The preliminary preparations for the music and game have been arranged.
There is still one crucial problem that Lin Lixin needs to find a solution to.
Graphic design.
This thing is practically the soul of the Patapon series.
Those tiny, bean-like "PATAPON" figures, with their iconic eyeballs and stick figure limbs, have become the signature symbols of the entire series.
But this simple black and white line drawing gave Lin Lixin a real headache.
Because this thing is actually a very peculiar design symbol.
It was specifically designed for the Photoshop environment, featuring triangles, circles, crosses, and squares.
The most important circle was chosen by the production team as the symbol of the Patapon.
GAMENOVA, however, uses a traditional four-button layout: ABXY.
Forcing these design elements in would lack a sense of connection and might even create a sense of incongruity.
"Wrong----"
Lin Lixin frowned slightly, suddenly realizing that he had been somewhat prejudiced.
Indeed, the round bodies of the Patapon are clearly a reference to Sony's circle buttons.
The enemies, the Kigadon," are represented by square keys.
but--
Putting aside these preconceived notions, this is actually a very normal design element.
A circle naturally corresponds to the feeling of a drum, while a square is a geometric shape that is exactly the opposite of a circle.
Given the game's minimalist art design philosophy, it's easy to come up with such a design.
Once you understand this, there's not much to worry about in terms of the game's art design.
It's simply a matter of changing the original clear key mappings to a version that corresponds to ABXY.
Let's get started.
Since this was a simple line drawing, Lin Lixin simply didn't bother asking anyone else in the company and took charge himself.
But before he could finish the first batch of sketches, his Motorola MicroTAC suddenly received a phone call.
" Vivian? What's wrong? --- Okay, I'll go tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Lixin scratched his head helplessly.
I almost forgot about that.
They were supposed to be working on an MPEG-like audio chip, but they really can't handle that on their own.
"I haven't had time to manage the art department these past few days—oh well, since Blizzard's art team is just starting out, I might as well take this opportunity to recruit some new talent."
This kind of situation will definitely become more and more common in the future.
Lin Lixin cannot personally solve all the problems every time.
It is essential to assemble a strong art team as soon as possible.
Now that we have Brom, the "Diablo " backbone, we still need to add some other people.
There seems to be someone suitable for this job.
He is known as the "father of motion graphics design" and is very skilled at simplifying complex designs through minimalist geometric techniques.
"Better call Saul!"
Southern California Los Angeles.
Brom just joined GAMENOVA—or more precisely, Blizzard —has landed a new job.
That means becoming Lin Lixin's assistant and accompanying the boss to visit a renowned art master in Los Angeles.
I'll also be a driver.
Without needing any signs to guide them, the two recognized the building ahead as their destination.
It was a peculiar building that took modernism to its extreme.
The building features a large glass curtain wall and a main structure made of steel and clean, geometric blocks.
The facade is minimalist, with unobstructed views and straight lines throughout.
This design style is somewhat similar to GAMENOVA's headquarters, but fundamentally different.
"Less is more? That's interesting."
Just by glancing at it, Lin Lixin heard several experience point notifications pop up.
It may look simple, but every detail is the result of meticulous design.
There was no signboard on the front, but there was a large capital letter logo.
[BASS]
Of course, this doesn't refer to the bass, but rather to the name of the owner of this place.
Saul Bass, the father of motion graphics, is one of the greatest United States design masters of the 20th century.
If you're looking for an art director for a work like Patapon, Saul Bass would be an excellent choice.
"Welcome, Mr. Lin, and ----?"
" Brom, Art Director at Blizzard Entertainment."
Brom introduced himself, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant, and he stayed obediently in front of Lin Lixin.
Although the art world is a hierarchical field, he is now representing GAMENOVA, so there is no need for him to adopt a humble posture.
Besides—his own boss is standing right here; how many people in this world have the ability to make him lower his stance?
Saul nodded slightly, gestured for the two to enter the room, and made room for them.
Once inside the house, the layout was quite different from the style of Gamenova.
Despite GAMENOVA's highly minimalist architectural design, the office area is still inevitably filled with various...
Planting things.
Whether it's equipment, games, movies, videotapes, novels, or board games.
But Saul's approach is much purer.
With minimal furniture, a few posters of his own artwork, and pure white walls, the strong contrast makes this place a typical visual experimental space at first glance.
