Middleware textures company or open-source textures?

[blastingcap]

We have middleware physics companies, but why nothing for textures?

It seems wastefully redundant to me to have a bazillion companies trying to make the same types of textures (e.g., trees, grass, metal, etc.). Why not have a middleware texture company specialize in textures so the gamedevs can buy textures wholesale from them and then customize them if they so desire? It would make games cheaper to produce, might improve overall textures quality (specialization at work), and lower the prices for game purchasers.

Or if not a company, how about an open-source project? Sometimes modders make better textures than the companies themselves, so why not pool all the modders' resources together to make a master library of textures?

 

[Zstream]

There are plenty of people who do textures for people but why would you want a game to look like all others? It is cheaper to purchase a few people to make them for yourself.

Either way, there are a ton of open source projects. Here is a nice tool

http://monophyl.com/?p=640

 

[Idontcare]

^ what Z said, its one of the many ways games can be differentiated.

In housing we call them "cookie cutter builds"...nobody wants to pay $50 for Game XYZ in 2011 and while playing it they continually get a dejavu feeling that they are playing in Game ABC from 2010.

Imagine if you broke up with your girlfriend and started dating another women only that new chick wore EXACTLY the same clothes as your old ex. That would be weird. People don't like weird, not in their FWB's and not in their vid-games.

 

[soccerballtux]

We have middleware physics companies, but why nothing for textures?

It seems wastefully redundant to me to have a bazillion companies trying to make the same types of textures (e.g., trees, grass, metal, etc.). Why not have a middleware texture company specialize in textures so the gamedevs can buy textures wholesale from them and then customize them if they so desire? It would make games cheaper to produce, might improve overall textures quality (specialization at work), and lower the prices for game purchasers.

Or if not a company, how about an open-source project? Sometimes modders make better textures than the companies themselves, so why not pool all the modders' resources together to make a master library of textures?

I think it's more important for AI. Nobody spends good money on good AI. And, in every game you start over with a fresh slate. Gotta reprogram the whole thing.

 

[soccerballtux]

^ what Z said, its one of the many ways games can be differentiated.

In housing we call them "cookie cutter builds"...nobody wants to pay $50 for Game XYZ in 2011 and while playing it they continually get a dejavu feeling that they are playing in Game ABC from 2010.

Imagine if you broke up with your girlfriend and started dating another women only that new chick wore EXACTLY the same clothes as your old ex. That would be weird. People don't like weird, not in their FWB's and not in their vid-games.

EA much?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I think it's more important for AI. Nobody spends good money on good AI. And, in every game you start over with a fresh slate. Gotta reprogram the whole thing.

-Havok is actually starting to push its AI middleware, although it might only deal with crap like pathing and small stuff.

 

[Idontcare]

EA much?

Wasn't trying to say it never happens, was just trying to say why (IMO) it isn't prevelant to the point of becoming a niche with a TAM capable of sustaining a new business segment.

 

[blastingcap]

There are plenty of people who do textures for people but why would you want a game to look like all others? It is cheaper to purchase a few people to make them for yourself.

Either way, there are a ton of open source projects. Here is a nice tool

http://monophyl.com/?p=640

Yeah but you can customize it and stuff, much like Valve customized Havok physics in HL2, etc. And what if we do reach a point where things are photorealistic? Isn't that an objective standard then? Pure gold is always going to look the same no matter what, for example. If you want to add impurities or whatever you can do so, maybe one texture each for 23k, 22k, 21k, 20k, etc. gold.

 

[Gloomy]

Yeah but you can customize it and stuff, much like Valve customized Havok physics in HL2, etc. And what if we do reach a point where things are photorealistic? Isn't that an objective standard then? Pure gold is always going to look the same no matter what, for example. If you want to add impurities or whatever you can do so, maybe one texture each for 23k, 22k, 21k, 20k, etc. gold.

Well now you're just trying to put a price on artistic vision. There's more to art than photo-realism.

 

[blastingcap]

Well now you're just trying to put a price on artistic vision. There's more to art than photo-realism.

I'm talking about textures not other stuff. Non-photorealistic games will have their own place, but that's not what I was thinking.

 

[Gloomy]

I'm talking about textures not other stuff. Non-photorealistic games will have their own place, but that's not what I was thinking.

In that case, I see what you mean. I agree. There's only so many iterations of sand you can have, lol.

 

[soccerballtux]

Wasn't trying to say it never happens, was just trying to say why (IMO) it isn't prevelant to the point of becoming a niche with a TAM capable of sustaining a new business segment.

well you did say "nobody" so i was just saying, apparently all the NFL folk do.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Didn't that happen to one game? The company got sued for re-using an icon or texture or something from some other game? But in fact, they paid for a third-party library of graphics, and apparently so did the other game.

 

[nitromullet]

^ what Z said, its one of the many ways games can be differentiated.

In housing we call them "cookie cutter builds"...nobody wants to pay $50 for Game XYZ in 2011 and while playing it they continually get a dejavu feeling that they are playing in Game ABC from 2010.

Imagine if you broke up with your girlfriend and started dating another women only that new chick wore EXACTLY the same clothes as your old ex. That would be weird. People don't like weird, not in their FWB's and not in their vid-games.

You wouldn't by chance be talking about a girl from New Vegas?