added onto Microsoft windows containing all its DLC. The story is set within a dark fantasy version of the Japanese Warring States Period (The Sengoku Period). Due to the many years of conflict Yokai ( supernatural spirits) began to emerge. The main character is a man called William Adams, a Western samurai who fights against the Yokai.
Fighting In the game Has a very Dark Souls, Elden ring and star wars Jedi fallen order combat style feeling. The game is a bit of a fast-paced hack and slash, with the player being able to attack enemies and block their attacks, the player can also run, dodge, and sprint. These actions will drain the characters stamina bar which is referred to by the name KI. When the characters Ki has run out, the player becomes vulnerable to attack however If the player times their actions right, they are able to replenish lost Ki with a move called "Ki pulse". The Ki pulse also grants status buffs on the main character, and allows them to become stronger but also immune to draining attacks the Yokai use. When the player defeats an enemy during combat they drop rewards/loot, the loot earned includes money and weapons. The speed at which players can move through levels depends on a weight factor. Heavier equipped Armor drains the players KI faster and if the player dies, all the EXP earned up to that point is left where they died and they must go all the way back to retrieve it.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
After looking at sites such as Stream and sekiro-shadows-die-twice.fandom.com Sekiro was developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was released on the 21st of march 2019 for PlayStation, Windows and Xbox and in October of 2020 Sekiro was also released on Stadia. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a third person action adventure game which follows a shinobi known as ''Wolf'' as he seeks to take revenge on a samurai clan who attacked him and kidnapped his lord.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice likes to focus on combat as players need to use a range of different strategies to fight, rather than attacking foes directly to decrease their health, combat in Sekiro requires the player to use a katana to attack the opponents posture and balance instead, which eventually leads to the player getting an opening that allows for them to deal a single killing blow. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice also contains stealth elements, were the player can kill opponents immediately if they can get close while being undetected. Players can use various tools to aid them while in combat or exploration. The game gives you tools like a grappling hook and a torch. If the player dies, they have the option to be revived in the same place under certain conditions instead of respawning at previous checkpoints. Sekiro includes a gear upgrading system as well as a skill tree to allow the players to gain new skills to help them in their journey for revenge.
Sales Statistics Of Games Set In Ancient Japan
After looking at Statista for the sales figures of Ghost of Tsushima since its initial launch back in July of 2020 it has as of 2022 sold 8,000 units worldwide. Its worth mentioning Ghost of Tsushima has been released on Both the PS4 and PS5 and and exclusive title meaning you cant get this game on other platforms such as PC or XBOX. Ghost also released a directors cut of the game which existing players could upgrade to and for new players buy the new version of the game, the directors cut gave players more content in the games open world for example story and quests. As you can see via the image below this tracker was updated in January so as of now (April) the game has most likely now surpassed its previous 8,000 sales mark. Ghost of Tsushima isn't the only game set in ancient japan to succeed however Another example would be with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Back in 2019 Forbes reported that Sekiro: shadows Die Twice had sold 2 million copies within its first 10 days now Sekiro was made by the same developers who made Dark souls but it showed the world people were hungry for challenging games but also something set in a place they could lose themselves in. Moving forward to the latest known sales in 2020 pcgamesn.com reported on how Sekiro had sold over 5 Million copies, now Sekiro wasn't and exclusive title so it released on multiple platforms not just one like Ghost of Tsushima this allowed it to massively out perform Ghost Of Tsushima in terms of sales.
Narrative
In games narrative consists of many things such as plot, sounds, music, atmosphere, dialogue gameplay and etc. These elements create an initial impression of the game but also help players feel connected to it as if they were apart of it themselves. Each game will try to have a different narrative however games that have a connected universe or franchise such as halo will tweak the narrative from game to game. For example In Halo 1 the main story is about the master chief discovering the halo , preventing the covenant from using it as well as preventing the spread of the flood. Halo 2 this battle between humans and covenant continues but this time you aren't just playing as chief you also play as the arbiter who's allied with the covenant for most of the games story. For games such as halo they change elements for each game to keep them feeling a little new and not boring and repetitive, but a game like sunset overdrive can have a bit more freedom as there are not tie-in games or sequels the game is a standalone revolving around a cut off population fighting off robots, people and creatures called the OD.
A narrative is essentially the building blocks for something as it allows you to clearly see what direction something is going in but you also see how the writers and creators made those decisions work within the games or films selected genre and universe.
