The Evolution of RPG Visuals and the Challenge of Preservation
The evolution of role-playing game (RPG) visuals is a fascinating journey, one that traces back to the late ’90s with iconic titles like Fallout. The clay heads featured in the original Fallout CRPGs, while charming in their own right, have not aged gracefully. Their stiff animations and somewhat doughy faces serve as a reminder of the technological limitations of their time. Yet, they also symbolize a significant milestone in the development of CRPGs, marking a transition from traditional sprites to more complex 3D models.
Tim Cain, co-creator of Fallout, recently shared insights into the origins of these visual assets during a discussion on his YouTube channel. He revealed that despite the game shipping with sprites, the underlying graphics were crafted using advanced 3D modeling software like Maya or Alias. However, the fate of the original source art files remains uncertain. Cain lamented, “Those source art files were huge … they were backed up to DAT tape, but I don’t know what happened to that DAT tape and it doesn’t last that long. They last five or ten years before they start having errors. So, I think that source art is all gone.”
Interestingly, Cain’s own experiences with game preservation have been a mixed bag. While he managed to retain some control over the games his team owned, he faced significant challenges with historic titles like Fallout, particularly due to corporate ownership. This situation highlights a broader issue within the gaming industry regarding the preservation of its history.
For enthusiasts of franchises like Fallout, the potential loss of such iconic art assets is disheartening. The situation is even more precarious for lesser-known games, where the lack of a dedicated fanbase or careless intellectual property (IP) holders poses a greater risk of erasure. Cain expressed his frustration in a recent video, stating, “A lot of companies have lost things. I kind of sounded mad about it, and in a way I am. If you take the authority to keep these things and tell other people not to, and that they have no right to, then you also have to take the responsibility to keep them.” His words resonate with many in the industry who feel that those in power often neglect their duty to preserve the cultural artifacts of gaming history.
