1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 65



Only Noblemtl

Episode 65 – Analog Game Art Director

“Hello. From now on, I will be greeting you as Starbeat Art Director Choi Han-il, not Myungsung Planning Choi Han-il. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Please take care of me~!”

Manager Choi Han-il has officially joined Starbeat as art director.

This time, I was hired as a full-time employee instead of being dispatched.

There was a sense of weight to the title of director, and his own intentions were clear, so he didn’t necessarily have an intermediate step.

Since this was the first time the company had created an official ‘Director’ title, I thought about it carefully.

However, after watching over the past few months, it seems difficult to find someone as good as AD Choi Han-il.

The only weakness is that the art director has no experience with computer graphics, but it is not easy to find someone specializing in game graphics in this day and age.

I doubt if such a person really exists, and even if he does exist, I can’t guarantee that he would be a good fit for me and our company.

What’s interesting is that in AD Choi Han-il’s Myeongseong Planning personnel record book, it was written that he ‘often has problems communicating with colleagues.’

I nominated Manager Choi Han-il based solely on his portfolio, and it turned out to be the best choice.

The first thing AD Han-il Choi started doing after joining was computer education.

“We’re currently developing games centered around Gemix, but the MSX isn’t a particularly great platform for graphics. Computers like the Commodore Amiga or Sharp’s X68000 are far superior. That’s why we use the X68000 a lot for development.”

I gave one-on-one computer skills tutoring to AD Hanil Choi.

Now that I had joined our company, computer skills were essential, and I had a strong will to learn computers.

Until the 16-bit era of the 1990s, IBM compatible PCs were fine for business use, but they lagged far behind other platforms when it came to multimedia, such as graphics and sound processing.

Even the Apple ][ computer released in 1977 supported color, while IBM compatible PCs were still predominantly black and white.

When the 32-bit era comes, IBM compatible PCs will become the main game development environment, but it is still a long way off.

After briefly talking about theory and computer environment, I ran the Deluxe Paint program on the Amiga computer and showed him how to use it.

“See the icon on the right here? Click on it, choose the function you want, and then draw. There are free lines, and you can draw shapes. There are also special functions such as selecting only a part of the screen, coloring, inserting text, and distorting shapes.”

“It has a lot more functions than I thought.”

AD Choi tried out various functions by holding the mouse himself. However, it still didn’t seem easy to draw a nice picture.

“So, sir, did you draw the picture one by one with this?”

“No. I made several background tiles in a much smaller size than this and then connected them. I will continue to use this method in the future, but the proportion will gradually decrease.”

I taught Choi Han-il both how to draw on the computer at a large resolution and how to dot each picture at a small resolution.

“It’s not as easy as I thought. I have a picture in my head, but it feels a bit strange to actually express it on a computer.”

“I think you’re more comfortable with drawing by hand. Don’t be impatient. Time will tell.”

Although he has a great aesthetic sense, he is not very good with computers, so it seemed like it would take him a long time to get used to it.

It would be nice to have time to learn 2D computer graphics slowly, but unfortunately, as an art director at a small company, I had little time to focus on education and adaptation.

This is because there are a lot of things waiting to be judged and decided by art directors in the field.

“These are the body types and outfits I’ve worked on so far for the main character Kim Do-kwon. I’m also trying out the coat you asked me to add at the time by matching the colors. Please take a look and see what I think.”

“I’m creating the background graphics based on Jongno, a theater, and a bar, but it feels a bit empty to me. Where should I improve?”

“I want to know about the clothing of Japanese people at that time, but it’s not easy to find information. Is there a place where I can get it?”

“I’m planning on creating two more selectable characters besides the main one, but I don’t have a proper basic sketch yet. How should I start?”

The visuals that programmers had been racking their brains over, centered around Hyunwoo Seok, now need to be judged, decided, and reinforced by the art director.

These were not people I was seeing for the first time, nor was it a new task.

But there was a big difference between giving advice as an outsider and becoming the decision maker yourself.

I also saw Choi Han-il working frantically.

Rather than approaching it systematically, I was just solving problems on the fly, such as how to divide the characters and backgrounds and how to establish the overall visual style.

But I didn’t bother to come forward.

Now was the chaos stage he had to go through at least once.

If I give him poor training here and skip the tutorial stage, Choi Han-il will not be able to fully integrate into our company as an AD.

‘That’s not it!’

There were more than a few times when these words rose to the tip of my tongue as I watched from the side.

At times like that, I quickly got out of the way. I felt like if I watched, I would get involved without realizing it.

I took to heart my father’s words several times: that the company would only grow if I gave up the desire to control everything.

From his first day at work, AD Han-il Choi sat in front of the computer late into the night, constantly tinkering with graphic tools.

Although he didn’t say anything, I could sense the frustration and impatience on his face.

“You took Manager Choi Han-il away? Then wouldn’t it be a huge loss for our Myeongseong Group? Without my permission.”

A few days after AD Choi Han-il moved to another company, my father blurted out a joke to me while we were having breakfast.

“We will compensate for your loss with even greater success.”

