The Video Game Artist Gift Guide: 2019 Edition

End the Decade by gifting some cool new professional (and maybe personal) toys!

Ahh yes, the holidays. Weather you celebrate the Christian tradition of Christmas, the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, the festival of Kwanzaa, or the great capitalist tradition of Black Friday, the Holiday Season is a time for many different peoples of all sorts of different faiths (or not!) to share kindness and love for one another, often though the giving of gifts. That time is rapidly approaching and in one of our more fun, lighthearted articles of the year, the team at GameTextures once again is going to share some gift ideas for the digital artist in your life.

Of course, if you just like to take advantage of holiday deals for yourself that’s perfectly valid too and we’re happy to help with that!

Editors Note: We’re sourcing from Amazon for most images and prices, but you can likely find better deals with some searching or use of smart browser extensions. We are NOT using any sort of affiliate links in this post. There is no guarantee that we have personally tested or used all of the items in the list.

For the Serious Worker

2019 HUION KAMVAS Pro 16 Drawing Tablet: Wacom has been the name when it comes to digital drawing tablets and displays for the last 15 or more years. Wacom products, much like last year’s recommended Intous Pro Medium, are still high quality professional tools. However, our own Keegan Keene recently purchased the Kamvas Pro 16 and loves it. For the price of a Wacom Tablet, he got a 16 inch Pen Display, allowing him to draw, paint, and sculpt more interactively. Huion has upped their game in recent years and is now offering hardware that beats Wacom on features at the same price point. The Kamvas Pro 16 comes highly recommenced. $399

DIY Photogrammetry Kit: Keegan is also the resident Photogrammetry expert at GameTextures, and he was kind enough to share some of his expertise to put together a personal Photogrammetry starter guide. Photogrammetry is the process of capturing real life objects and making them into 3D models and textures. You start by taking a multitude of photos and running those photos though a software like Agisoft Meshshape (formerly PhotoScan). It is the present and future of realistic 3D content, and for artists who want to be on the cutting edge, this is a great place to start.

• Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR: Keegan personally uses a Sony Alpha a68, but it’s become difficult to find. Instead, he recommends the Canon EOS Rebel T7 bundle. It comes with everything you need to start taking quality images. If this camera is too rich for your blood, any fairly high resolution (24 Megapixel range) camera should do. $599

• Color Checker: When capturing reality, it’s important to do your best to have your colors be as accurate as possible. There are plenty of other checkers out there, but the X-Rite CC Classic is what Keegan suggests. $79

The above items are a baseline what you need to get started in the field of Photogrammetry. If you are already experienced or are interested in exploiting the time value of money, Keegan has a few suggestions for an automated home Photoscanning setup.

• Studio Box: Photogrammetry is best done in a controlled environment where the light is uniform and flat across an object. Nothing achieves this quite like being in, well in this case a Studio Box from Amazon Basics. $135

• Photography Turn Table: Keegan has experimented with a number of turntables that stay in sync with various cameras while working to refine his workflow. While theoretically neat, the setup can be a hassle. Manually turning your subject to capture the asset is an option but that would defeat the purpose of an automated home setup. Keegan recommends the ComXim Photography Turntable (or one like it). His suggestion; set the table to rotate at it’s slowest speed and have your camera set to an exposure of 1/400 or something close to it. $90

• Timer: Ideally, your camera has a timer setting in it that will take a picture every 3 seconds. If not, you can use the Pixel Wireless Remote Shutter to manually trigger your camera and have it take photos remotely. There are options for nearly every camera brand, so choose appropriately. $40

Work and Play Alike

MSI Optix MAG24C: Dan, our resident features writer and general editor, was gifted one of these monitors by his wife earlier this year. He loved it so much he replaced his 27 inch display with another one. The Optix MAG 24C is a 24 inch, 1920x1080 display driven by a beautiful VA panel. Without getting into different display technologies, VA panels are a great middle ground between cheaper, but often ugly TN panels and more expensive but more color accurate IPS displays. The MAG 24C also has other features as well, including support for Adaptive Sync (G-Sync works, but with some tinkering), 144hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. It’s possible to find larger variants as well, but anything that is 27 inches or larger should ideally come with a resolution bump to 2560x1440. $249 ($215 of this writing)

