Rushdown Rebrand: Core Values
Hello world! This blog post is a bit different than our usual engineering ones. This time it’s the creative team at Rushdown studios doing the writing and we’re happy to present what we’ve been working on for the past few months.
The visual elements of the brand were already strong, but we still wanted to develop it further. We’re happy with the logo, our RUSHDOWN GREEN™ but we needed art and other design elements to compliment them while increasing the sportiness feel. We wanted something that stuck. Something recognizable. Something with more colors.
A co-developer's IP (or lack there of)
Making this change was especially challenging as a co-development studio. Co-developers work on games with a ton of cool IP, but many don't have any IP of their own. We wanted to change that; we wanted a look that was uniquely ours, with our our characters, that could sit along-side some recognizable gaming titans. In short, we wanted to illustrate characters AS IF we’re making a game.
Rushdown Protocols
Rushdown's core values, renamed to "protocols" (because it sounds cooler) were the guiding aspect for the rebrand. Our protocols are the foundational principles of company, they shape the culture and guide behavior within the organization.
In order to get a strong IP of our own we’d need to create new assets. These assets should accentuate that we are a game company, capturing the fun of working in something you love. There was also the need for them to come from something that is integral to us, something that mattered to the team.
The Planning Phase
The idea was exciting, but there were a lot of decisions to be made before starting. The first question is, what are the main uses of these characters?
- Online Marketing: Both as stand alone poses and as group shots. Meaning they will have to look great by themselves, as well as great as a “team”
- Real World Marketing: We intend to print these for swag, and they need to be distinctive and identifiable as Rushdown characters.
- Office: Reinforce the Rushdown vibe in-office
The Art Direction
Since we still wanted to keep some attributes from the previous vibe, we had to decide which ones specifically.
1. Sporty, dynamic, aggressive movement
We wanted to keep the modern sporty feel. That would be translated in every character as sports sneakers, joggers and overall streetwear clothing. The poses were also important for that reason, we wanted them not to be totally still to convey dynamism.
2. Classic gaming archetypes
We’re all really passionate about games and making them so that was something needed to be shown more vividly in the brand but in the characters as well. To do so each of them would need to have a game archetype or class as a direction and a weapon or magic power of choice.
3. Anonymity
Another important aspect we wanted to emphasize was anonymity. Rushdown is behind a lot of games but as a helping hand that doesn’t necessarily show its face, its face, as we can rarely talk publicly about our games.. The characters had to represent that as well, so they would have their faces at least partially covered.
4. Complimentary Brand Colors
Soon when the concept art was in the first stages we decided that each of them would have their own color. The requirement was that they should all work together, but also compliment our official RUSHDOWN GREEN™ since that wouldn’t change. It should also be in every character as an accent.
The Result
We narrowed it down to five core components: “Own it, Do It”, “Carry Each Other”, “Come to Play”, “One Team, One Dream” and “Embrace The Chaos”. With the protocols defined, we worked to put an (anonymous) face to the words.
Protocol 1: Own it, Do it
A DPS marksman with a hint of magic, using a snake bow as a weapon.
Protocol 2: Carry Each Other
A classic support the helps others stay alive.
Protocol 3: Come to play
A playful Melee DPS character
Protocol 4: One Team, One Dream
A strong melee character that links between the real world and the digital world
Protocol 5: Embrace the Chaos
A dark character that thrives in chaos
So... What's Next?
These protocols, characters, and color schemes are all part of a bigger picture - an expansion to the Rushdown brand. Coming soon, we'll talk about how we adapted this direction to our online and real life presence, and where we plan to take it in the future.
In the meantime you can see some fun character evolution videos on our LinkedIn page.
