MPH Studios - Michael P. Hadwin

I was the Head of Game Development at Rooster Teeth where I managed and directed the games team serving as Art Director and Creative Director for all our products. We shipped several games (digital & tabletop) but my proudest work was on Vicious Circle.

Story synopsis: A rowdy gang of mercenaries take on dirty jobs around the VICIOUS CIRCLE, a massive black hole on the outer rim of space spewing a steady stream of Nuggets; mysterious alien crystals more valuable than your whole planet and everything on it. Like an intergalactic boom-town, the entire region is buzzing with a seedy mix of megacorps, pirates and scoundrels all fighting over the loot.

Painting by Joshua Guglielmo with some extra grunge and color balancing by me. I also created the Vicious Circle logo and branding.

With an extremely tight budget and schedule, I built a talented team of developers and together we shipped an awesome indie game with a truly unique tone and aesthetic.

As Creative Director it was my job to create a “franchise” that could not only work as a game but also expand into an animated series or feature film. I had an absolute blast creating a colorful cast of characters and a vast, gritty world for them to explore. I explored several art direction styles, but eventually landed on a combination of Retro Futurism and Space Age design with inspiration from 50-60s sci-fi pulp comics.

As with any creative production, it is a TEAM effort where everyone has a hand in everyone else’s work. We were an extremely collaborative group always bouncing ideas off each other and trying to find the best idea for the game’s unique design. My voice was in just about every creative decision we made, but I could not have done it without the amazing team that surrounded me. So, before we get to the visual goodies, I'd like to give credit to my amazing art team below. I'm only sharing a small subset of the massive art collection that went into the final product so please go check out their amazing work at the portfolio links below.

Joshua Guglielmo - Senior Concept Artist
http://www.arcanechroma.com/

Markel Milanes – Senior Environment Artist
https://www.artstation.com/markelmilanes

Ramond Torres – Environment Artist
https://www.artstation.com/ramondtorres

Bryan Shannon – Environment Artist
https://www.artstation.com/gula

J.P. Self – Senior Animator
https://www.artstation.com/jpselfanimator

Chase Shields – Senior Animator
http://www.chaseshields.com/

Eddie Munoz – Senior Character Artist
https://www.artstation.com/ed209

Josh Whitmire – Senior Character Artist
https://www.artstation.com/joshwhitmire

Clifton Stokes - VFX Artist
https://www.artstation.com/cliffstokes

Nicholas Silveira – Lead Technical Artist
https://www.artstation.com/nicholas_silveira

Ex-convict from a max security prison holding the galaxy’s worst criminals. Blitz volunteered for an experimental “behavioral correction” program that rewires criminal’s brains using tech implants. It supposedly rehabilitates them into law abiding citizens, but nobody is quite sure if the therapy actually works. Blitz is still a maniacal, adrenaline junkie who dives head first into trouble.

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design by Joshua Guglielmo, pose by Chase Shields, rigging by Nicholas Silveira

The original design for Blitz was way more cyberpunk, but we eventually reworked him to fit within our "retro future" style.

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design by Joshua Guglielmo

Buddy team of one industrial robot (CR45H) and one psychotic plasma demon (BURN). CR45H (female) is a master of electrical engineering and fluent in 600 languages. Burn (male) is the fire in her belly that keeps the machines running. He’s also a maniacal asshole who wants to destroy everything!

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design by Joshua Guglielmo

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, 3D model & texture by Josh Whitmire, paintover by Joshua Guglielmo, pose by JP Self, rigging by Nicholas Silveira

Gung-ho space marine who’s fought in every major war across the five galaxies. He relishes in the most intense combat and is armed to the teeth with all the latest weaponry. He’s always reminiscing about his glory days in the Fourth Intergalactic War or sharing funny stories about his pet cats. He owns a ridiculous number of cats and has a story for each of them.

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design and paintover by Joshua Guglielmo, 3D model & texture Eddie Munoz, pose by Chase Shields, rigging by Nicholas Silveira

A mysterious, alien from the planet Tarisol with innate cloaking abilities that allow her to enter a semi-invisible state. She is lighter than air and traverses the world with grace and beauty. But don’t let her regal elegance fool you. She’s a fierce warrior who harnesses the power of dark matter to fire energy blasts from her four palms. She’s a dangerous force to be reckoned with who is not easily compromised.

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design and paintover by Joshua Guglielmo, 3D model & texture Eddie Munoz, pose by Chase Shields, rigging by Nicholas Silveira

Infamous mercenary known throughout the galaxies for his speed, cunning, and cutthroat strategies. He’s too old and injured from decades of dangerous action, but couldn't resist making a profit off the “dirty work” surrounding the VC. So he takes on odd jobs from the various factions and assembles a crew to match the score. He shuttles the Mercs to and from missions using his trusty dropship the OCELOT. Due to time restraints, he didn't make it into the final product - but he was one of my favorite character designs.

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, concept design by CG Bot, and 3D model by Josh Whitmire

Beauregard McSanders (aka Big Sauce) is the CEO of Biggie’s Fine Foods, an intergalactic fast food empire offering an endless variety of exotic cuisines and savory sauces. Biggie’s public persona is a lovable Colonel Sanders type, but his business partners all know him as a ruthless, backstabbing asshole who’ll cut any corner and cross every line. He hunts the darkest corners of the galaxy for the tastiest alien creatures and brings them back to his base of operations for crossbreeding and frying. From triple-weezy burgers to double-stuffed Nalidongs. You want it, Biggie’s got it!

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design by Joshua Guglielmo

One of Big Sauce's alien experiments gone horribly wrong. What started as a quest to find the perfect chicken wing has turned into a nightmare that's wreaking havoc around the VC.

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design by Joshua Guglielmo

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, 3D model & texture Eddie Munoz, concept design and paintover by Joshua Guglielmo, rigging by Nicholas Silveira

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design and paintover by Joshua Guglielmo, 3D model & texture Eddie Munoz, pose by JP Self, rigging by Nicholas Silveira

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, 3D models and textures by Markel Milanes, Ramond Torres, Bryan Shannon, VFX by Clif Stokes, and tech art/lighting by Nicholas Silveira

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, character model and textures by Josh Whitmire, pose by JP Self, rigging by Nicholas Silveira
Environment models and textures by Markel Milanes, Ramond Torres, Bryan Shannon, VFX by Clif Stokes and tech art/lighting by Nicholas Silveira

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, 3D models and textures by Markel Milanes, Ramond Torres, Bryan Shannon, VFX by Clif Stokes and tech art/lighting by Nicholas Silveira

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, 3D models and textures by Markel Milanes, Ramond Torres, Bryan Shannon, VFX by Clif Stokes and tech art by Nicholas Silveira

A character that (due to time & design restraints) didn't make it into the final product. A wisecracking sidekick that ultimately caused more problems than he solved. But he was a vital resource for opening doors, translating alien languages, and tracking alien threats. He only helped out when he felt like it though. Jerk!

Art Direction by Michael P. Hadwin, Concept Design by Joshua Guglielmo.
Check out the 3D model by Markel Milanes here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/1eb1X

Vicious Circle is an uncooperative multiplayer shooter set in a colorful yet gritty sci-fi universe. Gameplay is fast and frenetic with an emphasis on thwarting other players with dirty tricks at every turn. Be a mercenary and compete for loot, or take on the role of a massive monster and try to kill everything in your path.