Source: SOCOMBLOG

Guys over at SOCOMBLOG had an interview with Brett Bean, the Environment Artist of SOCOM for the PSP. They discussed about the building of the gameplay environment:

"Small machine, big power, that?s my PSP. I started at Zipper thinking how easy these levels would be to make for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo. The thing is, I started to believe the rumors people were making about this little machine of goodness like, ?you can?t see much on that screen, the levels will be so tiny, it?ll be too easy to make these games.? A couple polygons here, slap a couple of textures there, as Alf would say, ?No problem.? But this isn?t a cell phone or any other unnamed pixilated handheld. It quickly dawned on me that this game could be made to look great and push the envelope of handheld games. I realized all of this as we made our final push to show the world our game at E3.

This being our first venture into the PSP world, we all got what we wanted including polygon counts and texture sizes. Each environment had a designer who wanted everything for their level and I think I even modeled the kitchen sink for Richard. And then came the smack down, what we can actually get away with. Now all the artists needed to prioritize what the gamers would be concentrating on and adjust accordingly. Trust me, making every polygon count, keeping every texture the size of a cheese cracker and still make a compelling and artistic game is hard work. Most CG artists can make a couch with 500 polygons, but try making it look just as good with 150 polygons and one texture that would fit comfortably on the ?ESC? key. I see plenty of demo reels showing houses built with 10,000 polygons, dynamic lighting, and textures the size of a barn door, but that can never work in gaming.

We have huge game restrictions, much tighter than the PS2, and this game is still going to contend with the best, even inside an itty-bitty living space. And now, the cutting and deleting is done and we?re near the homestretch; and on the seventh month, there was light. Derek, another one of our environment artists, is doing a kick job on lighting these levels, giving them character and depth. The lighting coupled with the rolling clouds and running water is making this game just feel alive. Scott, our art lead, did a pimp job of keeping us at these goals; twenty-six levels and only six artists. I?m impressed by all my colleagues that created these visually stunning environments with all of the cutbacks and downsizing we all had to endure. Fitting into memory, keeping detail where it?s needed, and drawing the players where you want them is an artistic talent in itself. The restrictions we?ve faced have always brought out the problem-solving and creative integrity of this team, and that makes me proud to be a Bravo.

Brett Bean
Environment Artist, Zipper Interactive, Inc.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo"