Video Game Art Directors

The artistic elements of computer and video games have come a long way from Pong graphics, where a simple moving blip on the screen entertained early gamers. Today's games not only have to be challenging, engaging, and fun, but they must be visually interesting, realistic, and flashy. While some games still incorporate "cute" characters in the vein of Q*bert or Pac-Man, the majority of game characters are now human. Figures are pictured with bulging muscles, realistic wounds, or, in the case of many Final Fantasy characters, have sex appeal. This realism is the work of huge teams of talented artists that all work together on the completion of a single game. As these teams grew, someone was needed to direct the efforts of these workers and ensure the process, quality, and productivity of the department. Thus, the career of art director developed to oversee this important aspect of game creation.