Sony WH1000XM3: Dan again likes to mix work and play, and nothing does that better than a solid pair of noise cancelling headphones. Highly reviewed by most tech outlets and loved by both Dan and friends of his, the 1000XM3 over ear headphones do a superb job of drowning out the world while also delivering excellent audio. They come with with a built in mic as well, making them perfect for phone conversations, Slack calls, and even gaming. Just make sure you have Bluetooth turned on (a headphone cable is included). $350

VR Headset (Rift S, Oculus Quest, Valve Index): It’s difficult to blanket recommend a specific VR headset. If you are a developer who likes to tinker, or a VR enthusiast who wants the latest and greatest equipment, there are many options available. This is especially true in 2019, as both Facebook and Valve have released what could be considered 2nd generation versions of their VR Headsets: The Rift S, Quest, and Index. Each headset targets a different market and each headset has some pros and cons. Note we’re not covering Windows Mixed Reality Headsets or Hololens here as there are so many options available. We figure the cross-section of consumers and developers who would see this will be familiar with Oculus and Valve.

• The Oculus Rift S is more of an iteration on the first gen Rift with a moderate resolution bump. However, it uses inside-out tracking, removing the need for sensors. The Rift S costs a modest $399. The Rift S is appropriate for all sorts of VR fans and developers, but compared to the Index it does make trade-offs in the hardware department.
• The Index is from Valve and continues to be the headset with the most horsepower and highest resolution display. It’s also the most expensive at $999 for the full kit, or $799 if you have sensor stations from the previous Vive. The Index is for the hardest of hardcore VR fanatics.
• Unlike the Index and Rift S, the Oculus Quest is an all in one headset, much like the previous Oculus Go but with significantly better controller options thanks to it’s inside-out tracking system and modestly improved hardware. The Quest can be had for $399 (64GB) or $499 (128 GB). The Quest is designed for the mainstream since it’s easy to get in and out of VR, but don’t expect the visual quality of a PC based headset as the Go is built on mobile hardware.

Playtime

Peloton Membership: We primarily focus on games and art here at Gametextures, but keeping yourself physically healthy is just as important as sculpting a badass creature or playing Jedi: Fallen Order. A healthy body goes a long way towards keeping a healthy mind, and a bit of motivation drizzled on top can empower even more. Peloton specializes in their Bike and Tread fitness hardware and Dan personally can speak to how great the bike is. However, the hardware is quite expensive. As an alternative, Peloton offers a digital membership tier for $19.49 a month. With it, you have access to all of their workouts including Spin, Tread, Yoga, Strength Training, and more. You can access it from your phone, so wherever you go, Peloton workouts go with you. No bike, no treadmill, no gym? No problem (although they do help).

Nintendo Switch/Switch Lite: Gaming on to go doesn’t need to be a separate, lesser experience anymore. With the Nintendo Switch, you can game anywhere you choose; sofa, bed, recliner, airplane, and even space. The Switch is a fantastic piece of hardware that is incredibly versatile and the HAC-001(-01) model features extended battery life, making it even more ‘gaming on the go’ friendly. $299

Of course, if you are looking for a strictly portable experience (say you are looking to replace a PSVita), the Switch Lite might be more your speed. Smaller and lighter than the standard Switch, the Lite is laser focused on being an excellent portable console. $199

Displates: Spicing up an office space or bedroom can be as easy as sticking a magnet on a wall. Displates are metal posters that are hung on the wall via a simple magnetic mount. The mount hangs on your wall though an adhesive and it’s remarkably solid. Purchasing a Displate makes for a great way to support artists and the environment, as the company plants a tree for every Displate that is ordered. Displate prices vary.