Two Fedoras

Here’s a great little article from Andrew Webster of Ars Technica discussing the topic of pixel art. More precisely, its an article discussing the possible reasons why we like pixel art. Along for the ride are some pretty noteworthy pixel artists and developers to share their insight into the blocky world: Adam Atomic, Army of Trolls, and Richard Grillotti and Miles Tilmann of Pixeljam Games. Me personally? I think pixel art rocks because you can have gyrating weaselman pictures and only a handful of people think you’re insane.

In an age where high-definition visuals dominate the gaming landscape and the onslaught of 3D is just over the horizon, the simple pixel has been surprisingly enduring. Originally born out of necessity—because games were incapable of rendering more detailed graphics—manipulating pixels has since become an art form in its own right. So why do many developers, artists, and gamers prefer pixels when more realistic, detailed art styles are available? Is it simply a matter of nostalgia, or is there something inherently appealing about pixel art?

Read the rest over at Ars.