There are a number of other issues that need to be considered when dealing with the graphics files required to complete a mobile game.
- Animation for main and alternative character movement
- Orientation of character and obstacles
- Size of characters vs. obstacle and power up images
- Image quality and matching of game supporting screens
- The right skills for the graphics type
- Game icon and screen shots
Animation for main and alternative character movement
The animation for the main and alternative character movements needs to:
- Look realistic depending on the game play and style
- Running, jumping and shooting needs to be believable
- Images need to match same style
- Colours and accessories need to fit the game style
Orientation of character and obstacles
When dealing with the orientation of your game and game style it is important to take the following under consideration:
- Portrait vs. landscape game orientation
- Movement direction vs. direction of obstacle
- Style of image design needs to match rest of game
- Direction of obstacle animation direction
Size of characters vs. obstacle and power up images
The sizes of the your graphic files can be one major cause for the growth of your game size. Not only do you need to watch the resolution width and height and DPI of your images but there are other aspects you need to consider:
- Sizes need to be reduced to reduce overall game size
- Reduce size to allow for more game play
- Size of obstacles needs to match real sizing like cat vs. dog, car vs. bus, etc.
Image quality and matching of game supporting screens
There are many screens that are required to support a working mobile game:
- Main screen
- Character selection screen
- Coin store
- Game play screen
- Pause screen
- Game over screen
- Tutorial screen
- Etc.
When having the graphics for the supporting screens created you want to ensure that the user interface for those screens not only matches the game but it also provides the right look and feel for your game and the game theme.
Part of supporting screens and the user interface that needs to match are the supporting buttons for those supporting screens.
The right skills for the graphics type
In some cases we have found that some designers might be great at creating game characters and obstacles and the related animation but they are not able to create user interface graphics. So sometimes you might need to split up the game graphical design responsibilities.
Game icon and screen shots
Another set of graphics where you might need to assign to a specialist is in the game icon and the supporting screenshots. The game icon and the supporting screen shots are a very important piece of successful mobile games and there is a special skill in understanding how to put them together. Once you find someone who has that needed skill you will want to use them for all your games.
Summary