Graffiti “is a treasured art form,” according to Papo & Yo developer Minority.
When it was first unveiled in 2011, one of Papo & Yo‘s noticeable traits was its unique setting. Taking place in a ‘favela,’ a densely-packed urban city in Latin America, the puzzle platformer about a kid and his giant pink monster’s addiction to poison toads features the distinct stacked architecture and style of favelas found in real life. But developer Minority doesn’t plan to stop there in its quest for authenticity. In fact, because favelas often feature colorful, intricate graffiti, Minority has collaborated with three celebrity Latin American graffiti artists to bring their real-life graffiti directly to the game.
Minority Community Manager Deborah Chantson explained that, while graffiti still carries the stigma of vandalism in North America, graffiti in Latin America “is a treasured art form because of its long history with political messaging.” She elaborates that artists work together with communities and individuals who actually request graffiti art for their area. Bringing it to the game was therefore necessary to emulate an authentic favela, but “there’s a high standard to meet when emulating these works inside the game.”
To that end, Minority has licensed art from Sebastian Navarro, Simon Paulo Arancibia Gutierrez, and Inti Castro, who use the names Charquipunk, La Robot de Madera, and INTI respectively. The art was curated by Pablo Aravena, a documentary filmmaker who specializes in graffiti. Aravena chose the art, which represents a range of styles, to compliment the favela in the game. He further ensured that the favela resembles Valparaiso, Chile, “where subcultures collide into a dynamic tapestry of music, art, food, and personalities.”
You can spot some of the graffiti art in the E3 2012 trailer above, or you can see all the art in the game when it releases August 14, 2012 on PSN.
Source: PlayStation Blog
