by Karen Hertzberg on Feb 01, 2008
WoW Art!
In terms of art design, Blizzard's World of Warcraft broke all the
standard rules of the "traditional" MMORPG's. With cartoony graphics
and over-the-top styling, WoW changed the way MMOG designers create the
art in their games. The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game has also
attempted to change a particular art direction by aiming their sites
squarely on how art in TCGs is created. Recently, Cody "Micajah" Bye
had the opportunity to check out an early version of Upper Deck's The
Art of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, a book that compiles
300 images from the WoW TCG. If you enjoy art or collect Warcraft
memorabilia, make sure you check out the write-up!
As you crack open the book, you'll be greeted with
two forewords one
by Sam "Samwise" Didier (senior art director at Blizzard) and the other
by Glenn Rane (art lead for Blizzard's creative-development team) and
an introduction by the art acquisition manager for Upper Deck
Entertainment, Jeremy Cranford. While many people may overlook these
pieces of text in an otherwise art-filled book, I found their
particular viewpoints on "Blizzard quality" and the direction for the
TCG art to be particularly informative. Cranford's "Before and After"
art section was incredibly interesting as it really explained how much
work the Upper Deck employees were willing to put in to insure that the
WoW TCG was a success.