I just wanna crank out games... using photos for commercial games a bad thing?

[virtualpsycho]

What the story regarding this?

Thank you for any advice or opinion....

Art takes up too much time for me....

[Babar]

If the photos are ones you've taken yourself, or are royalty free.


...I think

[virtualpsycho]

Thats grand so, here come the games.

[Nikolas]

You will need to tamper with the photos, of course. Otherwise they will look like sh*t I think. Otherwise what Babar said!

[virtualpsycho]

Wil do.... 

[Ryan Timothy B]

Now if you're asking if using them in general for a commercial game is a bad thing, well... I'll admit that the graphics would have to top notch for me to be interested in playing a game with photos over hand painted / pixelled backgrounds and characters. And it being commercial sets that bar even higher for the photograph backgrounds.

Something like these, done a little more professionally of course, I'd be interested in playing that game.

But if the graphics are going to be realistic, they have to match the quality of something like Black Dahlia.

Of course this is my opinion only and everyone has different taste.

[GarageGothic]

There's several examples of commercial first-person adventure games using photographic backgrounds. A Quiet Weekend in Capri was quite atmospheric, though I never got very far. And the Carol Reed (a female detective, not the director of The Third Man) series has gotten a lot of positive feedback on various adventure gaming forums.

The Oracle, free and made with AGS, took a similar approach and in my opinion successfully so. Great game too, check it out if you haven't.

[virtualpsycho]

Thanks for info.... wil do. Every perspective helps.

[mode7]

Another good example would be Timanfaya a German semi-professional freeware adventure. Makes great use of photos and even has animations.
http://www.timanfaya-game.de/screenshots.php

I'm also working on a style which uses photos as a base, also works with faces and characters. I will do a tutorial...someday - to busy right now

[m0ds]

Good luck. Personally, I wouldn't touch a commercial game that uses photos, unless it was evident the developer/artist was able to animate them & the character art suited the photos. But photo's of say, a sea, or a street, look rubbish if they're not animated, destroying the atmosphere. "Cranking out commercial games with photos" to me reads "Desperate for money will do anything to get some". But good luck either way

That said, I totally understand the problems with art, and especially finding a way to get enough of it for a game without too much time consumption.

[ddq]

I would not play a game with just photos instead of real art, commercial or otherwise. Panoramas would be another story, especially if they have FMV. Really, it all depends on the quality of the photos and how interesting the content is. Either way, just using photos seem really lazy.

[virtualpsycho]

Well ye read like an open book.... I just cant stand the amount of time it takes for art. I studied game art for four years and then converted to scripting/programming. I appreciate the advice. I need to think a bit more about how to progress. If I could find free resources I could create put a game together but there like diamonds in the rough....

[cat]

I did like The Oracle and I think photo backgrounds can work. However, if it is well made, I don't think its less effort than drawing backgrounds. Just think of all the objects you will have - you have make them blend in the background. And you will need tons of closeups for this kind of style to work.

And before trying to go commercial - you should really release a freeware game first.

[virtualpsycho]

Cheers..... just impatience on my part.

[blueskirt]

Alternatively, if you are good at designing games and programing but average as an artist, you could make other games than adventure games. Games that shine by their gameplay and work just as fine with retro or simple graphics, like VVVVVV or Abbaye Des Morts. Just create several prototypes, find one that is fun and have lot of possibilities for extra mechanics and build a full game out of it. Heck, with the right contacts you could find an artist willing to take care of the graphics for you.

Because the way I see it, commercial adventure games with photograph for background is a niche among the niche that is indie adventure games*, making it hard to earn a living with them, unless if enormous efforts were spend on them, defeating your reason to use them in the first place.

* Which is a niche among adventure games in general**
** Which is a niche among video games in general.

[Snake]

If I could find free resources...

Have you checked out Insta-Game?

[Babar]

I don't think he'd be able to use those for commercial games

[LimpingFish]

Art is only one aspect. What about music, sound, writing, voices, direction, programming, editing, creativity...?

If a few photos was all that was needed to spam the world with commercial games, wouldn't everybody be doing it?

Bah.

[virtualpsycho]

@blueskirt

I am a good artist but just got lazy. Thats the route I am going now. Cheers for advice.

@snake and babar

Wil give them a go. I think better start doin freeware games first so they would do nicely.

@limpingfish

I understand that, have no problem with the rest of the stuff, just got sick and tired of art for a while. What do mean by bah anyway?

[Oliwerko]

I suggest you colaborate with an artist, someone who wants to help with doing the graphics for you.