“It’s common for people outside of the digital industry to be completely unaware of what exactly a games artist does,” says the concept artist who has worked on Black and White 2, The Movies: Stunts and Effects and Fable 2 since he joined the UK developer (also part of Microsoft Game Studios) three and a half years ago. “Ironically, I think people are under the impression that the computer does it all. The average reaction I get when I talk to people about being a games artist is, ‘Oh, do you actually have to draw, then?’”
Even some of McCarthy’s family and friends aren’t sure what he does as part of his 9-to-5. “I most commonly get referred to as ‘a computer game designer’ by my family if they’re asked what I do,” he says.
“It’s easy to forget that everything computer generated on a screen has been designed by someone,” McCarthy adds. “Very few people are aware of it, but it’s massively important. The look and feel of the world you are immersed in is very much at the forefront of the experience, even if it’s ultimately the gameplay that decides whether or not it’s enjoyable. I suppose art is one of those things that is only ever noticed when it’s done stunningly well or, unfortunately, when it’s done badly.”
