Miao Liu

My interest in game development stems from my childhood passion. My father gifted me a Nintendo Famicom for my birthday, sparking my fascination with games like Super Mario, Contra, and Tank Battle. This interest deepened as my parents recognized my talent for drawing and enrolled me in art classes. Before university, I planned to enter game development, but since China had no game development programs then, I chose sculpture. My university courses laid a strong foundation for my current work. I taught myself 3D modeling software during my studies and focused on 3D game character design for my graduation project. After graduating, I quickly secured a job at a game development company as a 3D character artist.

I started as a 3D character modeler and eventually became a 3D specialist. The most crucial trait for success in this field is aesthetic judgment, which takes time to develop. It requires continuous study and reflection on what makes 3D art exceptional and learning from great 3D artists. Understanding what constitutes a good piece of art is essential to creating quality work.

My previous company, Karma Game, focuses on the international market. The mobile game company specializes in developing and publishing strategy games globally. The CEO, formerly the COO and producer at Kingsgroup, helped create two globally successful strategy mobile games in three years, positioning Funplus as a top overseas game publisher in China. The core team formed in 2015 and has generated over a billion dollars in annual revenue.

As a gamer rather than a capitalist, my criteria for a great game are straightforward: it must be fun. A good game provides enjoyment and allows players to immerse themselves in its world for extended periods. This is the core appeal of video games as the ninth art form. While games comprise various elements like art, music, story, levels, and metrics, as a 3D artist, I am most drawn to a game's visual art. Attractive visuals are my primary motivation to pay for a game. A great game must offer a visually pleasing experience, which is what I strive to achieve as a game developer.

We specialize in strategy and role-playing games (RPGs) that embrace the latest trends in the gaming industry. We are committed to innovation and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. In our RPGs, we focus on storytelling and character development. We create intricate narratives and compelling character arcs, crafting immersive worlds filled with unique lore, memorable characters, and detailed environments. Our games offer customizable character options, allowing players to shape their own experiences and engage deeply with the game world.

In Merger Legion, many characters are based on real historical figures, whose backgrounds can be found in historical books or myths. This restricts my creative freedom to some extent, but I dislike monotonous, conventional designs. Therefore, I emphasize and amplify each character's distinct traits to increase their recognizability while adding intriguing details. This approach ensures players can easily identify the hero while finding the design engaging. Under the cartoon art style, I refine and exaggerate the characters' silhouettes, iterating through multiple versions to achieve the final design.

Winning this award is a great honor and encouragement for me. Since I have left my previous team and am now a freelance 3D artist, this recognition significantly boosts my exposure and attracts high-quality clients. It also opens up more potential job opportunities.

An award for a good game would enhance the reputation and well-known status of a company so that the company gets more recognized within the gaming industry. More players and partners would be interested in such recognition and new opportunities to collaborate and grow with the company. It further shows the quality and innovation that the company brings, making it even more attractive for audiences, both existing and new. Karma Game has aspired to the international market. Winning in the NYX Game Awards will significantly enhance our efforts in market exploration. Such a prestigious recognition will help our reputation, draw potential collaborators, and open up new opportunities for growth and expansion in the world gaming industry.

Each game has its unique art style, and establishing and unifying this style is the biggest challenge in game art. Sometimes individual elements like characters, buildings, or props look good independently but appear inconsistent when integrated into the game engine. Resolving this requires thorough refinement and communication with the team, leading to longer development cycles and higher costs. Additionally, we must consider market acceptance, which directly impacts the cost of market entry. A more accepted art style often results in lower marketing costs. However, an artist's preferred style may not always resonate with the market, necessitating a balance.

China's rich and profound culture and long history offer unique artistic inspiration. Chinese ink painting, with its distinct style, and ancient religious art, such as Buddhist and Taoist sculptures and murals, have significantly influenced my work. During university, I studied many exquisite Buddhist sculptures and murals and often visited historical temples and museums. These experiences have subtly shaped my artistic creations. I highly recommend visiting the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China, for anyone interested in art.

The trend that excites me most is the growing popularity of cross-platform games among developers and players. Companies are increasingly focused on enabling games to run seamlessly on different platforms and devices, such as mobile, PC, and console. Cloud gaming, a new form of gaming, is also becoming more widespread. It allows players to stream games without needing high-performance hardware, making gaming more accessible. This trend demands higher quality in game art.

I recommend the art-sharing platform cara.app for game artists. Cara protects artists' images from being used for AI training and only allows clearly labeled AI content, providing a relatively safe environment for creativity. Its main features include social networking functions, enabling users to share art, memes, and personal thoughts. The interface combines elements of Twitter and Instagram, making it user-friendly. It supports both mobile apps and browser access and is free to use.

The application of AI technology in the gaming industry will be the biggest transformation. AI is changing how games are developed and continually driving innovation and growth in the sector. From content generation to player experience optimization and automated testing, AI significantly improves efficiency and user experience. It might lower the technical barriers to game development, making it possible for anyone to create their own games in the future. However, AI-generated content often lacks a human touch, potentially flooding the market with industrialized, soulless games. This deluge of hollow content might only be a temporary phenomenon.

My wife has been the most influential person in my life. She is a lover of theatre and books filled with fantastic ideas. She wholeheartedly supports my work, encouraging me to invest in costly computer hardware and software. Despite the significant expense of buying games, she willingly joins me in playing them. We enjoy discussing the artistic aspects of games from a professional standpoint. While she may not have a formal art education, she has a deep appreciation for art. Our shared interests lead us to frequent visits to art galleries and attend conventions together.

The key to success is passion. Only if you are genuinely interested in the industry will you dedicate time to learning, researching, and sharing knowledge. Continuous improvement will reflect in your work, and creating satisfying pieces will give you a sense of accomplishment, motivating you to keep doing what you love.

As a game developer, it is crucial to play good games. Great games provide nourishment and inspiration, offering a learning and thinking process during enjoyable gameplay. Here are some of my favorite games that have profoundly influenced my artistic creations: "Overwatch," "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Tears of the Kingdom," "Cyberpunk 2077," "Journey," and "Clash Royale."