ADVANCED CONCEPT ART: Reimagining Galaga
Note: This course involves a fictional reimagining of the Galaga IP for educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, Netflix, or Galaga’s official IP owners.
Instructor: David Inscore
Location: BR 205: Computer Lab
Time: Mondays 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
School: Maryland Institute College of Art
Term: Spring 2025
In this course, students will explore the art of reimagining a classic arcade game, Galaga, for a modern audience. Over 14 weeks, students will develop and present their visual remakes of Galaga, transforming it into their choice of a contemporary video game, movie, or TV series. The course will cover character design, environment design, UI/UX, special effects, and more, emphasizing using 3D software for rough underpainting and advanced kitbashing techniques.
Audiences regularly see the rebirth and revision of beloved nostalgia vehicles across all entertainment industries. This occurs across games, film, and TV, and concept artists often play a significant role in that nostalgic reimagining. For this class, we imagine Microsoft and Netflix have partnered with the IP owners of the beloved classic sci-fi arcade game Galaga. A full-on Galaga IP revamp is slated for a 2027/2028 release. The revamp will include video game sequels across all game types (shooter, RPG, RTS, Flight Sim, MOBA, side scroller, casual mobile, etc.) and movie and TV series releases by Netflix. Microsoft and Netflix have tasked their respective creative departments with exploring how they can transform Galaga from a beloved classic arcade title into a modern-day cross-platform media juggernaut.
Students will assume a key role in their choice of concept art teams—either Netflix or Microsoft. If they choose Microsoft, they'll select the type of video game genre they'll focus on. If they prefer Netflix, they'll decide between TV/Movie and animated vs. live-action.
Galaga is a unique IP with a lot of built-in interest and fans. Though the 1981 pixelated graphics are dated, it offers almost a complete "blank canvas" playground, other than being firmly rooted in sci-fi.