Character Design
In any media whether its Games, TV or Film concept artist spend a great amount of time designing characters for people to connect, look at or hate in whatever they are used in. For the game Ghost of Tsushima I found art by Lead Concept artist at sucker punch John Powell on artstaion for a variety of different characters. The art below showcases how he does different designs for characters before a final one is picked by upper management or someone else. While looking at Powell's work I can clearly see he's done his research into what Japanese people would have worn in this time period as it matches what is seen in Japanese tapestries, and also museums. In the 2020 Movie Mortal kombat director Simon McQuoid talks with IGN breaking down the first trailer, at 8 minutes and 30 seconds to 8 minutes 55 seconds of the YouTube video he talks about how the costume for Scorpion was inspired by Japanese history but he also said how actor Hiroyuki Sanada who played Scorpion was ''incredibly helpful in getting the Japanese history right'' as they wanted to make the character feel genuine but also true to the characters Japanese heritage hence the samurai look to the character. If you click on the underlined Mortal Kombat it should take you to the video at the specific time as well.
Company's sometime try to go to great lengths to ensures whatever culture they are making something from, they at least have done research into this culture but also hired or asked people of these cultures to get their help with the project to ensure they get some accuracy.
Ghost of Tsushima - Lady Masako Concept art by John Powell
Ghost of Tsushima - Lady Masako Variation Concept art by John Powell
Ghost of Tsushima - ronin characters By John Powell
Ghost of Tsushima - Female NPC character fashion by John Powell
Ghost of Tsushima - Male NPC character fashion by John Powell
Character Personality
In any game something that helps players feel apart of the story but also the game its self is the main characters personality, players want to connect with a character and feel like the character they want to understand that characters motives and feel the weight of decisions made. Story in games is one element among many of keeping an active and interested player base another element is combat and another element is character personality.
Ghost of Tsushima: Jin Sakai
Ghost of Tsushima is one of those games that in my opinion has one of the greatest game characters in modern time as the game is about a samurai becoming a Ghost (not literally) to protect his home. The game delves into Jin's Inner struggles as you witness him sacrifice everything he has to defend his home. Jin at the beginning f the game is a Samurai a warrior who fights with honour and dignity, when asked to use gorilla like tactics Jin refuses to use them claiming them to be non-honourable but after a failed attempt to rescue his uncle and realising the way of life he has know wont save his home. Jin realises he must make exceptions to the code of honour he has lived by, through out the early part of the story Jin gets comfortable using these gorilla tactics however he still doesn't like to use them but knows its the only way to win Jin says '' The Khan expects to fight a war against a Samurai. He will anticipate our every move... Unless we find new ways to surprise him.''
Jin goes from being a character who refuses to break his values to realising that he must grow and adapt to save the lives of the innocent. The game shows you Jin's decent into being what is referred to as ''the Ghost'', him doing this results in him becoming a criminal due to breaking the Shoguns rules. Jin sees that playing fair wont save his people and due to witnessing more and more people suffer sue to the Shoguns rules Jin becomes a terrifying character who embraces his legend as ..the Ghost, the spirit of Tsushima's revenge''.
We go from a character who refuses to break rules and laws to a character who will do whatever necessary to beat the enemy this involves doing things such as ambushes, assassination's, poisoning and etc. His realisation that the rules he lives by are flawed set him on a journey to become something greater and this creates an interesting personality for players to see and enjoy. Due to his actions we see how they all have effects on him, we see how he interacts with his uncle after deciding to become the ghost, we see how this is a character who only wants to save the lives of his people but must make hard decisions he knows will take everything he has away, but he does these things to grow and become something new and more deadly.
Okami: Amaterasu
Okami has a very unique character personality that being in Amaterasu normally in games animals such as dogs are non playable and mainly used as side pieces but in Okami you play as a wolf which allows for a very unique personality. the choice to make the main character a wolf is very different as you can witness how the character interacts with things within the game. an example of Amaterasu's personality's is that when having conversations the character falls asleep but the game allows you to show her personality through gameplay, due to the main character being a wolf you can do things that human characters cant such as bark at other animals, dig for treasure, pick up items and other dogs. Okami allows Amaterasu to communicate with other dogs which allows them to feel relatable but the gameplay allows you to see why she is a goddess, she may not have a voice however, through her actions and interactions Amaterasu becomes a character who resembles aspects of a human but also a dogs natural and loveable personality.
Why is Music Important In TV, Film and Games?