It's incredibly impractical, but undeniably artistic.
The entire studio itself is an exquisite work of art.
Saul's artistic style is the Hans Zimmer's.
In an era where computer design is gradually encroaching on the living space of traditional craftsmen, he still insists on making everything entirely by hand.
Saul is not young; in fact, he's quite old.
Born in 1920, he is turning 70 this year.
His hair was already noticeably graying, but he was in very good spirits.
"It's a pity that we were too busy with GAMENOVA back then, otherwise, if we had Mr. Bass designed an office building for us, it would definitely be even more impressive than it is now."
Saul's design style draws heavily on Soviet Union Constructivism and the Germany Bauhaus style, but adds his own unique dynamism.
This is the fundamental reason why Lin Lixin became interested in him.
This is an expert who excels at conveying a sense of dynamism through minimalist static graphics.
"That's truly a pity, at least for me. I can't imagine how others would praise me if I had really designed that place where the miracle happened."
After a few polite exchanges, both sides understood that this visit was not just for casual small talk, and they quickly got to the point.
"Mr. Bass, I'm sure you've guessed why I've come to you today. GAMENOVA has a new game project and is looking for a suitable artist to serve as the art director."
"Wait, art director? I thought it would be the poster designer."
Bass was slightly taken aback. Although he was mentally prepared, Lin Lixin's request still puzzled him.
"That's right."
Lin Lixin nodded and took out a sketch he had just drawn from his bag.
It was a black eyeball with stick figure-like hands and feet.
Its round shape naturally gives it a unique sense of approachability.
"Could this be--"
"That's right."
" Unown from Pokémon Gold and Silver?"
"----Okay, I made a mistake. Although it looks a bit like it, it's not. It's called ' Patapon, ' and it's the main character in our new work."
After Lin Lixin's explanation, Saul finally understood what was going on.
"Minimalist design style—a very bold choice."
Looking across the entire gaming industry, you really can't find even one work with this kind of art style.
Even Pokémon, known for its clean and flowing lines, wouldn't dare to be this radical.
The extensive use of black and white tones indicates that Lin Lixin has proactively abandoned the color depth advantage brought by GAMENOVA's technology.
The minimalist style falls far short of hand-drawn visuals in terms of imagery.
With limited resolution, its expressive power may not even be as strong as pixel art.
Not to mention that various manufacturers are now starting to try to simulate 3D styles.
Its acceptability—maybe not very high.
"Excuse my frankness, Mr. Lin, but if we really design it this way, the Volkswagen player will most likely find the graphics very rudimentary."
Minimalism is not a mainstream fashion trend nowadays; rather, it's a relatively avant-garde form of punk.
It's more of a style chosen by rebellious new money like GAMENOVA or other Silicon Valley startups.
For the Volkswagen, in this day and age, the simple aesthetic of "more is better, bigger is better" still prevails.
"If it's designing promotional posters or a logo, I'd be honored to participate, but art director? I think Mr. Lin needs to think twice."
Saul is a nationally recognized expert in logo design.
However, upon hearing Saul's words, Lin Lixin waved his hand dismissively and chuckled a few times.
Frankly speaking, Saul's statement is not an exaggeration.
It is indeed very Adventure to rashly adopt styles that have not been tested by the market in a commercial work.
But GAMENOVA has always been a company that doesn't follow the beaten path.
"Mr. Bass, we are GAMENOVA. Whether something is trendy or not isn't just determined by the market."
Saul's eyes narrowed for a moment, then suddenly relaxed.
There aren't many people in this world qualified to say such things, and Lin Lixin happens to be one of them.
If anyone doesn't believe this, then go out into the street and see for yourself!
Go and see those guys sitting in front of the arcade machines enjoying the games, those crazy people shaking their heads and bobbing for "Synthetic Wave" and "Psychedelic Electronic"!
Lin Lixin used a project and a completely new music style to bring it to the streets and alleys in just one month.
Before GAMENOVA, no one took digital music, this new thing with its poor sound quality, seriously, nor did anyone think that synthesizers were qualified to replace traditional music.
GAMENOVA has never been one to follow trends; it's always been one to create them.
It is a timeless trendsetter in the industry!
"How about it? Want to try creating a new trend yourself?"