“No. I’ve heard that guy is a bit of a loser at work compared to his skills. He actually did well. From what I’ve seen over the past few months, it seems like he’s putting his life on the line for your company.”

“Yes, he understands what I want right away and always suggests better styles. That’s why I brought him here with great difficulty.”

“Yes, take him and use him well. Wait patiently until he settles in. A superior must also know how to wait. It is not uncommon for a good employee to change positions and become lost.”

“Yes, I think I’m having a hard time adjusting anyway.”

“I guess so. Moving companies is not an ordinary thing. But since he is capable, he will definitely do well. I was honestly surprised when I saw him working at Myeongseong Planning. I thought the results were always mediocre and nothing really stood out. It made me think that a talented person like Choi Han-il was not able to properly demonstrate his abilities. On the other hand, I also thought that Myeongseong’s products and plans were not that outstanding.”

My father spoke with a worried look on his face.

“Don’t blame yourself again. Don’t do that. You’re working harder than anyone else.”

My mother patted me on the back, but my father shook his head.

“No, that’s my position. It’s natural to work hard, and I have to do well. How many mouths are there under me?”

“I only have one mouth, Dad. And it’s really small.”

The youngest spoke with his mouth small and round as if trying to change the mood.

“What good is having a small mouth? Instead, you eat a lot.”

The second one snapped at the youngest one, but before the younger one could fight back, he wiped his mouth and got up from his seat first.

“I’m done eating. I’ll get up first.”

“Eww, so annoying!”

“You have to understand, Jihye. You’re a senior in high school.”

The youngest felt wronged, but there was nothing he could do. The current number one in the family hierarchy is not my father, the chairman of Myeongseong Group, but my second child, Subin, a high school senior.

“Just wait! I will definitely get revenge in three years!”

The youngest took up his spoon and swore with a serious expression. Then he ate up all the rice the second oldest had left behind.

We continued eating, laughing at the sight of the youngest.

A few days have passed since AD ​​Choi Han-il joined the company.

I went to work like I always do, but there was a huge pile of papers I had never seen before on AD Choi Han-il’s desk.

“Are you here, sir?”

“Hello. What is this?”

“It’s nothing special. It’s just graph paper.”

“Graph paper comes in such a large size.”

As AD Choi Han-il said, it was graph paper with numerous blue lines drawn closely together. The graph paper I used in school was at most the size of a notebook.

I was curious about the large graph paper and flipped through it.

A large 4-section paper was filled with countless squares, each measuring 1 mm on its side.

“But when I look at graph paper like this, it looks just like a computer screen. If I think of each square on the graph paper as a pixel… Huh?”

As I was looking at the graph paper, I suddenly realized why AD Choi Han-il had prepared this.

“I see you noticed.”

“Are you thinking of drawing a picture here by dotting it?”

“Yes, that’s right. I kept thinking about it, and I decided that I need more time to properly learn computer graphics programs. I can’t immediately transfer my thoughts to the screen like Woo-seok. So I thought about a method that would be most convenient for me and most similar to computer graphics, and this is what I came up with.”

Choi Han-il spoke as he tapped the graph paper. And then he noticed that there were drawing tools on his desk that he had never seen before.

“To be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first. Now that I was working at a computer-based game company, I decided to give up the hand-drawn method. That’s why I didn’t bring any drawing tools. I guess I was wrong. I also asked Manager Park to buy me a drafting desk.”

“You’ve thought it through. I didn’t choose AD because he’s a computer graphics expert. I chose him because he has an outstanding aesthetic sense that’s both artistic and commercial.”

“I guess I missed it because I was impatient. I drew it earlier as a demonstration and it looks pretty good.”

“Can I take a look?”

As he unfolded a piece of graph paper from his desk, pixel art drawn on the graph paper appeared.

“Wow, this is Kim Do-kwon’s animation?”

“Yes, I thought it looked a bit boring wearing just a suit, so I put on a coat, but I thought it would be awkward to fight while wearing a coat, so I drew him taking off his coat.”

“It would be cool if there was a scene where they just take off their coats before the fight. It would also signal that the game is about to begin.”

On the graph paper, a handsome man wearing a bowler hat and a coat was seen unfolding his coat like wings and taking it off, as if in an animation.

The outlines were raised like steps, so it looked like real pixel art drawn with dots.

“Now I’m going to try drawing some background pictures and try to re-establish the overall style.”

“It feels really good. Keep pushing forward like this.”

At my words, AD Choi Han-il smiled brightly for the first time in a few days.

You’re drawing the entire screen on graph paper.

I love retro games, but I also used computers to do all the game creation from the beginning anyway.

The basic mindset is to use a computer in some way.

I thought that game art naturally started with learning computer graphics programs.

On the other hand, AD Choi Han-il has rarely used a computer while working.

It was impossible for him, who was not familiar with computers, to suddenly be able to use graphics programs freely.

While I was struggling between the familiar method and the digital method, I came across an alternative that I could not have imagined: graph paper.

