How much do you pay for graphics? (2. try)

[jankoM]

Dxgame opened this question and I think it is very interesting and important - especially for us new indies - but the thread changed into fight between programmers and artists and (sorry, but) it so reminds me of stupid argues between "new kids on the block" and "guns'n'roses" listeners from when I was in primary school. I think the core question "who is more important, needed..?" is totally non-constructive.

Could anybody who has payed for graphics give us others some info on that. I have quite some examles of games that would be really interested how much (aprox.) gfx costed. Here is initial question>>

I recently had a discussion with a 2D artist about doing some graphics for a few retro style projects. I was shocked at the prices I was being quoted. He then said "graphics are more important than the programming". At first I was a little po'd then I realized he was probably right.....

So without naming the project (unless you want to ofcourse) how much did you spend for graphics on a project?

Do you agree graphics are more important than the programming and therefore good graphics are worth the high prices?

Do you think your last game would have sold more if it had better graphics?

Thanks for your feedback.

I would also like to know about prices, as some people have also quoted me heavily. I have however bought model packs online, which werent that expensive, depending on what you class as expensive

WRT graphics making a game. Graphics are what represents your programming, so I guess it plays a very important role in grabbing the user/potential customer. A lot of people judge books by its cover. "Hell, those screenshots look awsome, check the graphics, it must be good".

Obviously I tend to buy games which have a nice polished look, and sadly, yes, it is the graphics/assets/media which portray this. On the other side of the coin, I have played/bought games where the models and or sprites are not of the highest quality, or not even remotely so, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them.

Playing a game is an experience at the end of the day, I am sure that better graphics will punt your work further.

Sadly I have not sold any games yet, so I am not sure of the effect of the standard of graphics on game sales.

At the end of the day, I would think that good looking graphics play an important role. Again, depending on the type of game.

What type of game are you considering ?

.............. http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=3835.

[Hiro_Antagonist]

I'm paying 20% total commission (of all revenue my team brings in) for my game's art and UI design. (2 different people.)

I'm not sure if that's typical or not, but feels very fair for this project.

-Hiro_Antagonist

[Ratboy]

FWIW, when I estimate fees for a project, I start from an average of $280/day with a 2-day minimum. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the project, client, and my current financial condition.

[Olivier]

I'm currently working for about EUR 100/day (~USD 125) . I do not set a minimum time period. If I feel the work can be done in 1 day, then let's go for it. Of course the specs must be enough detailed so I can make an accurate esimate.

[soniCron]

It obviously depends on the medium, but how much work can be done in a day? Examples for a variety of media would be appreaciated. I'm wondering how my progress measures up to that of true professionals!

[Sillysoft]

I have a game in development and will probably end up paying around $2500 to the designer. He is doing all the graphics and also designing the levels for this cost. He has made a bunch of levels for my current game before for free, so I know that he produces very good stuff.

For my first game release I agreed on 15% of profits to the graphics dude (a friend of mine). I payed him this for a while and then bought him out when I continued to improve the game engine without needing more graphics.

Edit to add that this is all 2D graphics.

[DangerCode]

FWIW, when I estimate fees for a project, I start from an average of $280/day with a 2-day minimum. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the project, client, and my current financial condition.

Thanks for the info. I often wondered about the costs of quality work.

BTW, I really like your portfolio. If you don't mind me asking, how many days does it usually you take you to accomplish something like this ?

[Ratboy]

Thanks for the info. I often wondered about the costs of quality work.

BTW, I really like your portfolio. If you don't mind me asking, how many days does it usually you take you to accomplish something like this ?

My pleasure.

Oh, the Bone Cannon goes way, way back... as I recall, it took about a day to create and finalize the character design with the lead artist, then two more days of animation for the firing, falling apart, and projectile gestures. All done using the Hudsonsoft TG16 sprite tool.

For further reference, the vehicles and buildings for Mechcommander (both sprite and 3D realtime) each took about 2 1/2 days, including LODs, damage states, and occasional animations. The 'mech work I do for Wizkids is often 2 or 3 days per 'mech, including rigging and lighting the beauty shot for their marketing department.

[jankoM]

Wow, this is some really great info - Thanks Sysiphus, Robert Cummings and Ratboy!

later: ... and Cris Evans (I don't know when you managed to sneak in front of me )

[Chris Evans]

I usually pay for major assets such as characters and complex 3d models. Then I try to fill in the rest.

You should know your strong and weak points, but I also agree with Robert. You should hone your skills so you can do simple 2D U.I. elements and simple 3D models. Not only is it very satisfying but you also save money. Paying an artist to do all those small little things can quickly add up. When you can do some of the art yourself, you're also able to experiment more freely without worrying about paying an artist for revisions.

As for when I do contract art, I like to give the artist a fairly concrete asset list and then they give me an estimate based on that. I like to pay half up front and the rest upon completion. Any other way usually leads to problems. In the rare occasion when I've had to pay all upfront, they took way too long to deliver the assets and had no sense of urgency since they were already paid. When I've paid everything at the end, I've found some artist are willing to drop the project if it seems too tough or their schedule changes. They haven't received any payment yet, so they don't feel a huge obligation to finish it.

Whereas half upfront and half at the end has always worked for me. The upfront payment shows the artist you're for real, but it also gives them a sense of obligation since you've given them some money already. Also the final payment at the end usually gives them enough motivation to complete the job. As always look for someone who is highly recommended. Also mention to the artist that you know some of their previous clients. It helps give them a litle incentive to continue to uphold their good reputation.

Finally, remember to always negotiate the price. If the quote seems too high try to bring it down to something you're more comfortable with. However be careful not to go too low. If you go too low the artist isn't really going to have a lot of motivation to give his best or maybe even finish the project. Or he might keep putting your project on the backburner when he gets other higher paying projects. Ideally both you and the artist should be happy with the agreed upon rate.