Are our expectations getting too high?

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Yes, I realize there's probably already a thread out there like this.

Lately, when I'm reading comments on game videos, I see a lot of hate comments. True, this isn't out of the ordinary, but instead of talking about not liking the gameplay, controls, story, etc, people talk about the graphics.

In fact, that's probably the first thing a lot of people say is bad about a game. "Oh, this game is slightly less pretty than another one. It MUST suck."

Remember back in the last generation of consoles when people didn't worry about the graphics? Just about how fun the game was?

So I ask you, has the increase in graphics lead to peoples' expectations being too high?

Also, this is not meant to be a flame war or anything bad. I'm just curious what you all think.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

The graphics are usually what I mention last as a matter of fact. My favourite games usually all have terrible graphics, but I still love them.

 

[badgersprite]

I would rather have last-gen graphics if it left room for the long stories and expansive worlds I used to get on older consoles. I miss being told to 'Insert Disc 2', or disc three or disc four even.

I think the current generation of graphics is actually a serious problem with the gaming industry because it takes so long to animate such high quality images and stop things from bugging that it leaves so little time to create a large world or a long story.

I want my long games back. That's why my favourite genre of games at the moment are RPGs like Oblivion or Fallout, or even Mass Effect. If you actually do everything in the game, there is A LOT there, and I don't even notice the fact that Oblivion or Fallout 3 aren't as pretty as other games, because at least I'm getting that experience.

(By the way, I'm going to be pissed if FFXIII is as short as XII was.)

 

[NeutralDrow]

My first thought when someone mentioned that the Wii had terrible graphics was, "...really?" So no, I don't get it either.

Still, I thought you were talking in a broader context, not just graphics-wise. It seems not like expectations are getting unreasonably high, but that things that fail to meet every one of those expectations are excessively panned.

 

[undeadfly]

People just get used to playing hi end hi definition graphic quality games and forget how much fun they had playing goldeneye 64.
My brother still plays colonization.

 

[thiosk]

Remember back in the last generation of consoles when people didn't worry about the graphics? Just about how fun the game was?

Maybe its because I still have my old generation 1 console in my parent's closet... but when you suggest that people only recently started worrying over graphics... it makes me guess that you are awfully young.

I didn't notice the "graphics first" mentality until the late 90s-- it seems like anything before 1997 was so crude looking already that harping about it seemed silly. Once the PS1 hit, it took over because the games looked much... slicker... than the previous generation, and by the time the PS2 was out, it seemed like the goal was pretty artwork and glorified tutorials.

People just get used to playing hi end hi definition graphic quality games and forget how much fun they had playing goldeneye 64.
My brother still plays colonization.

Well, i still pound through star control 2 periodically as well. However, when was the last time you played goldeneye?

As much as i loved it then, its awfully dated now.

 

[undeadfly]

My first thought when someone mentioned that the Wii had terrible graphics was, "...really?" So no, I don't get it either.

Still, I thought you were talking in a broader context, not just graphics-wise. It seems not like expectations are getting unreasonably high, but that things that fail to meet every one of those expectations are excessively panned.

I dont mind that the wii has less than stellar graphics compared to its competition, but the fact is 95% of the games released for the wii suck balls. Regardless of the graphics. I blame most of that on the controls. I feel the wii remote is poorly designed and very unflexable. Not to mention buggy as hell.

 

[mobsterlobster]

I do wish people wouldn't take bad graphics to mean bad game. I think it makes that person seem shallow. Saying a game with good graphics is better than, say, a mega drive game is like saying Rush Hour 2 is a better movie than Dr Strangelove because it looks nicer.

 

[NeutralDrow]

My first thought when someone mentioned that the Wii had terrible graphics was, "...really?" So no, I don't get it either.

Still, I thought you were talking in a broader context, not just graphics-wise. It seems not like expectations are getting unreasonably high, but that things that fail to meet every one of those expectations are excessively panned.

I dont mind that the wii has less than stellar graphics compared to its competition, but the fact is 95% of the games released for the wii suck balls. Regardless of the graphics. I blame most of that on the controls. I feel the wii remote is poorly designed and very unflexable. Not to mention buggy as hell.

I feel lucky, then. I've never had problems with the wiimote, and find that 5% to be pure gold.

 

[TrailerDrake]

It's what I call "American Gamer Syndrome"... Notice that in America, the X-Box is the most popular console with gamers, PS3 in the middle, and the Wii last. The Wii is last typically because it looks cutesy and the graphics are not as good. Well in Japan, the Wii is the most popular console because I believe they prefer gameplay over graphics. This is my biased opinion, but for most American gamers it's all about first person shooters, racing, and sports games which to me are the same game under different titles and slightly different gameplay mechanics. Nintendo games are known for being simple "pick up and play" games which worked pretty damn well in the past. I don't care how bad the graphics on a game are, calling a game bad because of the graphics is like saying Megaman was horrible because everything was just a bunch of squares.

 

[Pifflestick]

If the story is good, the characters are memorable, and the gameplay is fun then I don't really give a damn about the graphics. Graphics are more of a treat, like having a cookie while reading a book.

 

[undeadfly]

My first thought when someone mentioned that the Wii had terrible graphics was, "...really?" So no, I don't get it either.

Still, I thought you were talking in a broader context, not just graphics-wise. It seems not like expectations are getting unreasonably high, but that things that fail to meet every one of those expectations are excessively panned.

I dont mind that the wii has less than stellar graphics compared to its competition, but the fact is 95% of the games released for the wii suck balls. Regardless of the graphics. I blame most of that on the controls. I feel the wii remote is poorly designed and very unflexable. Not to mention buggy as hell.

