Thatgamecompany has a distinct process when it comes to creating games, especially in storytelling. Their game Sky: Children of the Light was created with a unique framework in mind, one that starts with a thought-provoking message and philosophy before diving into worldbuilding and story. Join in their discussion on how Sky's Interactive Narrative Design created deeper personal connections among their player fan-base.
Cecil Kim
As Award-winning artist, Cecil was born in Seoul, South Korea and his family immigrated to the US when he was 18. While studying Illustration at Art Center College of Design, he found his passion in creating a huge environment for games. Since then, Cecil has been creating immersive visual worlds for games like Final Fantasy IX and God of War series. In 2011, Cecil received British Academy Game Awards for Best Art Direction on God of War 3. In addition to creative work, he teaches at Otis College of Art and Design and also serves as an advisory board at Gnomon School of Visual FXs.
In 2019, Cecil joined thatgamecompany as an art director in pursuit of making a positive impact on both the game industry and the game audience. Cecil believes games like Sky can bring people together and help them love one another. Compassion and giving are what take us to happiness and he is happy to work with everyone at TGC and guide his students to the right path for the game industry.
Yuichiro Tanabe
With always a pencil in hand, Yuichiro is responsible for crafting concept sketches and prototype scenes that facilitate the unique look of the game Sky: Children of the Light.
He cites Jean Giraud, Akira Toriyama and Hayao Miyazaki among the key artists who have encouraged his joy of drawing and ability to create rich, expansive and believable worlds through art.
Yuichiro grew up in Ecuador with a Japanese family. He believes his multicultural upbringing sparked an interest in using visual communication to create engaging interactive experiences that transcends any language. After finishing his BFA in Interactive Media at The Minneapolis College of Art and Design, he worked as a multimedia artist, animator and interactive designer at Puny Entertainment and MAW before joining thatgamecompany.
