What are the main building blocks of every successful video game? Gameplay, graphics, user-friendliness, storyline, addictivity, engagement, novelty, optimization, hitting trends, and… characters. Yes, it is the characters, the catchy memorable video game characters are often the key to a game’s popularity and success. Moreover, even if one is not familiar with the games themselves, one still knows exactly who the most popular characters of video game titles are, such as Mario, Kratos, or Sonic the Hedgehog. In the following article, we will cover the importance of creating video game characters, the key principles of character design and development, the technical part of character design, and introduce the most famous characters in the history of video games. Role of Character Design in the Game’s Success The creation of a successful and high-quality game requires the development of its own unique and distinctive style: dark and gloomy or cheerful and bright, for example; with changing scenery in different game locations. Artists create an exciting game world and environment along with the characters, relying on the overall game design and atmosphere. It is the characters, the depth of their elaboration, background, and appearance that emphasize the atmosphere of the game world and immerse players in it. Why Is Character Video Game Design So Important? It’s no secret that for many players video games are a way to escape from reality. Games offer them opportunities they lack in real life. When playing a particular game the player often imagines himself in the game’s main character role and immerses in the game world through the character’s point of view. To enhance the players’ positive experience from the gameplay and retain them in the game for the maximum possible time the character should attract players, meet their expectations, possess a vivid personality and strong motivation, with their concerns and goals and, as a consequence, be remembered even after the completion of the game. In other words, charismatic and vivid characters directly influence a product’s quality. Cool video game characters make gamers enjoy interacting with them and, as a result, keep the players completely engaged in the game. And in case developers create a really good character, players will desire to spend even more time with their favorite hero, leading to replayability and opening vast opportunities for the game sequels that will be highly anticipated long before the release. Therefore, it is clear that creating a cool, memorable, charismatic video game character often determines the success of not only a particular product but also the entire game franchise. Importance Of The Video Games NPC Design There is an option that a game’s concept doesn’t call for a specific main character. But, it doesn’t mean that the all above wouldn’t work for such a project. In this case, game developers often focus on the detailing of non-player characters (NPCs), and especially the antagonist (if the game assumes the presence of such), on their personalities, unique traits, or memorable appearance. As a vivid example, we can point to the Far Cry series. In this Ubisoft video game franchise, the main characters do not even have a name or voice, but the main villains with each new game become more and more mesmerizing and charismatic. Everybody knows Vaas Montenegro, Pagan Min, Joseph Seed, and Antón Castillo. Moreover, these amazing characters are the facade of the games and their mascot, with a marketing campaign built around them. Key Principles Of Successful Video Game Character Design So, how to create your video game character and make one famous? Any theater begins in the garderobe and building a video game character starts with the developing concept and design of that character’s personality, appearance, and unique features which make him stand out from the rest. Here are some basic rules for proper character design for your project. Avoid clichés. A tough hero is the perfect choice. But gamers quickly get bored with constant superiority and absolute evil or good video game character behavior. Positive and negative traits, strengths and weaknesses, everything should be in balance. Background. Every successful video game character should have a story to make the players familiar with it and understand one’s core qualities and flaws. Motivation matters most. Each memorable video game character strives for a specific goal. Many people think that these goals are created based on the game plot, but it is much better to do the opposite – the game’s storyline should be based on the main character and one’s motivation. The point of a successful game is to overcome difficulties and challenges using the skills of the protagonist. The core gameplay must be built on the game’s main character’s skills and abilities. Stylistic compliance. While creating your video game character, you need to be sure that one matches the overall design and style of the game. So your character concept is ready, the background is outlined, and the goals are clear. Now it’s time to move on to the most important and time-consuming part of the video game character design, namely the development and creation of the in-game character model. Video Game Character Creation The creation of the video game character is considered the most important part of any title development. The main game character is always in the spotlight and intended to capture the player’s attention from the first look. Therefore, the character creation process should go step by step in order not to forget anything and make a video game character that one day may become famous. In short, the process of creating a complete video game character model involves the following steps: Creating the terms of reference: video game character description, drawing character sketches, and any other possible suggestions. Analyzing the game’s target audience, their preferences, and needs. Gathering information about your character’s anatomy, kinetics, mechanics, and texture pack choice. Creating various versions of the character’s concept art. Selection of a suitable concept with further elaboration of your character’s appearance and features. 