Where do you guys buy game dev assets?
So where can I get graphics / sounds / fonts, etc for purchase to do rapid prototyping of games?
Do you use any of these? Why?
Discussion welcome
Do you use any of these? Why?
Discussion welcome
Comments
It is a good "rapid" way of prototyping, but then what about after that?
Anyways, I usually check here : http://opengameart.org/
I don't see the need for graphics packs. Sure, picking up individual assets via something like Turbosquid or the Unity Store is useful when you need a specific thing for part X of your game, but packs as a whole have never been useful for me. Either I don't need them and focusing on a specific artstyle too early doesn't help the prototype, or gradually refining programmer art helps create a unique look/focus for the game that skilled artists can get into and enjoy.
1. They allow artists another avenue for generating income.
Graphics packs cons:
1. 9 times out of 10 don't follow the requirements you need them too. (edge flow, texture sizes, poly count) Animations are too generic. (you don't get everything you want and now you don't have the source rig to make more!)
2. Other games can use the same assets as you.
Colored unity primitives pros:
1. Anyone can do it.
2. If you have gameplay that is fun it attracts artists. (as an artist when I play a game that is just cubes and I'm enjoying myself, my next thoughts are: Hey I could totally make better art for this game!
3. People will give you focused feedback on the gameplay instead of commenting on the squiggle of your main characters arm.
Colored unity primitives cons:
1. deving with primitive shapes can get visually boring after a while. (boredom that's easily overcome with killer gameplay)
Programmer art pros:
1. It also attract artists when coupled with good gameplay.
2. It allows programmers to explore art they otherwise wouldn't sit down to make.
3. Often leads to groovy/unique visuals
You will notice programmer art doesn't have any downsides in my opinion.
And yes I think it can get boring to look at but I'm having fun with the mechanics/creation to even notice the visuals.
I'll be putting up a public alpha of my game within the next week or two with primitives. My enemy is a flat square that has "kill me" written on it :)
Mixed
http://www.dexsoft-games.com/
Unity store
http://www.pixelprospector.com/indie-resources/
Textures
http://cgtextures.com/
http://gametextures.com/
Models
http://www.turbosquid.com/
http://3drt.com/store/characters/
Sounds
http://www.freesound.org/
https://www.soundrangers.com/
http://www.sfxsource.com/
http://www.soundsnap.com/
Fonts
http://www.angelcode.com/products/bmfont/ (generate a font sheet)
Icons
http://opengameart.org/content/95-game-icons
http://game-icons.net/
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The grey-box prototyping argument is a valid one, but as with many things in life, people can take general rules of thumb and try to turn them into cast-iron laws. The line between art and gameplay is a bit blurry in some cases. Some mechanics can't be tested without having at least some prototype art.
For example, something like the combat system in God of War or fighter games, you couldn't really get a good sense of how the combat would feel with just grey boxes bumping up against each other, you'd need at least a simple-but-rigged humanoid with some animations in there.
You may also be testing something other than mechanics, such as atmosphere/mood, art style, scene composition. And, like others have said, it can be a way to attract art talent. You may be able to see your vision for your game in amongst the grey cubes, other folk might need a bit more audiovisual stimulation to get excited.
And the final reason, honestly, is just because it's fun and motivating. Game dev should be something you enjoy. It can be motivating to see a cool model, texture or sprite in your game, listen to some moody background music, hear your shotgun roar as you fire it in an enemies face, see some explosion particle effects. Even if it's throw-away.
Just don't get carried away, don't treat it as final art and obsesses over it, and don't spend money you can't treat as "throw away".
I agree with you @garethf, and also I do believe there is a gap in the market for well packaged game dev assets.
I surely would love to find a 1 stop shop with packages that are designed as 1 style.
Of course if you have to rework the assets, then it means your artist or game mechanics didn't match the pack style well or you the product was miss-represented which is just a shame..it would make more sense to use a pack to start a game and then develop it further.
I do like the concept, especially since I'm a solo programmer, and can't afford just to spend my whole pension on hiring a studio with the great creative artists , etc staff I would like...
I like the idea of polished products, versus free unpolished products. In large what apple did with its appstore to software for devices vs. android. So what I do not like about opengameart is that it is so difficult to find a complete set, even a small 2D set of complete matching styles.
I was wondering if any game devs studios would sell their old asset packs for games, they decided to can for whatever reason.
With assets I mean everything: sound/sprites/fonts...
This Guy
and this Guy has some pretty stuff.
And we are currently working on our own game asset shop, where we sell graphics that we do not use in our games.
That's about all.
As @Elyaradine pointed out, paid models are usually pretty meh.
I am working on an asset pack that contains 2 sets of the same assets.
One set is non triangulated so artists can modify them without having to spend hours removing edges before tweaking which is usually ready for sculpting out of the box. All unwrapped ofcourse.
And a second set which is the in-game optimized versions.
Depending what exactly you are looking for Boysano.
I have made my Xoi San game assets public, all the sprite sheets and fonts.
The only thing i couldn't make public was the sound as the guy who made them felt he wanted to keep them non distributed.
But there are loads of royalty free sound effects sites.
Good, red blooded, local, SA people who are awesome at their craft and are begging to get involved with all sorts of projects.
Why pay for expensive overseas artists and assets? These forums will put you in contact with some great graphics experts, musicians, coders for rent, game designers and others who cost a fraction of the overseas artists.
If ever I am lucky enough to be involved in developing a game that is internationally accepted and deemed "successful" , I sincerely hope it would be in collaboration with local people who aren't necessarily established yet.
So my answer is: right HERE on MGSA. Your one stop shop...
*Disclaimer: I realize this solution may not be viable for everyone.. ;)
i know a site sell Game Resources Game Icons Maps Original Painting UI Material and Effects.
www.brushcity.com
check it
I definitely would like to collaborate more with local artists and devs...all in good time.
If I'm prototyping a game on my own I'd tend to make a game that doesn't need art to work. In which case there isn't really a need for asset packs and whatever programmer art I throw together will work fine.
Though recently I'm more excited about prototyping games where the art style is part of prototype. And because art asset packs tend to be kind of one-size-fits all they don't ever synergize well with the gameplay I'm aiming at, so I need to work with an artist.
https://www.humblebundle.com/
Question: Does anyone know if those assets can only be used in Cryengine? Technically or EULA wise?
So you can use some of the assets in anything, but not the Crytek ones.
FWIW, it is about 70GB total, which I'm downloading and happy to give to any Durban people if you want to avoid the download (and show me your receipt).
EDIT: I made a pretty picture for if you're not using Cryengine
On a serious note that's exactly what I wanted to know: How much of it I could use in Unity if I do buy it.
I'm actually considering pilfering code from starter projects for rapid prototyping (in other engines most likely). I wonder how that would work legally.
Regarding using these in prototypes, maybe that is fine even for the Crytek stuff as long as it doesn't make its way to the final commercial product?
Any lawyers here?
Worst case scenario, you could maybe grab a Maya trial and just spend your 30 day trial exporting files into obj or fbx...?
Unreal Engine has this clause: So I would just check the relevant licenses first, just to be on the safe side.