`X-core`(John Woo Action Game)Story-01(works 2002)

Sometimes regrets remain while developing games. This XBOX project was one of them in my memory.
This game`s title was X-CORE, But members of this project called the title `John Woo Action`. Because this project collaborated with John Woo who was very famous movie director in the world.
I worked for this project as main environment concept and props designer for the first time.
So I was proud of participating in this project.
But in the winter of 2002, my company which was Digital Dream Studio had to close because of financial difficulty.
Therefore, unfortunately, this project was also dropped at that time.

This game system was similar with Devil May Cry by Capcom and Max payne by Remedy Entertainment.
And the time setting of this game was near future.
Dyaf Which is a secret terrorist organization is situated in a movie studio DMS. So in order to defeat Dyaf, Zygot was established by government.
Alex who is a main character of this game is a member of Zygot. He infiltrated into the movie studio DMS in disguise as an actor for examination of Dyaf`s plot.

This gmae starts on ths base story.
This game consist of five places. Movie studio, church, factory district, grounding aircraft and secret laboratory.
But this project was dropped after making three stage(movie studio, church, secret laboratory)

These are images which drew of the movie studio DMS


 Inside of movie studio

Inside wall

Movie set moving equipment

Ceiling of movie studio

 Main control device

Camera and lighting of future

Forklift of movie studio

As you can see, the graphic form of this game is completely different with `Hammer boy` which is my former project.  I had to adapt a new graphic form. At that time, this was a big challenge. But at this time, I think it became my big asset.

This is 3D data image which was made by co-workers at that time.

'The Hammer Boy' Story-05(works 2001)

Basically, game concept artist role is visualizing formal plans or director`s talks into images through concept artist`s imagination.

And the visualizing`s direction is managed by art director.

So, it is difficult to draw the suitable visual image at a time with the direction of art director.

So, sometimes concept artist has to draw many times with one theme.

Therefore, concept artist has to be open minded about retakes of art director.

I think these images is good examples.

These images are captain`s room of flying ship as cut scene of `The Hammer Boy`

I drew a luxury room at first.

But art director wanted it to be like in the normal room of a ship

Finally, i drew this captain`s room until satisfying art director(top`s work is final confirmed image)

By the way, I remember that captain`s room was very simple case

In order to get three buildings confirmed I had to draw about twenty buildings of `Sleeping city stage`.
But this was a good case. because these three buildings appeared in the game.

These are flying ships and I had to draw also about twenty ships as idea sketch at that time.

But I could not satisfy the art director.

So these flying ship did not appear in the game.

Sometimes, It happens to concept artist in game develop process.

Then, I shall close my story of `The Hammer Boy` while releasing several contents.

This video is funny content which breaking into the captain`s room because of  a collision of other flying ship after Mangchi fell into captain room.

In this video. you can see a sailor pooping.

Like I wrote before, I feel that the quality of drawing is so low after looking at these images which I drew in 2001. So I`m not confident to put these images on this blog. But these have become an important part of my history as concept artist and this game is my first game which I participated. So I am proud of this game.

'The Hammer Boy' Story-04(works 2001)

I am a concept artist and props designer.

But actually i don`t know if How it works as distinguished `concept art`,`props design`,`building design` and `level design` in game development company of other countries.

In South Korea, it usually is not distinctly distinguished this yet.(I think that level design was divided with `game design part` relatively) 

In addition, when I developed `The Hammer Boy` in 2001, the role was more vague among divisions in the game development industry of South Korea than now

So, in 2001, we had to work in various parts.

I used to have a meeting with the art director before making a stage.
But, The art director prepared only one word for the meeting.
For example, "It is a stage that Mangchi had to escape quickly from a dinosaur, well...we are trying to talk about this stage." " What is your idea?"
And then i had to draw images of level design about the stage after the simple meeting.

Actually, These works were images for level design.

Looking back, I feel that the quality of drawing was so low after looking at this images which I drew in 2001. So I`m not confident to put these images on this blog. But these have become an important part of my history as concept artist.

So i decided to release these drawings without adjusting

I remember that I liked this stage.

Mangchi has to escape quickly from the dinosaur before he becomes the dinosaur`s lunch.

But sadly, this stage was substituted with other concept which is to escape from car in `Sleeping City` stage because of developing time

 But these level designs were adopted in second stage and third stage.

This stage seems like a flight simulation game, but i don`t have screenshots of this stage.

if i take that, i`m going to release that

 Although my original work is a concept designer, I could work as game designer for two years due to these experiences and career.

'The Hammer Boy' Story-03(works 2001)

I want to show my works of `The Hammer Boy` and  I want to introduce the first stage of this game to you.

Like i wrote before, these are works in 2001

So i want you to know, at that time, i had to pursue low Polygon`s Design

Buildings of sleeping(Works 2001, Digital Dream Studio)

This is first stage of `The Hammer Boy` which is called Sleeping City

Mangchi who is a main character of this game runs and jumps between many buildings and he takes items

And sometimes he has to fight with monsters who are soldiers.

 

In South Korea, there is a strict restriction in expression of game.

of course this was back in 2001.

So, a former combat system of this game was to beat direct monsters with a hammer of Mangchi.

But it might be red-flagged.

So, we adjusted combat system by making Manchi hit a ground around of monsters.

Then, the monster is groggy and Mangchi can pass the place safety..

Anyway, finally, he arrives in boss zone.....

These are works Which i designed for a boss zone of first stage 

The Boss stage of Sleeping city(Works 2001,Digita Dream Studio)

To put simply, the user character meets boss of the spider robot on the rooftop of the very tall building That is sloping.

Then the rooftop is going to break down and tumble down on the building.

And then Mangchi who is user character starts to combat with the boss

of course, the part of rooftop keeps going to tumble down on the building until finishing the combat 

 

I remember it was not easy. but this was a very fun stage

'The Hammer Boy' Story-02(works 2001)

The motif of this game was a cartoon by Huh, YoungMan who is very famous cartoonist in South Korea

But you can find differences, if you compare between cartoon`s character with the game.

We had to change the main character design in the game because cartoon`s character seemed like a war orphan.   

The game system of "The Hammer Boy" pursued `Klonoa`s Action and puzzle Which is a famous Game of Namco Japan

The base system seems like an old width scroll game like this. 

Run..Jump! Run..Jump! Jump! and take items

But my game was 3D graphic game. So We offered various game views through camera setting on side, front, back and top

'The Hammer Boy' Story-01(works 2001)

This game is `The Hammer Boy` which is my first game in 2001
I worked for this project as an `environmental concept artist` for an year.
Actually, The Hammer boy was going to release as a form of XBOX and a PC package
But when we were converting data with XBOX version after completing PC package version, my company, `Digital Dream Studio` went under.
Finally, this game was released in 2004 by several other co-workers for PC version(At that time I was working for Grigon Entertainment)
So i want to tell them `Thank you`

ScreenShot of Loading

ScreenShot of Menu

Screen Shot of World Map

This game consist of five stage



This video introduces `The Hammer Boy` in one of the Korean TV Show.  

Interior of Sentinel`s research institute (works 2008)

Magnacarta2 - interior Sentinel`s research institute (Works 2008)

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