POLYCOUNT STUDIO???

EiGHT

I don't know if this has been spoken about or not but..has anyone attempted to jumpstart a Polycount Studio in the past or has had the thought drop into your mind of one even existing.I've been thinking about it for a while.I feel it would be really amazing to have one started by the PC people, maybe using Kickstarter or some other kind of funding black magic.I'm almost certain that if a bunch of us got together and figured out a business plan or something similar(obviously hasn't researched that aspect yet) we would blow everyones kickstarter wallets way open!

I know this is a Ryan Hawkins move but...this really needs to happen someday.I've never had a studio job so I have no idea how plausible this idea is.

Please share your thoughts on the matter below ^__^.

[HP]

Imo, Polycount is a game art community, and it should stay that way.

Maybe a outsourcing studio with the Polycount name on it, with people freelancing/contributing on a asset-by-asset basis, but that's about it.

Del

Game Art is only about 20% of the package that makes up a studio. Maybe less.

DrunkShaman

There were many people who started their own business of CG Arts from this very website. This website is however like HP said, a game artist community, if it turns in to a PC Studio than PC itself will lose its very purpose.

Through this community I learned alot, and finally got from a noob level to an intermediate level where I can not worry about how things work but practice modeling only. You can form a group through this website, start a Game Studio and represent PC through whatever art you make, or support this website so they can have more people giving live stream lessons to new people or current artists.

I dont know how an outsourcing studio with the PC name on it would work. =\ If you outsource the jobs to other people under PC name on it, isnt that like kicking the profit margin? Since there are going to be many people who will be working on it?o.O

Or maybe it might work, Try creating a simple game with PC members just for fun and sell it under PC's name to see if you can meet gamer's demand.

r_fletch_r

[HP] wrote: »

Imo, Polycount is a game art community, and it should stay that way.

^this.

WarrenM

You thought this over and felt that the best plan was Nazi imagery?

Mongrelman

It should clearly be a penis tank being driven by a cat.

Lazerus Reborn

WarrenMarshall wrote: »

You thought this over and felt that the best plan was Nazi imagery?

Same exact thought here

cholden

Dammit, you ruined our plans with your imagery. We've been set back two years.

ambershee

I'm a programmer, and wouldn't mind working with people from Polycount on projects - however I'm not so sure a 'PolyCount Studio' makes too much sense. Polycount is a community more than anything else as far as I'm concerned; projects ultimately would take place outside of the Polycount community regardless of how you tried to organise them.

fearian

Haha, have you browsed the collaboration forum recently? *dustball rolls by*

dii

A game studio is really hopeless idea here because as others have said already, art is a small portion of the big picture and I don't see why anyone would bother to crowdfund an outsource studio... The typical route for sites like this is to turn it into an educational platform ala conceptart.org/gameartisans.org because that's basically what it's already good at.

I'll be honest though, the thought of paid polycount tutorials and mentorships makes me cringe a bit because I think the fact that polycount doesn't really try to expand or monetize is what sets it apart from other forums and keeps it a community that sees itself as a community, not an anonymous swamp of customers who are all shopping at the same site.

Maybe a outsourcing studio with the Polycount name on it, with people freelancing/contributing on a asset-by-asset basis, but that's about it.

Maybe they could let students pay them for the prestige of working there for free. I hear that's a good business plan.

Stinger88

fearian wrote: »

Haha, have you browsed the collaboration forum recently? *dustball rolls by*

Nevermind that! Us lot can't even get together to create one simple Desktop image made with all our avatars laid out on a grid......

Vio

I don't get the nazi thing, what does a symbol of mass genocide have to do with a CG community?.

rolfness

lol fail

rooster

wtf

Habboi

Us lot can't even get together to create one simple Desktop image made with all our avatars laid out on a grid......

Hah I totally forgot about that.

Xoliul

It's called Blizzard I think.

uncle

Moshi moshi hitler desu let's make studio.

Nah.

mdeforge

What if this wasn't a physical studio, but a virtual one? What if we took out how a studio would harm Polycount, but left in what it would do for it? I would love to walk by each of your cubes and watch you work for a while. I would love to ask questions, have meetings and discussions with, and apply this knowledge towards something (even if it was an individual project). Another thing is, these art tools we use cost a fortune... I virtual studio could provide these tools for us to log in and use, perhaps via a remote connection. I'm just thinking out loud. I guess I like the idea, but dislike how fast we're dismissing it.

Joshua Stubbles

Polycount is a majority of artists so as such, an asset house (like Valkyrie, Glass Egg or Epic China) would be the best bet. Problem is, many of the artists who have the talent are already employed. You'll find it hard-pressed for them to leave fulltime employ to venture off into the unknown. A class-style university like Feng Zhu recently opened, would be awesome to aid new talent, but that is a huuuuge undertaking requiring substantial financial support.

