Develop 2011: Concept artist and Darth Maul designer Iain McCaig is “having the most fun” working on Respawn title, despite not being a gamer.
Illustrator and concept artist Iain McCaig, whose past projects include Terminator 2, Secret of Monkey Island, and Star Wars: Episode I, is designing characters for Respawn Entertainment, the studio founded by former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella. Speaking at UK-based games industry conference Develop, McCaig said he is “having the most fun working with Respawn Entertainment right now, but I can’t show you, and I won’t be able to show you, until 2015.”
It was not clear if McCaig was referring to the expiration of a nondisclosure agreement. As of press time, McCaig had not responded to a request for clarification.
McCaig, who designed Darth Maul for The Phantom Menace, said he had been invited by a friend and former student to work on character designs for the Respawn project, about which little is known so far. The studio has multiple ties to the movie concept artist community; Respawn art director Matt Codd similarly draws experience from the art departments of Hollywood blockbusters.
On the topic of games and movies, McCaig said, “The whole entertainment industry is blending into one,” though he admits to not really playing video games, saying: “Somehow computer games just don’t involve me yet. I think as AI improves I’ll get [more involved].” The Respawn project is far from McCaig’s first exposure to video games, though. He has produced art for several games; notably, he worked on lauded 1990 graphic adventure Secret of Monkey Island, drawing 256-colour character portraits with a mouse while waiting to work on Terminator 2.
Besides a staff list that includes Iain McCaig and Matt Codd, there is little known about Respawn’s first project. Respawn.com launched in late June with a blurry piece of art from the game by way of a teaser.
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