3D modeling the character based on the selected concept (in case of a 3D game). Finalizing the character rendering, developing a texture map, and completing any other details. In some cases making basic animations for the character, like idle animation. Simple enough isn’t it? When it comes to the details of the video game character creation process, it doesn’t look so simple. Here’s the example of how game character can be created in more detail: 1. Mood Board LayoutThe artist prepares visual information to cover the character’s features: clothing details, emotions, lighting and atmosphere that prevails in the game, preferred colors, decorative elements, and curious shapes. It’s worth remembering that there are never too many references, the more you look for, the more interesting ideas you find. 2. Creating a Draft Sketch Based On The Characters’ Mass And ShapeThis rough sketch already reflects what kind of video game character will be created, and what emotions and animations the artist plans for this character. At this stage, the best ideas are selected and trivial solutions are eliminated. Here the artist usually works with combinations of simple shapes – circle, square, triangle. This is classic: the basic shape affects the intuitive understanding of the game character. In short: rounded shapes are for good characters; triangular shapes are for evil or aggressive characters; square shapes are for balanced or calm characters. A pure shape is a rarity, more often there is a basic shape and additional ones are added to it. 3. Detailed Description Of Video Game Character Animations, Posture, And Emotions BoardAt this character development stage, several specialists are involved. As a rule, that includes an artist, animator, and lead game designer. While the artist proposes ideas, the animator evaluates whether these ideas can be realized in terms of quality and time. If some of the artist’s ideas are not suitable for technical reasons or lack of interest, additional suggestions are made. 4. Finalizing The Character Design And Applying Various Features To The Video Game CharacterThis is perhaps the most interesting and very important stage for the entire character development. This is where artists work to clarify the character’s silhouette, body parts proportions, anatomy, emotions, and pose dynamics. 5. Choosing The Color Palette And Tone For The Character And BackgroundWhile creating a balanced 3D image, it is very important to keep the proper lighting and shadow direction. The second important thing is to follow the rules of tone and contrast distribution: the main character is more important than the background, and its face and emotions are more important than the body (i.e., the main character’s face and emotions should be the most contrasting part of the scene). 6. Rendering Of The Video Game CharacterWhile working on the game character render, the artist needs to refine and clarify the tonal solution so that important details/emotions of the character have a clear contrast. To reach a certain volume, it’s essential to add the character’s shadows, emphasize lighting, add occlusions, and reflexes. 7. Getting Your Game Character Ready For the Animation ProcessTo ensure that animators can create high-quality live-action game character animations with ease, they must be provided with properly prepared graphics. There are some basic rules for preparing your character for the animation process. All limbs must be separated from the body and cut in half for bending at the elbow or knee. The character facets are disassembled into separate parts. Any character outfit or accessories are also stored in separate files. Once the video game character creation process is complete, the integration into the game environment is to be done, but that’s another story. Let’s step away from the tech background and take a look back at the most famous, successful, and iconic classic video game characters. Top 10 Most Iconic Video Game Characters 10. Solid Snake Hideo Kojima’s mastermind creation, Solid Snake is a mercenary and spec ops soldier, the main character of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. The first Metal Gear was released in 1987 and Solid Snake is still popular and become even cooler than ever. 9. Kratos When Kratos emerged on PlayStation back in 2005 he was a Spartan warrior filled only with a lust for vengeance but in 2018 Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog shown Kratos from another more empathetic perspective through adding in the narrative his son Atreus. 8. Crash Bandicoot In 1996 this genetic mutant character had a tornado spin and in 2020 Crash learned to slow time and reverse gravity. He’s so notable that an extinct species of bandicoot discovered by a group of paleontologists was named after him. 7. Link The creation of legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link’s legacy began in 1986 and it doesn’t look like he’s gonna stop. The latest part of Legend of Zelda adventures hit the World in 2023. 6. Master Chief Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, the Halo hero is another Spartan supersoldier who has been the main mascot character of the Xbox console since 2001. 5. Pac-Man You’d recognize that little yellow circle anywhere. Inspired by a slice of pizza with a piece cut out in 1980 now he has his own Hollywood movie, merch, and hundreds of references in various media entertaining products. 4. Lara Croft The pin-up archeologist made as a “female Indiana Jones” has been through a massive evolution since her creation for 1996’s Tomb Raider. Lara received a massive franchise reboot in 2010 and three Hollywood blockbusters. 3. Sonic the Hedgehog Sega developers considered a rabbit, a dog, and even an armadillo as a mascot for their console. But luckily for us in 1991 went with the blue hedgehog. Since then Sonic appeared in more than 100 games and claimed his action movie. 2. Pikachu This mouse-look Pokemon was chosen by Nintendo to be one of the mascots for their iconic game series in 1996. Pikachu is especially famous for its cute squeaks and the McDonald’s dessert named in his honor. 1. Mario More than 40 years ago this famous character first appeared in Donkey Kong (1981), and now he’s the official Nintendo mascot with a Super Mario World theme park in Japan and over 200 video games on different platforms to his name.