Music in games and movies can help an audience decide on how to feel about a certain scene or environment, In an article by michel chion called ''projections of sound on image'' wear we hear things faster then we see things meaning that by listening to a music track we already know how to feel about something. In a movie by listening to the music we can feel sad, scared, angry, and much more and the same can be said for games, that by listening to something we react a certain way to something like in moments of combat a track will make us play a certain way. An example of a move which makes you react sadly to a scene is in San Andreas when the Tsunami hits the bay the music goes from a nail biting escape tune to a sad, depressing tune when you se millions of people get killed by the Tsunami. Now for this scene you wouldn't play something like Mr blue sky or Thunderstruck by ACDC as it wouldn't fit the scene you are making but in a Game Like Doom or Doom Eternal you get a but more freedom to create so thing a bit less depressing and more epic. When in combat in the Doom games very tense and high rock music plays to almost give you the feeling that you are unstoppable and you have nothing to fear.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima was composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi and has a 95% like rate from google users. Ghost had some amazing track within its soundtrack how ever I found one I believed was perfect for showing how music can help players be more immersed but also become more emotionally connected. During the final part of Act 2 in the game the main characters Horse is hit by many arrows and later succumbs to its injury's however it keeps moving as much as possible to save its owner, within this scene the character Jin says ''I'm sorry I couldn't protect you'' as the scene changes. Many players and reactors found this scene upsetting not just because of what happens they also found the song used perfectly matched the scene as it comes across very depressing but almost as if the character has lost something very close to them.
In the movie Tenet a track which also conveys emotion is the track listed ''The Protagonist'' composed by Ludwig Göransson. At the end of the movie all the secrets are revealed including the fact that Neil must die for them to ultimately be successful in there mission, Neil says '' for me I think this is the end of a beautiful friendship'' for the protagonist to respond confused saying '' but for me it's just the beginning'' the track plays in the background as both the audience and protagonist to view Neil's final moments but also the revelation that he's from the future. Neil's final line to the protagonist is ''You’re only halfway there. I’ll see you at the beginning, friend'' as it becomes clear the protagonist must one day repeat the cycle and send his friend to his death. The track gives a very unsettling feeling as you realise the characters win but at a cost and as the track continues it becomes more eerie and darker resulting in the audience but also listeners becoming more tense and sad as they realise even though the movie ends with the good guys winning not everyone will get that good ending. The movie has a very confusing story however once you understand it the tracks begin to also make more sense as well, The final scene within tenet has a track that displays how the real world isn't always filled with happiness but it also tells us how there are things we do not understand and me must try to have faith in what we do.
Halo 3
Halo 3's soundtrack was composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Savatori and halo 3 is received as the most love halo game in the franchise. The track ''Greatest Journey'' ends the games final mission and it was nicknamed the Warthog Run by the Halo community, this track is one of the most iconic tracks in halo but also one of the most nail-biting as the player must drive through an range exploding locations to escape. The section of the track nicknamed Warthog run starts at 1.40 and it coveys the presence of panic but also fear as the player needs to escape while being attacked by drones and creatures but also trying to drive to the ship to escape. As stated above the music fits this hellish landscape as you try to escape and this mission is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and fun missions in Halo 3. since halo 3 there have been multiple new halo games but to many the older tracks mainly in this game are still the best due to how gripping they are but also how perfectly they fit the scenario's they are made for.
A similar track that put people on the edge of their seats was ''Cybertron Falls'' in the movie Bumblebee composed by Dario Marianelli, this track opens the movie as audiences witness the final battle of Cybertron (the transformers home world) the scene shows how the Autobots are pinned and on their final stand. The music follows how they go from being pinned down to then trying to escape their home world via escape pods. near the end of the track it becomes slightly more hopeful as you see Optimus Prime buying the escaping Autobots time to escape, before the camera shows us how sad bumblebee looks while leaving his world. In my opinion the opening to this movie was the greatest part as the track perfectly displays how brutal the war of Cybertron was but also the depressing fact that the Autobots had to flee just to survive the Deceptions Brutal rampage. The Transformers Franchise have had many amazing music tracks to display desperation and sadness, However these tracks were composed by Steve Jablonsky on the original 5 movies. The standout track for this is track called ''there is no plan'' from transformers Dark Of The Moon, this track plays when the Autobots a forced to leave earth leaving Humanity defenceless and at the mercy of the Decepticons. The scene shows how the characters are forced to say goodbye and the track displays an emotional but also sombre tune telling us how this is the end and how the fight for the Autobots is now over.
