In 2015, Jo-Mei posted a few GIFs from the game’s production stages showing off its aesthetic direction on Twitter. The art style of the game quickly garnered attention. “We always wanted to make Sea of Solitude in 3D, so I tried to bring this 2D style into a 3D environment,” Geppert explains. That inspiration bled into Sea of Solitude, a fully 3D-rendered adventure developed for the current powerful console generation. My first big inspiration and why I fell in love with comics was Akira,” she says. While its themes are deep and reflect a growing trend in the industry of creating titles focused on mental health, Sea of Solitude is also marked by a beautiful - and, at times, terrifying - art style designed by Geppert, who began her career as a comics artist when she was just 17. “So many people feel lonely and it’s something we’re embarrassed to talk about.” “We always wanted to reach players that have struggled with certain things that we have inside the game and have them not feel as alone anymore,” says Geppert. Throughout the game, Kay fights off corruption infecting the world and her own issues of self-doubt and loneliness. The game centers on a young woman named Kay who traverses a strange world overrun by the sea as she is harassed and harangued by monstrous creatures that question her self-worth and fortitude. “I did the only thing that an artist can do when they’re overwhelmed with emotion and let it out by putting it into their art,” she says. Luckily, Munser was on board and the dual issues of an unhappy work life and stressful romantic relationship provided Geppert with the inspiration for what would eventually become Sea of Solitude. I was afraid I’d destroy my company when I told my co-founder, ‘Please let’s break off the publisher contract and let’s start making some really strange art games that maybe will destroy our company,'” she says with a laugh. “The years went on and I got more and more unhappy because we were developing these commercial games. Professionally, her studio had signed a lucrative publishing deal to create free-to-play games but the projects left Geppert feeling unfulfilled. Geppert began reading up on the subject and through her research learned more about herself, as well. “I started feeling really down because I couldn’t handle the two different men: the very nice one and the one who vanished,” she says. “I didn’t ask more questions because I was just happy he was back.”Įventually, her boyfriend revealed he suffered from clinical depression, a mental disorder with which Geppert had no personal experience. “It was so shocking for me to understand because he’d always come back and say he didn’t feel well and apologize and everything was fine again,” says Geppert. What started as unannounced disappearances lasting a few hours eventually grew into a 14-day absence. That hook presented itself a few months later when Geppert’s new boyfriend would “vanish” for periods without a word to her. You know when things seem so perfect that there is always a hook?” “We were very much in love and talking about marriage and it was almost perfect. “At the beginning, it was the best thing you can imagine,” she says. In 2014, five years after founding her studio with partner Boris Munser, Geppert entered into a new relationship after ending a long-term romance. 'FIFA' Game Franchise Drives Electronic Arts Quarterly Revenue Rise
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |