Hiring an artist vs using Asset Store for demo

Hello!

I have a prototype where I want to present to some investors. However the visuals are not very good right now and I am not very good with 3d modelling. How should I approach this? Paying an artist right now seems risky, as the investment is not granted. Is it better to get some assets from asset store? Are there any other options that I can choose, maybe revenue split with an artist?

 

People usually avoid revenue split projects, because "revenue split" means the project has no funding, as a result most likely it is going to fail. You can still try, though.

In general, if you do not have art budget and visuals are not central to your project, you can use "programmer's graphics". Those can be "tron visuals", or "superhot visuals". Grayboxed levels, pretty much. Or low poly. It can still be stylish.

If visuals matter for your project, then you'll need to find an artist or learn how to model yourself. Tools like substance designer/painter might help.

 

I'd look into getting a consultant to look into the specifics of your situation - somebody who knows everything about publishing and your specific genre. That would be cheaper than going off half-cocked in either direction.

 

They don't have to be! In fact, it's probably best to make sure the visuals come across as not representative / as being placeholder art. Unless, of course, your primary sell is the art itself, as in a visual novel for instance.

In other cases you don't want them to get the feeling that the artwork is nearly done, because it isn't. So it can be perfectly fine to purposefully use crash-test dummy characters throughout the entire game, and animate them using Mixamo animations. The Unity Character Controller character is IMO a great example of character art that works well for prototyping and talking about funding a game. Sure, you still have to add some concept art and/or high-res model of the final look of a character to show the art direction you want to go for but it suffices to have this as images. This ought to be more than enough.

 

If your game relies on art to make sense, you might even get away with, not one, but various mockups, presenting different possibilities and artistic approaches. Just "fake" screenshots of what your game would look like. This perhaps would help your case if you are trying to sell a concept or a gameplay style, it might even be better not to "marry" it to an art style that isn't final and might not even do it favors.

These are not real games:

Spoiler

credit: https://www.behance.net/gallery/37078281/Video-Game-Mockups


credit:https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Gx5Ga


credit: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/v1zEZA

 

Alternatively if the game is gameplay oriented, dumb down graphics to extremely stylized: polygons. Then add some visual filters that can make that surprisingly attractive.

 

Some option is to buy assets and modify them.
It can be done by hired personnel - still cheaper than dedicated art.

 

I agree with CodeSmile, if the graphics aren't the primary focus of the application then very simplistic graphics may be best.

I deliberately use black and white sketches of applications when making presentations so that the concepts aren't confused with the graphics.

If you use graphics that could be confused (by someone who is unfamiliar with your project) as the final form that just aren't very good it makes things more difficult.

You can decide, perhaps with advice from the other replies here, how important the graphics are to your presentation and allocate resources accordingly.

 

You need to really know who you're pitching to. It depends on how experienced the investors are at evaluating games, and what you're pitching them on. Most investors can't see past the surface. If the surface appearance isn't good, they won't get to the point of evaluating gameplay and other merits. For a pitch, unmodified but polished off-the-shelf art assets may be totally fine. If that's not in the cards, really good concept art may be a sufficient substitute. However, if you're pitching a game whose concept relies on a specific art style, you're going to need to show that art style, done well, in your presentation.

 

Thanks everyone, all of the responses are great! The game's focus is not graphics, so I guess I'll go programmer art for now and save some money. I'll focus on making things consistent rather than beautiful, and make sure it is obvious enough that it is a prototype/work in progress.

 

I feel like I'd need to know more about your game and what you're seeking from an investor/publisher to give a solid answer. Are you seeking advertisement? Funding? Porting? Localization? etc. But here is my experience as an artist who has been a part of pitches and talks with investors/publishers.

A. If your game has very deep gameplay such as rpg systems/action/combat/multiplayer/meta gameplay.
- Having solid gameplay with placeholder art is totally fine as long as you have a couple mockup screenshots/concept art of what you expect the game to look like. They'll play it and think "Wow that's super fun right now! And it could look like that with our help!? We could make some money on this!"

B. If your game is lite on the mechanics like a visual novel or a speed runner etc.
-Without at least a vertical slice to show it's potential, no investor (99% of investors, unless it's a family member/friend) will be interested in giving you money. Those days are long gone.

If your game has solid gameplay that you're very confident about and want to approach investors, make sure it plays like the final quality product AND follow Dogzerx2 advice of screenshot mockups. Showing them that you have the gameplay down and a PLAN for the final aesthetic is invaluable. I'm not sure of your budget, but I've done multiple Screenshot mockups for things like this and depending on the style they were going for, the cost was anywhere from 200-800$USD per screenshot. Maybe that's outside of your budget range (This was my personal pricing so it could be more or less), but remember, you are NOT going into talks with an investor to get them to give you money, you are going into talks to convince them that your game will sell and make them money, and they will likely think something along the lines of "If this team/person isn't willing to invest in a presentation, why should I invest in it".

There are a million or more variables when it comes to this stuff, and I don't mean to discourage you. I would just rather have the odds in your favor.