What are the main building blocks of every successful video game? Gameplay, graphics, user-friendliness, storyline, addictivity, engagement, novelty, optimization, hitting trends, and… characters. Yes, it is the characters, the catchy memorable video game characters are often the key to a game’s popularity and success. Moreover, even if one is not familiar with the games themselves, one still knows exactly who the most popular characters of video game titles are, such as Mario, Kratos, or Sonic the Hedgehog. In the following article, we will cover the importance of creating video game characters, the key principles of character design and development, the technical part of character design, and introduce the most famous characters in the history of video games. Role of Character Design in the Game’s Success The creation of a successful and high-quality game requires the development of its own unique and distinctive style: dark and gloomy or cheerful and bright, for example; with changing scenery in different game locations. Artists create an exciting game world and environment along with the characters, relying on the overall game design and atmosphere. It is the characters, the depth of their elaboration, background, and appearance that emphasize the atmosphere of the game world and immerse players in it. Why Is Character Video Game Design So Important? It’s no secret that for many players video games are a way to escape from reality. Games offer them opportunities they lack in real life. When playing a particular game the player often imagines himself in the game’s main character role and immerses in the game world through the character’s point of view. To enhance the players’ positive experience from the gameplay and retain them in the game for the maximum possible time the character should attract players, meet their expectations, possess a vivid personality and strong motivation, with their concerns and goals and, as a consequence, be remembered even after the completion of the game. In other words, charismatic and vivid characters directly influence a product’s quality. Cool video game characters make gamers enjoy interacting with them and, as a result, keep the players completely engaged in the game. And in case developers create a really good character, players will desire to spend even more time with their favorite hero, leading to replayability and opening vast opportunities for the game sequels that will be highly anticipated long before the release. Therefore, it is clear that creating a cool, memorable, charismatic video game character often determines the success of not only a particular product but also the entire game franchise. Importance Of The Video Games NPC Design There is an option that a game’s concept doesn’t call for a specific main character. But, it doesn’t mean that the all above wouldn’t work for such a project. In this case, game developers often focus on the detailing of non-player characters (NPCs), and especially the antagonist (if the game assumes the presence of such), on their personalities, unique traits, or memorable appearance. As a vivid example, we can point to the Far Cry series. In this Ubisoft video game franchise, the main characters do not even have a name or voice, but the main villains with each new game become more and more mesmerizing and charismatic. Everybody knows Vaas Montenegro, Pagan Min, Joseph Seed, and Antón Castillo. Moreover, these amazing characters are the facade of the games and their mascot, with a marketing campaign built around them. Key Principles Of Successful Video Game Character Design So, how to create your video game character and make one famous? Any theater begins in the garderobe and building a video game character starts with the developing concept and design of that character’s personality, appearance, and unique features which make him stand out from the rest. Here are some basic rules for proper character design for your project. Avoid clichés. A tough hero is the perfect choice. But gamers quickly get bored with constant superiority and absolute evil or good video game character behavior. Positive and negative traits, strengths and weaknesses, everything should be in balance. Background. Every successful video game character should have a story to make the players familiar with it and understand one’s core qualities and flaws. Motivation matters most. Each memorable video game character strives for a specific goal. Many people think that these goals are created based on the game plot, but it is much better to do the opposite – the game’s storyline should be based on the main character and one’s motivation. The point of a successful game is to overcome difficulties and challenges using the skills of the protagonist. The core gameplay must be built on the game’s main character’s skills and abilities. Stylistic compliance. While creating your video game character, you need to be sure that one matches the overall design and style of the game. So your character concept is ready, the background is outlined, and the goals are clear. Now it’s time to move on to the most important and time-consuming part of the video game character design, namely the development and creation of the in-game character model. Video Game Character Creation The creation of the video game character is considered the most important part of any title development. The main game character is always in the spotlight and intended to capture the player’s attention from the first look. Therefore, the character creation process should go step by step in order not to forget anything and make a video game character that one day may become famous. In short, the process of creating a complete video game character model involves the following steps: Creating the terms of reference: video game character description, drawing character sketches, and any other possible suggestions. Analyzing the game’s target audience, their preferences, and needs. Gathering information about your character’s anatomy, kinetics, mechanics, and texture pack choice. Creating various versions of the character’s concept art. Selection of a suitable concept with further elaboration of your character’s appearance and features. 