LIGHTING

Lighting styles and techniques should have three main goals. To define where the audience should focus their attention, how they should respond and where the game is set. To light a scene badly is to destroy any chance of immersion or interaction between the viewer and whatever it is that they are viewing. Video games are no different than any other. So much so, that games companies recognise this and hire individuals for the sole purpose of lighting the game environment. Using light as a tool, the player can be made to focus on a certain object or feel a certain emotion at any given time. Light a video game correctly and the player will never become aware of why they feel inclined to walk down a long, dark corridor with a light at the end.


In the last few years, video games have begun to push the boundaries of what the general public thought possible. By being able to incorporate narrative and gameplay together to create big blockbuster titles, development companies have to become intuitive in their design in regards to all aspects of the gaming media. Sound, lighting and visuals all have to be on par with the latest triple-A films as this is what the general gaming community expects. It is with this push that games have had to ‘borrow’ techniques from other mediums.

Lighting a scene in a film to create a sense of dread can be created in the same way within the confines of a video game. With this in mind, a lot of the same components are used.