Design of Fixbot: The Evolution of Character Design

Fixbot Sprite

Here’s our humble protagonist. He is Fixbot model no.: 23-972-c. Like most video game protagonists, Fixbot had to be designed by somebody. In our case, he was designed by a group of artists led by a dynamic vision.

As mentioned by Todd, the project began with a “spark.” The spark begins with the team of designers, artists, and programmers all collaborating to craft a gaming experience that is founded upon a compelling story. Right away, the other artists and I began to draw whatever came to mind throughout the meeting. At the beginning, we knew some things were more or less certain: the game would boast a multiplayer co-op and would have something to do with gravity or space. With this vague concept in mind, each of the artists’ initial sketches were wildly diverse.

Fixbot Concepts 1

Fixbot Concepts 2

Fixbot Final Design

You may be able to recognize various elements that were borrowed from the preliminary sketches. Fixbot is equipped here with a hard hat, a modular hand that serves as a repair device and low-power weapon (pew pew!), and a magnetic base which fixbot uses to affix himself to any metal surface in his gravity-less environment. So as you can see, character designs are constantly evolving as the game concept evolves. As such, it is important for an artist to let his mind flow freely. In doing so, a design can evolve naturally and rather effortlessly.

This has been Omni, (otherwise possibly known as hextupleyoodot), and I am an artist.

(Reposted from Fixbot Blog: http://demergostudios.com/fixbot/)