I feel lucky, then. I've never had problems with the wiimote, and find that 5% to be pure gold.

Well, its all in the mindset I suppose. I personally dont like most of the wii games, but that may be cause im jaded and love first person shooters the best. My wife loves the wii though and she has admitted to me she loves the retarded games. (her words)

 

[NeutralDrow]

My first thought when someone mentioned that the Wii had terrible graphics was, "...really?" So no, I don't get it either.

Still, I thought you were talking in a broader context, not just graphics-wise. It seems not like expectations are getting unreasonably high, but that things that fail to meet every one of those expectations are excessively panned.

I dont mind that the wii has less than stellar graphics compared to its competition, but the fact is 95% of the games released for the wii suck balls. Regardless of the graphics. I blame most of that on the controls. I feel the wii remote is poorly designed and very unflexable. Not to mention buggy as hell.

I feel lucky, then. I've never had problems with the wiimote, and find that 5% to be pure gold.

Well, its all in the mindset I suppose. I personally dont like most of the wii games, but that may be cause im jaded and love first person shooters the best. My wife loves the wii though and she has admitted to me she loves the retarded games. (her words)

If she considers Boom Blox and Wii Sports to be retarded games, I agree with her on everything but the label.

 

[ccesarano]

Remember back in the last generation of consoles when people didn't worry about the graphics? Just about how fun the game was?

Get your head out of the sand. All I've been hearing since the Super Nintendo versus Sega Genesis were arguments over which had better graphics, and holy crap do you know how amazing this game looks. Yet games are still fun today, even if there are assholes that will knock its graphics first thing.

It's what I call "American Gamer Syndrome"... Notice that in America, the X-Box is the most popular console with gamers, PS3 in the middle, and the Wii last.

So in other words, Americans always go for the console with the best graphics? Wait, that doesn't make sense, as the DS has more fans amongst both "hardcore" and "casual" gamers than the PSP, yet the PSP has better graphics. In fact, isn't the PS3 supposed to have better graphics?

Whoa, hold on, the GameCube and Xbox both technically had better graphics than the PS2, yet the PS2 won out that generation (if you ever need a comparison, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System is beautiful on GC and Xbox but looks ugly as balls on PS2). In fact, the Playstation 1 was only 32-bit with inferior graphics while the N64 was, well, 64-bit with better graphics.

But y'know, a cheap shot at Americans and their clear lack of higher-brain function is clearly the best explanation for anything. We all know that people aren't merely stupid the world over. It's amazing us Americans haven't stabbed all our eyes out with forks yet.

 

[thiosk]

I dont mind that the wii has less than stellar graphics compared to its competition, but the fact is 95% of the games released for the wii suck balls. Regardless of the graphics. I blame most of that on the controls. I feel the wii remote is poorly designed and very unflexable. Not to mention buggy as hell.

Newsflash: most of everything sucks, and is not memorable in the least, and thats a trend that follows every single console.

Shovelware is shoveled, and it has always been so.

 

[Mediteral]

Remember back in the last generation of consoles when people didn't worry about the graphics? Just about how fun the game was?

Get your head out of the sand. All I've been hearing since the Super Nintendo versus Sega Genesis were arguments over which had better graphics, and holy crap do you know how amazing this game looks. Yet games are still fun today, even if there are assholes that will knock its graphics first thing.

It's what I call "American Gamer Syndrome"... Notice that in America, the X-Box is the most popular console with gamers, PS3 in the middle, and the Wii last.

So in other words, Americans always go for the console with the best graphics? Wait, that doesn't make sense, as the DS has more fans amongst both "hardcore" and "casual" gamers than the PSP, yet the PSP has better graphics. In fact, isn't the PS3 supposed to have better graphics?

Whoa, hold on, the GameCube and Xbox both technically had better graphics than the PS2, yet the PS2 won out that generation (if you ever need a comparison, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System is beautiful on GC and Xbox but looks ugly as balls on PS2). In fact, the Playstation 1 was only 32-bit with inferior graphics while the N64 was, well, 64-bit with better graphics.

But y'know, a cheap shot at Americans and their clear lack of higher-brain function is clearly the best explanation for anything. We all know that people aren't merely stupid the world over. It's amazing us Americans haven't stabbed all our eyes out with forks yet.

You sir, win +10 internets.

Sadly though, it seems that all those stupid gamers who go crazy over a game with great graphics but crappy gameplay are the ones getting all the attention...

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

Dude, I'll take gameplay over graphics any day.

Somewhere around here I've got a copy of Dragon Warrior III and I would play it right now if I knew where it was.

Odd thing out, I see more people complain about people who complain about bad graphics than I actually see said graphic loving complainers. I have yet to see more than a rare few people here on the escapist boast about graphics being a main metric for a games quality (hereby afterwards calld the 1st party), yet I see people whining about said 1st party.

it's truly confusing and yet understandable.

 

[PrinceoN]

better graphics should only be praised if they lead to better gameplay (a la being able to see farther so you can shoot farther). however, given the man power and time game companies sometimes have to work on some things, i dont think our expectations have gone to high as far as gameplay or story has gone. its not too much to expect a good story that flows seemlessly with the gameplay to make a good game. however, a lot of developers seem to be worried more about good graphics making the good game, and therefore thats where our expectations fall apart.

i would much rather have a game that looks like super mario that follows a "Douglas Adams" type story line than a game that looks like the best 3D ever but has a "shit for brains" type story