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Maybe the reason that I'm so philosophical about the new coats is that Morgans are my main interest and they have never looked even vaguely like the breed standard. So I've never been very happy with the coat and use GAs liberally.
I'm sure that Howrse could require graphics that resemble breed standards from the artists, but they may be worried about copyright issues. Or hoping to stimulate GA sales.
I don't think there is anything wrong about pointing out the shortcomings of game graphics. This is a business staffed by professionals, not a school competition. Would you be so protective of bankers or auto manufacturers? Artists don't get a free pass. Professional graphic artists put their product out there just like any other professional. Would you not have criticized Windows Vista because the software engineers would feel bad? Would you not have done everything to get rid of it as fast as possible?
Civility is important, but that does not mean that you do not criticize. It means you don't call people names or personally insult them. Criticizing the graphics is not a personal insult, however uncomfortable it makes the artist.
It is relatively easy to obtain licenses to use copyrighted material legally, especially in the digital age. The royalties or licensing fees for many images are much more affordable than you think, since the stock image market (not to be confused with the stock market
) has been flooded for years. Many have been released into the public domain or given a creative commons license that allows commercial use without expectation of monetary compensation. If you look around at books, magazines, newspapers, stationary, clothing and gift items, professional blogs, and more, you'll notice that copyrighted images are used legally all the time. So, copyright may come into play with the new graphics, but I think other factors may have a stronger role in Owlient's decisions.
I would not be surprised if brand was their first consideration. Brand is the overall look and impression of a product, service, company, etc. A highly marketable brand is unique, recognizable, and consistent. Branding may be as simple as sticking a logo on something, but it can also consist of a specific color scheme (yellow and green at Howrse), font, and stylized graphics. I suspect that the new horse graphics are stylized in order to create a more consistent, unique, and recognizable brand. Yes, totally realistic graphics would have made many of us swoon, but it would also have looked too generic from a marketing perspective. Stylized graphics may also allow them to trademark their brand and make it easier to defend it. It is much more difficult to trademark realism and defend it. The risk is that it can be challenging to satisfy the masses with stylized graphics, especially when many vocal people are calling for realism.
I do not doubt that Golden Apples and other special coats influenced decisions, too. Pretty base horses are pretty, but they don't generate a profit for Owlient. Golden Apples and special coats do.
Yes, I am disappointed with some of the V4 graphics and I am head over heels for others. I'll say no more about the ones I don't like, but please forgive me if I drool in public over the ones that I love.
) has been flooded for years. Many have been released into the public domain or given a creative commons license that allows commercial use without expectation of monetary compensation. If you look around at books, magazines, newspapers, stationary, clothing and gift items, professional blogs, and more, you'll notice that copyrighted images are used legally all the time. So, copyright may come into play with the new graphics, but I think other factors may have a stronger role in Owlient's decisions. 