Small Team, Big Results: The Making of Apex Legends
In this talk I will answer an often asked question, "How does Respawn keep making hits with its smaller team"? The focus will be on how the art department solves this riddle. However, as with most things in game development, it is intertwined with the larger picture of the project. So we will peer behind the scenes into factors that shaped Apex Legends, and what challenges they presented to the art team. We will dive into the strategy behind the art direction and the culture that helped us have a successful launch. Wait, it doesn't end there? Nope, Apex Legends is a "live service" game. Something that Respawn has never done before. I will finish by shedding some light how the Apex Legends team is adapting to these new challenges.
Todd Sue is a veteran video game artist with 16 years experience contributing to some of the most memorable and beloved blockbusters of our time. These include such titles as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and it's sequel Modern Warfare 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater: Underground, Titanfall (Lead Environment Artist) and its critically acclaimed follow-up Titanfall 2 (Environment Art Director). Most recently Todd was the Art Director for Respawn's meteoric success, Apex Legends. Todd's early passions were architecture and video games. His career path as an environmental artists became clear when he realized he could make architecture without the constraints of physics and building codes, all while being surrounded by like minded gamers. As Art Director, Todd encourages his artists to think as "game developers first", pushing for art that both looks and PLAYS awesome.
