Photography is becoming a big part within the creation of games as they are able to use software such as Photogrammetry to create the landscapes within the game. Photogrammetry is the process of taking multiple images of physical objects and using photogrammetry software, such as Autodesk Recap or Agisoft Metashape, to measure the objects and then to create a digital 3D version of the object that is almost 100% accurate to detail.
Some games have used old paintings as photography was used as much when the games may have been set. One example is Rockstar’s game, Red Dead Redemption 2, this game is set during 1899 in the American Midwest, so it was difficult to find high quality images that captured the full beauty of the rural landscapes. As Red Dead Redemption 2 was set in the “Wild West” it was hard for the gaming company, Rockstar, to find images of the scenery. So, the game artists and developers looked at old landscape paintings to build the world of Red Dead Redemption 2. Albert Bierstadt’s artwork was used to help develop the landscapes, with the beauty of his work being very important to Rockstar as it allowed them to gain more inspiration for the game’s surroundings.
Since the connection between sky and landscape was so important to us, we wanted to get away from old methods of atmosphere rendering, where there was a theatrical layering between the world and they sky, and to make it something much more tangible, so the player can almost feel the wind, rain, and mist on their face as they ride across the landscapes. From the gusts of wind blowing through the grassland, to the clouds scudding around the mountain tops casting shadows on the plains below, the atmosphere is a complete inner-connected system. Aaron Garbut. (Gies, 2018)
As well as photography being used to build virtual worlds, paintings could also be used for games set in a different time period. For example, Albert Bierstadt’s oil paintings of Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite National Park were used to help create the landscapes of Red Dead Redemption 2. Players who may have never seen the paintings before could look at the paintings and instantly think of the game, as the beauty of the pair are so similar and the lighting and colours are both quite warm. It’s not the same as a photograph, the atmosphere is different, somewhat softer and has a different beauty altogether.
‘Yellowstone Falls’. Oil paint on Canvas by Albert Bierdstadt
Red Dead Redemption 2, Brandywine Drop. Taken by Megan Elliott.
Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite National Park were used to help create the landscapes of Red Dead Redemption 2. But, people who may have never seen the paintings before and play the Rockstar game, could look at the paintings and instantly think of the game, as the beauty of the pair are so similar and the lighting and colours are both quite warm. It’s not like a photograph, the atmosphere is different, somewhat softer and has a different beauty altogether.
The two paintings I decided to look at is ‘Old Faithful’, (Fig 1) painted in the 1880’s, and ‘Sioux Village near Fort Laramie’, (Fig 3) which was painted in 1859. I chose these two because when I looked at them, I thought I recognised the locations from somewhere. And the different locations in the game Red Dead Redemption 2 almost match the paintings, ‘Cotorra Springs’ (Fig 2) and the ‘Wapiti Reservation’ (Fig 4). Although the image of the Geysers doesn’t really match, I found that the detail in both was what made me quite drawn to them – the steam surrounding the area in both, as well as the blue sky.
The second image however, I thought were quite similar, and it was easy to see where Rockstar got their inspiration from. The painting ‘Sioux Village near Fort Laramie’ and the ‘Wapiti Reservation’ from the game were almost indifferent, the background was the only thing that kept them apart. But, other than that, the colouring, tree types and number of Tipis were extremely close, even the animals are similar in the game while you are free-roaming.
Fig 1. "Old Faithful" Fig 2. "Cortorra Springs"
Fig 3. "Sioux village near Fort Laramie" Fig 4. "Wapiti Reservation"
Fig 5. Fig 6.
I found that this can change the way some people view the paintings, they may not see them as what they were intended to be, but they could see them as part of the game. This is a lot like the photographs used for inspiration of games, people may not see them as the location they were taken in, but as a location they have once explored as a different person, they can see picture the rest of the landscape that was cut out of the picture and make it their own.