Graphic Content: An Interview With Kostas Rossidis, Lead Marketing Graphic Artist

It’s not just about the in-game graphics. Presenting your game well can be all the stands between failure and success.

Hey there! Could you please tell us who you are and what you do at MADFINGER Games?

Hey! I’m Konstantinos Rossidis (Kostas for short), and I am the Lead Marketing Graphic Artist in the studio.

Could you run us through your typical day at work? What are you mostly working on, and what tools do you use?

Coffee comes first. After the first sip, I can sit down, check through my to-do list for the day or week, depending on how much work there is, and start the design process. That usually includes concepting, sketching, and designing the final image, but also research and branding strategies, and so on. The possibilities are endless…

How much input would you say you have on the finished art? Is there a lot of independence involved, or do you have to follow some strict guidelines?

Of course, there are guidelines you have to obey. From brand strategies and guidebooks to the level of quality that you need to reach on every image to be acceptable, and go out to the audience. I was lucky enough, after 3 years in the studio, to earn the trust of the art lead and the CEO to do my own thing without checking in with them about every single image. But of course, when I have doubts about any of my work, I go back and have a discussion about it with the art lead, so we can figure out what may be wrong and how to improve it. Never be too cocky to ask for advice!

Do you have any favorite piece of art that you worked on? Can you tell us something about it?

There are a huge amount of images that I worked on over the years, so I can’t remember them all, but I do enjoy getting a fun brief with a story behind it and trying to figure out how to convey that abstract message through one image. Some good examples are the Shadowgun Legends Adventure Modules or weird events like Unicorn Day. I also thoroughly enjoy the process behind store images and key arts, which are way more detailed and need a lot of knowledge and trial and error behind them to make them succeed.

What made you decide to leave Greece and move to the Czech Republic in the first place? How was it to suddenly work and live in a different country?

Well, at this moment in time, Greece is not (at least in my opinion and line of work) viable for me. I needed something more stable, and the gaming industry is pretty much non-existent there, so I had to leave. Living and working in another country can be a challenge (especially if you are like me and have no clue about the language of the place you are going to), but if you put your head down and are determined, everything will be just fine.

What would you say are the biggest differences between Greece and Czech Republic that you noticed? Are you enjoying your stay here?

The food, man! The Czech Republic has great food. I can’t complain, but Greece and Greek cuisine is on a completely different tier. Oh yeah, I enjoy living here very much. So far, so good!

What about games? Do you have any favorite ones, old and new? What is the most recent game that you finished?

I still play Overwatch from time to time, and GTA V is always fun. Right now, I’m waiting for the next Battlefield to be released, and recently I finished the Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, but I still have to wait for *someone who will not be named to finish it as well so we can move to the sequel… And from time to time, I still enjoy the old sidescrollers when I feel masochistic enough: Ninja Gaiden, Ghost and Goblins, or Castlevania 1 and 4.

And what about your time outside the studio? How do you like to spend it?

Outside the studio, I will mostly relax with friends, have a drink, laugh at a few jokes and overall have a good time. Once every few months, I will maybe go to the shooting range and release some stress, or sometimes I’ll just turn into a couch potato and watch some stuff on Netflix. Jeez, I sound boring…

Thank you for the interview!

Anytime. Cheers!

*Writer’s note: Yeah, it’s me. But the final boss is really hard!