Either way, I think I'm with Helder on this one. A lot of the artists here learned by simply posting work and being critiqued to the point of pushing quality work.

Vio

Joshua Stubbles wrote: »

Polycount is a majority of artists so as such, an asset house (like Valkyrie, Glass Egg or Epic China) would be the best bet. Problem is, many of the artists who have the talent are already employed. You'll find it hard-pressed for them to leave fulltime employ to venture off into the unknown. A class-style university like Feng Zhu recently opened, would be awesome to aid new talent, but that is a huuuuge undertaking requiring substantial financial support.

Either way, I think I'm with Helder on this one. A lot of the artists here learned by simply posting work and being critiqued to the point of pushing quality work.

Too right. I remember in my first year the tutors kept telling us to post our work on PC and then we would look at the tripe on our screens and compare it to the work already on PC and think "oh shit, better get to that level first" Everyone was nervous about getting waves of hazing for school boy errors and how it would effect their pride. Then eventual after a few posts you really get enthused to get better because no one wants to be a bad artist.

These days I crave the criticism, I want more than anything to improve. I'v seen so many people here just seriously go from zero to hero after about 2 years and dam Its inspiring. Now I'm about to graduate I wish I had of known about this site before I went to uni lol.

My uni graduated the artist responsible for the gun slinger and he's like a legend there, but I imagine it might not have happened that easy for him if he hadn't of used polycount for all its worth. So its clearly been very successful for loads of artist, is there really any need to change it?

mdeforge

Problem is, many of the artists who have the talent are already employed.

Then what if this targeted the unemployed or those trying to break in? Being unemployed sucked, and getting laid off sucks even more. It can be depressing. This virtual studio of sorts could be a base for those who need to be retrained, reprogrammed and recuperated. Who ever is in the group at the time can work on individual projects or on a team project with the intent of keeping skills fresh and portfolio items current. That's not to say people can't do this on their own, but having a "community" surround them in their time of need can be a really encouraging thing to have. Especially if we provide the tools for them to get back on their feet and not just sit around in their sorrow.

seforin

Stradigos wrote: »

Then what if this targeted the unemployed or those trying to break in? Being unemployed sucked, and getting laid off sucks even more. It can be depressing. This virtual studio of sorts could be a base for those who need to be retrained, reprogrammed and recuperated. Who ever is in the group at the time can work on individual projects or on a team project with the intent of keeping skills fresh and portfolio items current. That's not to say people can't do this on their own, but having a "community" surround them in their time of need can be a really encouraging thing to have. Especially if we provide the tools for them to get back on their feet and not just sit around in their sorrow.

I wouldnt be against that idea.But the studio itself would need to have members who are full time and have experience in the field. Not ideal hobyist or anything leading said studio (no offense to hobyists or anything but if people who are unemployed looking to be retrained are being trained by people who don't have field experience at one point or another is a little bit of a step back if you think about it) But I would love to see something like this


Minus the Nazi reform 3D party.

Vio

I think something that would be more practical for PC is to somehow have more influence on what they teach at university level.

Here I am with about 4 weeks left at uni and its all rammed with report writing which takes up so much time that would be better spent working on my portfolio. I think you have to do all these reports and dissertations because its all the pomp and ceremony of the long standing academic system. These long reports can impress tutors and external moderators but do they really impress the industry?

At the end of the day people don't go to uni anymore for the title and the academic rituals, they only go to get a good job so therefore everything you do at uni should be focused on what impresses industry employers. That isn't how it is today.

Last year when I got work experience over summer, I had to find it, arrange it and pay for it all myself while those in network security get it all sorted and paid for them as part of their course. As a result I can only say I have 4 days work experience in the industry because its all I could afford staying at the hotel there

Psyk0

Polycount is a free online university, offering a wide range of classes for multiple disciplines (lol cats and penis tanks are a mandatory part of the curriculum), hopefully it stays that way.

BlvdNights

It's a nice pipe dream, but yeah, way too many factors and roadblocks for it to work, let alone make it profitable.

mdeforge

It's a nice pipe dream, but yeah, way too many factors and roadblocks for it to work, let alone make it profitable.

Well phrased. Very true indeed.

Vio

Psyk0 wrote: »

Polycount is a free online university, offering a wide range of classes for multiple disciplines (lol cats and penis tanks are a mandatory part of the curriculum), hopefully it stays that way.

Oh god I hope this famous and notorious penis tank isn't going to become the new poly count logo lol

Don't get ideas admin!

Thegodzero

Psyk0 wrote: »

Polycount is a free online university, offering a wide range of classes for multiple disciplines (lol cats and penis tanks are a mandatory part of the curriculum), hopefully it stays that way.

This!^ No need to make it something other than what its great at.