There were moments when he was confused by the new digital method, but Choi Han-il eventually found his own way and seemed to regain his confidence.

I could feel that the expression and voice when talking to people had changed.

Now, there seems to be no need to worry about whether AD Choi Han-il will be able to adapt well to the company.

Then the key would be the computer graphics competition.

Diskettes that had been mailed to the company mailbox were slowly arriving one after another.

I hope that many talented people who can work hand in hand with Han-il Choi will apply.

***

“I’ve reserved a spot for the weekend. Let’s go to the department store with Mom and buy some clothes.”

“Mom, are we talking about that again? I told you not to look at the line.”

“Why are you like that? You work at a good company and you’re a decent young man. You’re a senior now. What are you going to do if you don’t get married?”

“I’m going to get a job. No matter how good the company is or how good the person is, I don’t want to get married already. If I’m going to get married before I even graduate, then why did I go to college?”

“It was good, but I sent you off to get married. But when I sent you off, you didn’t study as I told you to and just took pictures all day long. Now listen to what Mom says. If you miss this opportunity, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“No. If you get married now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Times are different these days.”

Kim Han-sol, a senior in college, boldly declared that he would get a job despite pressure from his mother to get married.

But compared to the bold declaration, there was little preparation for employment.

She majored in Japanese language and literature, but classes always took a backseat when she entered college.

After entering school, I happened to join a photography club with a cool-looking older brother and got really into it, so I just took a lot of pictures.

But after I joined the club, I found out that the older guy was a so-called ‘bully’ who would hit on anyone he saw who was pretty.

She hesitated for a moment, but surprisingly, photography was really fun. Whenever she went outside and took her camera anywhere, a new world was created.

There was a darkroom installed in the club room, so we could develop our own photos. Of course, the first-year students only had to clean the room, and only the seniors could develop the photos.

Taking lots of pictures like that, discussing each other’s pictures, saying things like “this is your good picture, this is bad”, “are you cursing at my picture now because it’s bad”, drinking and cursing, fighting, supporting and nagging, singing, calling each other out while drinking and confessing your love, getting dumped, crying and screaming that you’re going to die, and comforting each other.

Before I knew it, I was in the 4th grade.

I told my mom that times had changed, but many of my friends were actually preparing for marriage.

There was even a joke that said that women get a gold medal when they get married after graduating from college, a silver medal when they get a job, and a bronze medal when they graduate school.

However, Kim Han-sol did not want to get married like this. Above all, he felt that if he got married, he would no longer be able to freely go out and take pictures.

Fortunately, looking at the situation going roughly, it seemed like I would somehow be able to get a job.

At the time, overseas travel was completely liberalized, and travel agencies were hiring a lot of employees who could speak foreign languages.

If I just focused on Japanese, I thought I could get a job at a travel agency or a publishing company where many of my seniors worked.

Rather, the real problem was the camera.

She didn’t have a camera yet. She would take pictures using cameras in the club room or cameras borrowed from her seniors, friends, and juniors.

A decent interchangeable lens camera costs hundreds of thousands of won just for the body without lenses. Even if you just buy a couple of useful lenses, it can easily cost over a million won.

But now that I was graduated, I couldn’t ask to borrow the camera anymore. Since I couldn’t use the darkroom, I had to take my photos to a photo lab for development.

Since I had already declared that I was employed, I couldn’t even ask my family for help.

“I guess I have no choice but to save like crazy for a few months after getting a job. Looking at my seniors, it seems like they had a lot of things to spend money on at first…”

One day, while he was wondering how to get money to buy a camera, Kim Han-sol came across an advertisement that caught his eye.

“Computer graphics competition? The prize money is… 2 million won?!”

She looked through the advertisements carefully, calming her pounding heart.

The advertisement contained detailed recruitment information along with computer graphic images.

“Is it really that difficult? Something called computer graphics?”

As it happened, there was a computer in the youngest child’s room at home. The screen was definitely color.

That day, as soon as Kim Han-sol got home, he handed a newspaper to his younger brother and asked him.

“Can I do this on my home computer?”

“Computer graphics competition? Are you going to enter this, sis? You probably won’t be able to do it.”

“It’s noisy. Can you do it? Can’t you?”

“I can do it.”

“Then teach me just the basics. Quickly.”

“I don’t know either. I haven’t used it much. Here’s the manual, so take a look and try it out.”

My brother, who mostly played games on his MSX2 computer, hardly ever used any other programs.

Instead, my brother showed me the MSX2 computer manual and magazines. The magazines happened to have a section on drawing on the computer.

Kim Han-sol looked at the magazine and tried to follow along. It wasn’t as easy as he thought.

But she had persistence and focus. When taking pictures, she would hold the heavy camera and wait for a long time until she got the shot she liked.

Kim Han-sol, who was trying to follow along, started drawing the picture by roughly drawing the outline and adding dots one by one when things didn’t go as planned.

“When will you finish, Unnie? I have to play a game.”

Kim Han-sol couldn’t hear his younger brother’s whining.

She had just discovered that there was something in the world as wonderful as a photograph.