Xbox Dynamic Backgrounds
Working with an engineer at Xbox, I was tasked with helping to streamline and grow the dynamic background library; both to create net new Dynamic Backgrounds, but also to work with game studios on adding motion and effects to their artwork. This was all created with Xbox’s proprietary software, that had some wild limitations to keep the console power usage low, (both in number of moving parts and how limited you were in assets.) It was a fun challenge to make the range of backgrounds that would appease different types of players.
20th Anniversary Theme
The first background I made that, outside of the logo, was created completely from scratch. Xbox was releasing a 20th Anniversary controller, and needed to pair a Dynamic Background with it. I wanted to return to the weird original Xbox feeling of you being inside the machine itself, while pairing that feeling with the thin green lines that you see in the newer Xbox headsets and controllers.
The Starfield Controller Theme
The last theme I made at Xbox, this was actually co-created with the hardware team at Xbox AND at my next job, (Tactile Inc.) A fun exercise working with those two departments as well as Bethesda to make sure we executed their star map design as well as possible on console, adding in motion to what was generally a static object.
While visually this seems like a simple background, the limitations of the software, (up to 8 unique layers that can’t total more than half of a 1920x1080,) meant that the easiest way to achieve the moving lines effect was to rotate an alpha mask pattern that I would describe as “way too many sticks,” over the lines, rather than trying to animate each line individually. This required several rounds of back and forth with the engineers at Xbox. The rest of the layers were used for the stars and very subtle shifting cloud effects in the background.
Stellar Shift Theme
This was the first color shift controller that Xbox wanted to test with a dynamic background bundled in. Here I worked with Xbox engineering and the designers at Tactile to arrive at a theme and narrative that felt like it would naturally pair with the color shift elements of the controller. The nebula borrows a lot of color values directly from the controller itself.
The creation of this theme went through a LOT of iteration in a short amount of time. Not only in Blender, experimenting with different nebula-esc clouds, but also in the Dynamic Background software, trying to find ways to add non linear motion that would repeat without looking like all elements were moving at the same rate or direction within the limits of the software.
“The Original”
Before the Dynamic Background software was created, I was asked to make a north-star image that would be used in the PC Xbox app for user profiles, but to also help the engineers have a goal to hit when working on the procedural blob. This as then created whole cloth by the engineering department while my boss Orvar and I provided feedback on how it should move and behave.
For some reason during this one, the original Xbox logo got misplaced and couldn’t be tracked down, so I also had to remake the OG logo from scratch, a fun challenge. There were lots of minor iterations on the blob as well, looking at the original Xbox UI as inspiration. I also ended up completely remaking the sphere grid that comprised the background.
Xbox 360 Theme
Subtle was the name of the game with many of these. We wanted to add small motions that didn’t detract from the UI elements, and would create a relaxing environment you wouldn’t mind seeing for hours on end. The Xbox 360 design has a special place in my heart, so I wanted to return to the circles that were integral to the design. I repurposed a lot of individual assets from old 360 branding, recreating or touching up as needed.
Halo Infinite Theme
I worked with 343 to pick key art before the game release that they’d like to animate as a free Dynamic Background for all users. There was a fair amount of testing and determination on which elements to animate, which lead to the final product. This was also a first round test on introducing other companies to the Dynamic Background software, and teaching them a bit on how to use it, while also gathering their feedback on ways to improve the software and training tools.