Through Master of the Game, we sit down with Gameloft experts to explore the craft, decisions, and lessons behind building games enjoyed by millions of players around the world.
We spoke with Jordi, 3D Lead Vehicle Artist at Gameloft Barcelona, about the story behind every car, the details that make a racing game feel alive, and why passion is the ingredient that pushes quality further.
Read on to discover his approach to building the vehicles players fall in love with.
Every car has its own story behind.
Q1 — What's a decision in your field that seems small but can have a huge impact on the player experience?
To focus not only to the global plan, but also in the details. Every single car is a new different challenge, with its own particularities and needs. We create 3D vehicles for games played by gamers that love the racing genre, so we must be conscious that our cars are always on the spotlight.
Q2 — What's something people think makes a great game that actually matters less than they expect?
I think the biggest mistake is focusing on a single factor to determine whether a game is great or not. A great game is always a combination of many elements, each as important as the others. Graphics, gameplay, design, user interface, story, progression, cinematics, and even the underlying technology that players never see, all contribute to building the experience. For me, a great game is one that seamlessly combines them all, immerses us in its world, and makes time fly.
Q3 — In your job, what's something that matters more than people expect?
In my opinion, what matters the most is the passion you put on what you're working at. This keeps pushing and challenging yourself, and as a consequence, it brings the results to the next level.
Q4 — What's one lesson you've learned that completely changed the way you work?
The fact that there's always room to improve and do things better. Vehicles are one of the most complex type of 3D assets, and there are many steps, agents and fields involved on their production: 3D model, VFX, animations, etc. so we all must be very well versed to meet the expectations. In addition, our industry is in constant evolution: standards, as tech and tools, constantly raise. And we must evolve with them.
Q5 — Give us 5 rules/tips/insights you always keep in mind when working on your craft.
- Analyze vehicle shape and its particularities.
- Define specific requirements/needs.
- Challenge the possibilities.
- Develop the 3D asset.
- Integrate it in game, and test!
