Abstract
The visual style in games is a crucial factor in shaping the player experience. Different aesthetic choices, such as realism, cartoon styles, and pixel art, can arouse vastly different sensations. However, with the rapid development of the gaming industry and the integration of diverse technologies, game visual styles face the challenge of homogenization. This research, grounded in the author’s industry experience, examines how technological convergence influences game visual styles. Using an auto-ethnographic approach, it analyzes the impact of integrating various technologies and tools within industrial engines on visual effects. This research reveals the critical role of technological choices in enhancing game development efficiency and quality, while also pointing-out the issue of visual homogenization. Through industry observation and deep reflection, it demonstrates how technological integration, while enhancing efficiency, fosters developers’ reliance on algorithms and procedural generation, leading to aesthetic uniformity. The research provides developers with insights into the causes of aesthetic homogenization, helping them better understand and critically reflect on the prevalent aesthetic homogenization in the game industry, ultimately enabling the creation of more distinctive and appealing game aesthetics.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Creative and Cultural Technologies
KEYWORDS
AESTHETIC HOMOGENIZATION IN GAMES, TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE, AESTHETIC DIVERSITY, INDUSTRIAL ENGINES