3D modeling the character based on the selected concept (in case of a 3D game). Finalizing the character rendering, developing a texture map, and completing any other details. In some cases making basic animations for the character, like idle animation. Simple enough isn’t it? When it comes to the details of the video game character creation process, it doesn’t look so simple. Here’s the example of how game character can be created in more detail: 1. Mood Board LayoutThe artist prepares visual information to cover the character’s features: clothing details, emotions, lighting and atmosphere that prevails in the game, preferred colors, decorative elements, and curious shapes. It’s worth remembering that there are never too many references, the more you look for, the more interesting ideas you find. 2. Creating a Draft Sketch Based On The Characters’ Mass And ShapeThis rough sketch already reflects what kind of video game character will be created, and what emotions and animations the artist plans for this character. At this stage, the best ideas are selected and trivial solutions are eliminated. Here the artist usually works with combinations of simple shapes – circle, square, triangle. This is classic: the basic shape affects the intuitive understanding of the game character. In short: rounded shapes are for good characters; triangular shapes are for evil or aggressive characters; square shapes are for balanced or calm characters. A pure shape is a rarity, more often there is a basic shape and additional ones are added to it. 3. Detailed Description Of Video Game Character Animations, Posture, And Emotions BoardAt this character development stage, several specialists are involved. As a rule, that includes an artist, animator, and lead game designer. While the artist proposes ideas, the animator evaluates whether these ideas can be realized in terms of quality and time. If some of the artist’s ideas are not suitable for technical reasons or lack of interest, additional suggestions are made. 4. Finalizing The Character Design And Applying Various Features To The Video Game CharacterThis is perhaps the most interesting and very important stage for the entire character development. This is where artists work to clarify the character’s silhouette, body parts proportions, anatomy, emotions, and pose dynamics. 5. Choosing The Color Palette And Tone For The Character And BackgroundWhile creating a balanced 3D image, it is very important to keep the proper lighting and shadow direction. The second important thing is to follow the rules of tone and contrast distribution: the main character is more important than the background, and its face and emotions are more important than the body (i.e., the main character’s face and emotions should be the most contrasting part of the scene). 6. Rendering Of The Video Game CharacterWhile working on the game character render, the artist needs to refine and clarify the tonal solution so that important details/emotions of the character have a clear contrast. To reach a certain volume, it’s essential to add the character’s shadows, emphasize lighting, add occlusions, and reflexes. 7. Getting Your Game Character Ready For the Animation ProcessTo ensure that animators can create high-quality live-action game character animations with ease, they must be provided with properly prepared graphics. There are some basic rules for preparing your character for the animation process. All limbs must be separated from the body and cut in half for bending at the elbow or knee. The character facets are disassembled into separate parts. Any character outfit or accessories are also stored in separate files. Once the video game character creation process is complete, the integration into the game environment is to be done, but that’s another story. Let’s step away from the tech background and take a look back at the most famous, successful, and iconic classic video game characters. Top 10 Most Iconic Video Game Characters 10. Solid Snake Hideo Kojima’s mastermind creation, Solid Snake is a mercenary and spec ops soldier, the main character of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. The first Metal Gear was released in 1987 and Solid Snake is still popular and become even cooler than ever. 9. Kratos When Kratos emerged on PlayStation back in 2005 he was a Spartan warrior filled only with a lust for vengeance but in 2018 Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog shown Kratos from another more empathetic perspective through adding in the narrative his son Atreus. 8. Crash Bandicoot In 1996 this genetic mutant character had a tornado spin and in 2020 Crash learned to slow time and reverse gravity. He’s so notable that an extinct species of bandicoot discovered by a group of paleontologists was named after him. 7. Link The creation of legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link’s legacy began in 1986 and it doesn’t look like he’s gonna stop. The latest part of Legend of Zelda adventures hit the World in 2023. 6. Master Chief Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, the Halo hero is another Spartan supersoldier who has been the main mascot character of the Xbox console since 2001. 5. Pac-Man You’d recognize that little yellow circle anywhere. Inspired by a slice of pizza with a piece cut out in 1980 now he has his own Hollywood movie, merch, and hundreds of references in various media entertaining products. 4. Lara Croft The pin-up archeologist made as a “female Indiana Jones” has been through a massive evolution since her creation for 1996’s Tomb Raider. Lara received a massive franchise reboot in 2010 and three Hollywood blockbusters. 3. Sonic the Hedgehog Sega developers considered a rabbit, a dog, and even an armadillo as a mascot for their console. But luckily for us in 1991 went with the blue hedgehog. Since then Sonic appeared in more than 100 games and claimed his action movie. 2. Pikachu This mouse-look Pokemon was chosen by Nintendo to be one of the mascots for their iconic game series in 1996. Pikachu is especially famous for its cute squeaks and the McDonald’s dessert named in his honor. 1. Mario More than 40 years ago this famous character first appeared in Donkey Kong (1981), and now he’s the official Nintendo mascot with a Super Mario World theme park in Japan and over 200 video games on different platforms to his name.