Undertale
Undertale's soundtrack was composed by Robert F Fox but is professionally known as Toby Fox, the soundtrack within Undertale is regarded as one of the best soundtracks within games in the last ''15 years'' after looking at sputnikmusic.com but also YouTube video comments were people show how they have a real love and joy for the tracks he has created. The track below titles Hopes and Dreams plays during the final boss fight of the game and as one commenter says ''this song is perfect for a fight where it's impossible to win but there's no way you're gonna lose'' as you the player must desperately try to survive but also win. To many this track gives them inspiration to keep going and keep trying to defeat the boss. This track alone has amounted to 21,566,157 views as of the 06/05/2022 and demonstrates how many have fallen for this track but also listen and potentially use it for inspiration while working and etc. The Undertale soundtrack has many impressive songs most notable being the track ''Megalovaina''. Undertale may be a less know game now due to evolving trends and fans moving on to new things but its soundtrack to this day is still regarded as one of the best in modern gaming.
A similar inspirational track is In Man of Steel called ''Flight'' This music plays once Clark Kent (kal-el) Begins to test the limits of his abilities, this music plays as he discovers his ability to fly however it becomes slightly melancholy as he doubts himself. The music then changes becoming more tense and powerful as he try's to fly once more, from 2.54 the music helps to showcase Clarks power in the movie but also this felling of testing your limits and having an element of hope as well which is slightly ironic once you remember the S symbol on superman's chest stands for ''hope''. The soundtrack of Man of Steel was composed by Hans Zimmer and he is known as one of the greatest composers in current day as his tracks often tell a story of its own, Hans has done tracks for movies such as Interstellar, the Kung fu Panda trilogy, The dark knight trilogy, Gladiator and The amazing Spider-Man 2 to name a few. The tracks Hans creates often paint a picture in listeners minds an example of this was when Director Christopher Nolan went to him at the beginning of interstellar and he gave Hans very few things to work with as he wanted to hear what Hans though of the ideas presented and when Hans had finished some of the tracks including the Track ''First Step'' Christopher Nolan fell in love with the songs and Immediately went to work making the film.
Lighting Within Ancient Japanese Buildings
After looking at the article ''Light and Shadow in Japanese Architecture'' by Terunobu Fujimori I now have a clearer understanding of how what light is like within ancient Japanese homes. Japanese homes are frequently covered in shadows due to how often it rains even though Japanese homes have a lot of areas for light to enter such as through windows, panels and etc most of the home remains in darkness. The reason not much light enters the homes is because these homes were designed to hold up against severe weather the roofs were designed to completely prevent rain from entering the home and due to the roof design most of the light cant enter.
Shōji is made by a wooden lattice covered by washi, which is a traditional Japanese paper, this is used in their houses as windows, doors and outdoor walls. The Shōji allows light to enter but its slightly dim but when sunlight hits the area that's were you get quite a powerful amount of light surrounded by shadows. The main light source for these homes come from candles which are in stones or various other methods.
Target Audience
Target audience is a key part of any product within the world, even though games are a digital product they still go through the same stages standard business go through finding a set audience for a product. When a company decides to make a new product they have to look at various things such as Gender, age, income, religion, habits, hobby's, location and etc, the reason they do this is because it allows the business to properly estimate how there product could perform in a set area. With any new game the makers always look to there competitors and see what it is they are doing, what prices they sell their game at but also what the game is.
Before a game is released there are multiple things there makers do to try and create something that fits a current trend, when Fortnite became popular company's such as EA and Activision jumped on the trend with their own games such as Apex Legends and Call of duty Warzone all of them share the battle royal trend but each put a different spin on it to try and capitalise of the new trend.
Another thing company's look into is people age and gender company's want to know what percentage of people are a certain gender and age due to the fact that who ever is the dominant gender is going to be your primary audience but you also need to figure out there age to decide on the content you make for the game.
Price is a big game discussion with new tech and more games prices are a key thing consumers look for, company's are interested in the average consumer income as they can roughly determine what price to set and item with games that's changed as your standard price for a game alone was £ 39.99 which changed to £ 49.99 and now it has become £ 59.99, like I said earlier due to new consoles and software games are becoming more powerful but also more expensive to create. Games have to make back what it cost to make them but due to games costing more consumers are going to buy less and buy the games they trust the developers of but also the games that look the most enjoyable.
For my own game or scene if I were making a full game Id be looking to appeal to people at the 18+ age rating as the common theme with these games is to have extreme violence which can be distressing for audiences however due to my project being just a forge scene I will most likely pick the 12 or 16 age rating as the scene contains items that are more commonly scene in games for more adult or teen audiences.
How does this research help me?
After spending weeks conducting my research I believe it all helps me understand elements of my own Idea and how to go about making it. I know I cant be 100% accurate to Ancient Japanese history however I can at least do my best to make an inspired piece, The research on the weapons allows me to know what these blade were used for but also their worth for my scene the katana is the main show piece and the Kunai is more of a little add on.
