Chapter 205: Confusion Over Conceptual Design
Everyone in the conference room was stunned. They knew in advance that Alex would lead them in a new project, which was basically a sandbox game. They had considered many themes and related gameplay. But now, seeing the blocks that Alex had placed on the table as the best example, both Eric and Jane were a little bewildered.
"Alex, is our new project a block game?", Lisa asked curiously, observing the blocks in front of them and the simple conceptual draft on the screen.
Although Alex had not explained the conceptual draft in detail, Eric and the others had already confirmed some of the characteristics of this game, called Minecraft. First of all, in terms of art, the game uses a pixel art style. Everything in the game is essentially made up of pixels and is destructible. For example, a basic pixel block in the game is 1x1, so a huge stone could be made up of four 1x1 blocks. The same goes for other objects.
"Alex, isn't the content of Minecraft too simple? I'm not referring to the extended content, but to the direction of the game itself." Eric also repeated Lisa's words, ordering them and continuing.
Eric did not say anything else, but everyone present understood what he meant. Compared to Don't Starve, Minecraft does not seem to have a clear game structure.
"Also, Alex, I'm afraid that many sandbox games will be released soon," John said. This was his biggest concern as an operator. It was also a crucial issue. Other game developers wanted to take advantage of the sandbox trend introduced by Don't Starve. There may be some of low quality, but there may also be some excellent ones, and all of them would have an impact on Minecraft. Another crucial factor was that Minecraft, also a sandbox game, was released so close to Don't Starve. If the quality was not as good as Don't Starve's, it would also affect the reputation of Nebula Games.
"And as for the game's art, Alex, why are we using a pixel art style? It seems a bit strange to me," Jane, who is responsible for the art, also asked.
Pixel-style games are quite rare today. After all, pixels usually represent a retro aesthetic. The reason for pixel graphics in games in the past was due to the limitations of display devices and the memory capacity of consoles. In addition, creating good pixel games is not easy. Pixels, in a nutshell, are bitmap images, made up of individual square pixels. To achieve pixel art graphics, the artist must add them pixel by pixel, which is even more complex than traditional art.
Therefore, unless a game is sold with a historical or nostalgic theme, pixel design is usually avoided today. However, Minecraft's choice of a pixelated design seemed a bit strange to Jane. After all, judging by the conceptual design drafts, Minecraft does not seem to be a retro or nostalgic game.
Everyone expressed their doubts. Clearly, developing a sandbox game like this, especially one with a pixelated design, at that moment was baffling.
After hearing everyone's words, Alex smiled. He didn't seem to care about the uncertainty. He even thought it was a good thing; after all, everyone was thinking about it.
"First, remember what I told you about the essence of Don't Starve. Survival is an important goal for players, but it is not the essence of the game. Creation is the essence of sandbox games."
"And everything in Minecraft revolves around this fundamental game mechanic: 'creation'."
"This creation is not simply about building blocks, but about using Minecraft as a vehicle to create gameplay."
"In fact, if other sandbox games of the same era were based on Don't Starve's survival as a reference, they would have been completely wrong. They could be excellent survival or cooperative games, but they would not be excellent sandbox games," Alex told Eric and the others.
Eric reflected: "So sandbox games are based on creativity and freedom; everything else can be discarded."
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Of course, I wasn't sure if players would accept this unique sandbox style, so Don't Starve was a test. Judging by the players' comments and results, it seems pretty good."
"As for the art, first I need to correct a misconception. It's not that Minecraft should adopt a pixelated style, but that Minecraft needs to be pixelated! Pixels are sacrificed for freedom and creativity, because Minecraft's gameplay dictates that the world must be made up of countless blocks, like building blocks." Upon hearing Alex's words, Jane suddenly understood.
They are two completely different concepts. A pixelated game simply means that it adopts this artistic style, but Minecraft is different. It pixels the game world, dividing it into cubes, which are essentially pixels in normal pixelation.
The starting point is completely different.
"In short, a sandbox game like Don't Starve is a half-assembled toy. After buying it, players must assemble it. Depending on the original, they can change the clothes and colors, but the basic structure remains unchanged. Minecraft, on the other hand, is like clay and sand. It seems common, but the player's creativity determines how it can be molded, whether it's beautiful or ugly."
"Don't Starve is about playing in a predefined world, while Minecraft, as its name suggests, allows players to create their own world. This is the fundamental difference, and what will make players feel so immersed in this game," Alex concluded.
The conference room was silent, as everyone was still assimilating Alex's words.
"That's right," Eric nodded deeply.
Just for the conceptual design, Eric felt that Minecraft was nothing special. But after Alex's thorough analysis, he fully understood it. Although he was not sure if such a game would be well received by players and the market, he had one thing to worry about. Alex, without a doubt, had carefully considered Minecraft.
"And pixels don't have to be simple; they can be beautiful," Alex said, looking at Jane.
The pixel style symbolizes retro. But it doesn't mean it has to be. Can't modern art technology be applied to the pixel style?.
Of course it can. In the past, there was a very famous pixel game that seamlessly integrated its technology into the pixels: Octopath Traveler, produced by SE. Of course, due to its price, players also called it "Octopath Traveler."
The group's traditional plot and fragmented narrative are not perfect. The most notable thing is the combination of pixel art style with modern music and technology. Previously, Minecraft had various high-definition material packs and various light and shadow effects, which also gave players a graphical feeling comparable to that of a level 3A game. As you can see, pixels are not necessarily equivalent to retrospective graphics.
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