Death to Good Graphics!
Shouldn't we all just get over the graphics thing, already?
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Shouldn't we all just get over the graphics thing, already?
Read Full Article
Death to Good Graphics!
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
I'm going to have to agree. Some games are still great and have great graphics.
But some games i feel like the put more time into the graphics rather than the gameplay
(Killzone 2, and Resident Evil 5) *They just happen to be shooters*
But i still play Starcraft.
But some games i feel like the put more time into the graphics rather than the gameplay
(Killzone 2, and Resident Evil 5) *They just happen to be shooters*
But i still play Starcraft.
I will say that good graphics *are* important. I believe games, after all, are a visual spectacle - at least in part.
But I do wholeheartedly agree with the article.
For a small step back visually, you could save millions of dollars to make the game longer, or more fun, or add some more features or simply more dev time to reduce bugs. Win!
But I do wholeheartedly agree with the article.
For a small step back visually, you could save millions of dollars to make the game longer, or more fun, or add some more features or simply more dev time to reduce bugs. Win!
I totally agree with you on everything there, especially the 2004 tech idea.
I have a PC which I tend to play older games on, and it could just about run Doom 3 at a decent graphics level, but really struggles with newer games, to the point where I now need to upgrade to be able to play things at higher detail levels.
There is one example of following your model, and thats Valve. They continued to use the Source engine to bring out a variety of games, to maximise the amounts of people who would be able to play, and therefore maximise the amount of money they can make.
I have a PC which I tend to play older games on, and it could just about run Doom 3 at a decent graphics level, but really struggles with newer games, to the point where I now need to upgrade to be able to play things at higher detail levels.
There is one example of following your model, and thats Valve. They continued to use the Source engine to bring out a variety of games, to maximise the amounts of people who would be able to play, and therefore maximise the amount of money they can make.
If developers push the boundaries of what we can do with graphics now maybe they will be able to accomplish the same thing they do now except make the game a smaller format allowing them to put more in or making a game look good with less time. If you stop developing its never going to get any better, and i mean videogames as a whole.
The first two games that came to mind while I was reading this were Metroid Prime (1 and 2) and Starcraft. They're all great games; Metroid Prime still looks aesthetically pleasing, and Starcraft is still my favorite game of all time.
I couldn't agree more. The games industry is growing stale as a result of pandering to the idiots with the same appreciation for games as a magpie has for bits of foil. Novel gameplay is a thing of the past and instead we get eye-candy. It's the equivalent of buying a Ferrari with a lawnmower engine.
I still hold Valve in high regard for the simple fact that HalfLife ran fine on my clapped out P200 when pretty much all other games released around that time required higher specs.
Good article!
I still hold Valve in high regard for the simple fact that HalfLife ran fine on my clapped out P200 when pretty much all other games released around that time required higher specs.
Good article!
My all time favourite games are interactive fiction, so yeah - graphics aren't everything. For what it's worth, it /does/ look like we've reached that impasse for now, what with us holding onto this generation of consoles for the forseeable future. If you're worried about the PC, just look at Crytek - they have the most powerful, graphically splendorous engine known to man, and yet even they are dedicating themselves to downgrading and optimising for current-gen consoles for the next installment of their engine.
And, of course, seeing as the best-selling games are on the Wii right now, with graphics barely ahead of PS2-level, I imagine more the idea must have crossed more than one person's mind.
That said, graphics can be important. There are games where graphics and art design are almost as much a part of the game or rather the game's experience as the gameplay and fun is. Because, we must remember that not all of playing a game is just all about the 'fun'. The 'fun' is part of the overall experience that we are looking for. In Call of Duty 4, one of the most memorable and breathtaking scenes was the nuclear explosion halfway through, followed by the death of one of the game's protagonists. Was it fun? About as fun as crawling out of a crashed chopper, while bleeding to death can generally be considered fun. Would the scene have worked a generation-older graphics, without the full-screen effects and the atmospheric intensity? Probably yes, but not quite as well.
And, of course, seeing as the best-selling games are on the Wii right now, with graphics barely ahead of PS2-level, I imagine more the idea must have crossed more than one person's mind.
That said, graphics can be important. There are games where graphics and art design are almost as much a part of the game or rather the game's experience as the gameplay and fun is. Because, we must remember that not all of playing a game is just all about the 'fun'. The 'fun' is part of the overall experience that we are looking for. In Call of Duty 4, one of the most memorable and breathtaking scenes was the nuclear explosion halfway through, followed by the death of one of the game's protagonists. Was it fun? About as fun as crawling out of a crashed chopper, while bleeding to death can generally be considered fun. Would the scene have worked a generation-older graphics, without the full-screen effects and the atmospheric intensity? Probably yes, but not quite as well.
The most exciting purchase I've made in many moons was the Ultimate Genesis Collection on 360, because I can play Shining Force again. I'd be perfectly happy parking the tech level for a while if it means gameplay gets deeper. It kind of feels like Bethesda and Bioware are the only ones even trying.
And Starcraft wasn't bad at all, but it'll always take a backseat to MOO2 for me.
And Starcraft wasn't bad at all, but it'll always take a backseat to MOO2 for me.
You're absolutely correct.
PC games don't need great graphics. Take Valve's games for example. Now I'm being as nice as possible when I say this, but by today's standards, most Valve games look like shit. What makes up for it; the Modding community. What makes PC games unique is the fact that they are constantly tweaked by die hard fans.
Plus, if Crysis has taught us anything, having pretty graphics on a PC is expensive.
PC games don't need great graphics. Take Valve's games for example. Now I'm being as nice as possible when I say this, but by today's standards, most Valve games look like shit. What makes up for it; the Modding community. What makes PC games unique is the fact that they are constantly tweaked by die hard fans.
Plus, if Crysis has taught us anything, having pretty graphics on a PC is expensive.
I mention stuff like this to my hardcore PC gaming friends and they always get rather indignant. These are the guys who spend $1000+ on their gaming rigs so they want that investment to be justified by kick-ass looking games.
But these guys represent what, five or ten percent of the PC market? I highly doubt it's more than that. That's just stupid. Why would you make a game for a platform that 90% of the users can't even run?
But these guys represent what, five or ten percent of the PC market? I highly doubt it's more than that. That's just stupid. Why would you make a game for a platform that 90% of the users can't even run?
The power of graphics is not what's important, but I think style can really make a game great (see Okami and Madworld).
I agree with most of what you said. Soon developers will have to start doing what you said because no one will be able to afford to take advantage of bleeding edge technology, since the expense is compounding every software that takes advantage of the bleeding edge will lose money.
I was talking to a young guy who had recently spent a few thousand dollars upgrading his PC to play games. I asked him what he liked to play. He said "I mostly play games for the graphics. So, like, Crysis."
I just stared at him. All I could think was "You spent thousands of dollars... so the games you don't really care about would look a bit better?"
I just stared at him. All I could think was "You spent thousands of dollars... so the games you don't really care about would look a bit better?"