I wanted to learn about the Sengoku period as I needed to have a setting for this forge I couldn't just say ancient Japan without specifying what era it was set in, so I researched the Sengoku period to help further cement my idea and have it fit into this time so that when it came to modelling I wouldn't confuse myself and go off topic.
The research into sounds and music allows me to understand that if I ever added sound Id need to create or find sounds that fit a forge like building, I cant just use random sounds id need to find sound that replicate the sound of metal being hit, coal inside the fire, the sound of hot metal hitting water and etc. These sounds would need to fit the scene but also allows people to imagine the scene as well. The music choice for this game would need to fit its narrative so seeing what music is played in theses games lets me have an idea on what works within these games, id ant to have music that fits the culture but also music that can further intrigue the player.
My research on games set in Ancient japan allows me to look for inspiration and see what it is these games did to fit the era they chose, another reason I wanted to research these games was to understand what the core fundamental's are when making a game or scene set in this era and that information allowed me to further refine my ideas and go for something more realistic.
Reaching into the core elements of a Blacksmith/forge allowed me to see what tools they used, what the layout would look like, but also what kind of overall design this place would have. The blacksmith/forge has different tools within it depending on were you are within the world and when choosing Ancient Japan I needed to know what they used so that I could accurately plan out what to create.
Looking at the sales of these games allows me to roughly estimate how popular they are within the certain player base but also the world wide audience, doing this research lets me know if I were to make a game based on or set in ancient Japan would people want to play the game or buy it.
Narrative was important to me as If I could ever make a fully playable game id want some sort of story within it, by looking at how games set within this time display and tell you there own unique story's I could see what I could create and base a game around, I could also rule out ideas that wouldn't fit the time or the setting.
Researching lighting was key as it allowed me to see what the inside of an Ancient Japanese building would have looked like lighting wise, when making my scene I knew that I couldn't just guess on what lighting to create so I wanted to research whether or not these buildings were highly lit or not.
If I ever had the opportunity to make this game and have characters I needed to look at one how they are designed but also two how they act with a game set in ancient Japan you cant really have someone wearing a leather biker jacket or carrying an automatic weapon. I looked into different games but found Ghost of Tsushima to be the most helpful as its art allowed me to see how the design's of the characters Warrior and civilian were similar this research would have allowed me if making a character to throw out ideas that would have broken the setting and by doing this research it meant I was closer to the setting. With a main character, side character or even an NPC (non playable character) they all have there own unique personality that helps shape the game so by looking into how theses characters act and are affected by things allows me to understand that when making a character I need to make them interesting but also act human (give them emotions).
Target Audience lets me know what demographic to target when I'm making a game like this but it also allows me to see what people want, what price they are willing to pay, what they are interested in but also why they want this. Looking at what target audience would fit me lets me take certain restrictions away for example if I target the 18+ audience I can add Blood, gore, extreme language and etc but with an Audience of PEGI 12 you have to tone all that down.
What Software I plan to use ?
For this project I plan to use a range of different software's to help me I've looked at a variety of software's to ensure that I can do the most amount of work in an effective manner. When it comes to gathering reference images to help me I plan to use Pureref as it is a perfect Image reference gathering software where you can create nice reference boards which accurately display your idea, for concept art I will be using the software Krita, Krita is a software I've had experience with in the past and it allows me to create digital artwork of different things such as characters, props and environments.
To help me for my research I'm going to use word to list all the sites used through out the project, I will first put them onto word and ensue the link is correct before later moving them into my wix website in a Harvard format. For the modelling side of the project my plan is to use the software Maya which is a modelling software used in modern day gaming company's and due to me having a lot of experience on this software it is the best one to use as I don't need to learn how to use the software, instead I only need to hone my skills and continue to improve what I already know. Maya also allows me to UV map the models once completed so that I can eventually add a texture to whatever it is I am trying to create . once the models are finished I will export them out to use within Unreal Engine, Unreal engine is the world most advanced engine where you can create scenes for games, playable levels, cinematics and much more. Unreal allows me to build my scene using the assets I've made but it also allows me to add specific lighting and materials.
Once I've put my models into Unreal and ensured they are working properly I will export the models into substance painter to create actual textures for my assets so that they reflect what they are supposed to look like, I will need to watch some tutorials and get some more hands on experience with substance however I am eager to try it out. Lastly if in the event I cant finish my main idea and I need to move toward my backup plan I will take a high resolution screen shot of my scene and create an unfinished scene store page using photoshop. Photoshop will allow me to create a store page that looks exactly like the ones seen on Unreal, artstation and etc all I would need to do is practice with the software and look up some tutorials.
Pureref
Krita
Word
Maya
Unreal Engine
Substance Painter
Photoshop
