3 Games You Can Earn Money Designing In-Game Cosmetics
One thing you can do to begin familiarizing yourself with the process is becoming a part of Daybreak Game’s Player Studio. There are three games that currently offer a Player Studio which is where players can submit their own creations. Even if you have no experience with 3D modeling, you can download a free trial of 3D Studio Max and start learning how to design cosmetics that other players can buy. This may sound complicated, but it is surprisingly feasible. I spent a couple weeks following YouTube tutorials for how to create basic objects in 3D Studio Max and then began sketching some concepts for cosmetic items I wanted to make. I successfully submitted them to the Player Studio and now I receive a small royalty check in the mail from players buying my items in-game. Here is how you can get started too.
There are three games that offer a Player Studio for creators, they are Planetside 2, Everquest, and Everquest II. Daybreak Games is the developer behind each of these games and they are the pioneers of the Player Studio system.
What, exactly, is the Player Studio?
It is a program that invites players to download sample geometry, learn how in-game assets are made, and submit their own cosmetic items. Daybreak Games will share 40% of everything your items earn in the form of a royalty check.
To get started, choose which of the three games you want to begin developing cosmetics for and become familiar with the art style of the game. That way, anything you build will resemble the look and feel of the game which will make it more likely to be accepted. It is important to note that not everything that gets submitted gets accepted, and you must be over the age of 18 to participate. I submitted three items to the Player Studio and only one was accepted. When I first started out, I chose to design helmets for the Terran Republic faction in Planetside 2.
Once you have an idea of what you want to make, download Autodesk’s 3D Studio Max. This is a 3D modeling program that is an industry standard in both gaming and the film industry. While some studios use in-house software, many use programs such as ZBrush and 3D Studio Max to create video game assets.
There are also open source 3D creation programs such as Blender which don’t cost anything, but I personally found 3D Studio Max to be easier to learn. Learning how to 3D model may seem like a daunting task, but there are hundreds of helpful YouTube tutorials that can get you started.
Once you have downloaded the program you want to use, it’s time to get modeling.
Examples of items that are accepted include helmets, decals, hood ornaments, house decorations, and much more. Make sure you visit the Style Guide before getting started to get an idea of the materials, color usage, silhouettes, and scale used in the game you have chosen. Each game has its own Style Guide that provides examples from the developers so that your items fit within the world they created. Whether its Everquestor Planetside 2, there are virtually unlimited possibilities for items you can design.
Now that you have a place to start, becoming familiar with the programs used in the gaming industry and what is required to get an item accepted is a valuable experience. I learned a lot about the process of designing in-game assets through my own experience with the Player Studio and even earned a little money along the way.
If you are dedicated to what you are doing, there is even the potential to earn a substantial amount of money with the Player Studio. The former president of Daybreak Games, John Smedley, even revealed in an interview that one creator has earned more than $100,000 by selling assets in the Player Studio. If becoming a game designer is something you always wanted to do, learning how to submit items in Player Studio is an awesome place to start. It won’t cost a penny, but it will take some hard work and dedication.
