Epic: Photo-Realistic Graphics Will Exist Within Ten Years

[Not Lord Atkin]

the player in me doesn't care. The game tech enthousiast in me wants to see it NOW.

Admit it. Even if most of us don't actually care about graphics in our games long as the gameplay is good and even with the distaste for photorealism that's been growing for the last few years as more and more publishers have been abusing the concept and Crytec's been acting as if there was nothing more important in the world than photorealism, it's still bloody interesting. And I sure as hell want to play at least a few photorealistic games.

You can never stop Crytec from being dumb and saying dumb dumb things. Condemning the concept of photorealism in itself, however, is not going to help it. A lack of games striving for photorealism would make cartoony art styles the new status quo.

Diversity is a good thing. That's why I also think that Epic's approach (as in splitting the studio up and working on more projects with different scales and art styles) is a step in the right direction for the studio (Especially now that Cliffy B is gone. Say what you will about his looks, I do not like that man).

 

[rob_simple]

Is it just me thinking a game with photorealistic graphics but without the AI or animation to match would make a really, really good horror game?

Imagine being in a world where everyone looks real but their movements are clunky and occasionally their arm will snap in the wrong direction and they don't speak or act the way they should...I think you could craft a pretty terrifying game out of that.

 

[Leaper]

You can make photorealistic looking games with today's tools. Well, atleast they would somewhat photorealistic in screenshots, but there are many things that completely break down photorealism - mediocre animations, unrealistic response/feedback from the environment etc. Photorealism in games isn't only a bout graphical fidelity, it's about physics, interactions, animations as well.

 

[McFazzer]

I don't want ultra-realistic graphics. Have you seen reality? A lot of it looks like ass. I want cell shaded funtimes please!

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Unfortunately, he also notes that advanced visuals have drawbacks: Animations and believable AI pose unique challenges for a photo-realistic industry, and will require far more time and research to counter than high-quality graphics.

You know, you could ease up a little on obsessively chasing after those high-quality graphics and instead devote more time and research on everything else. Just an idea.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

*sigh* I certainly hope not. Why oh why must we keep striving for uncanny valley instead of just making a good game with interesting visuals. Art style people come on let's see some creativity.

Of course this is Epic they are just like Crytec and David Cage "Polygons Polygons Polygons! Graphics aaahg YES! the Graphics!"

Damn it wish I knew how to post of gif of Jim Cages emotions dance.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

And on related news: Several developpers & publishers whine that all their games flop even though they sell millions, because of their shitty budgets.

Jep. Makes sense. And yesterday we had a thread were someone said it's the gamers fault, that publishers make shitty budgets, because of our demands.

Oh gaming industry, can't you please crash already so we're over with this cesspool of ignorance and incompetence. Thanks a lot.

 

[xPixelatedx]

OH BOY, I can't wait till the barren, brown wastelands of Triple A games look like actual barren, brown wastelands!

After the last gen of games, I no longer care about graphics... if anything I think we should go back to sprites. It would do us a world of good.

 

[Elwolfman]

I hope that one day all games will be so photo-realistic that we are forced to judge a games graphics by how in-sync the lips are.

 

[geizr]

So let's just widen that "Uncanny Valley" into the "Uncanny Vast Expanse of Barren Nothingness" and create the most absolutely highest resolution, super-scenic totally boring and barren of compelling content pile of shit ever made. If I want reality and realism, I wake-up in the morning; I don't pay some game developer $60 to create a fucked-up version of it.

Game developers, please, please, please, stop this hell-bent focus on graphics and start learning how to make an actually interesting game. Any trained monkey can make a highly detailed, pretty picture, but only a true artist and craftsman can actually make something interesting and great, because the artist/craftsman understands that it takes more than just graphics.

I'm not going to deny that great graphics can a good game better, but, it should not be the focus. However, we have long passed the point of the graphics being "good enough" and the focus needs to shift to inventing better ways of constructing the actual GAME aspects of the game, like plot, pacing, puzzle and challenge design, challenge progression, balancing (for competitive games), game-mechanics, control schemes, basic game concept, AI, strategy, appropriate use of multiplayer, appropriate use of social features, and pretty much just about every other long neglected aspect of video game design and construction.

There an especially big gap in understanding how to meld the story of the game with the gameplay, game-mechanics, and pacing of the game in a self-consistent, coherent, and logical manner such the game is able to properly suspend disbelief. Creating realism is not necessary to create suspension of disbelief and, hence, immersion; all that's needed is to create a self-consistent game-world/platform that clearly establishes its rules and abides by them.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Ehem.
No. No it won't exist in the next 10 years.

 

[Souplex]

I'm pretty sure people were saying it was 10 years away 10 years ago.
I'm not sure we'll ever quite get all the way there.

 

[CriticalMiss]

I'd much rather have a game which looks a bit meh but has a great story, music, artstyle, AI or gameplay.

 

[cidbahamut]

I can't wait until the industry shifts its focus to being able to boast about their sweet AI instead of their dumbass graphics. SNES graphics were perfectly serviceable, the improvement of graphics should be a tertiary pursuit behind game design and AI.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Why the fuck would I want this? If I wanted photo-realism I'd just step outside.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Uhm....you guys all realize he's pointing out in this very same set of quotes that Epic realizes that being diverse and focusing on things other than AAA omgphotorealism is the way to go?

Now that you mention it...

"Last generation, most of the company was focused on building Gears of War 3, a massive project," Sweeney explained. "Gears of War 1 was a 60-person project at peak. Gears of War 3 was more than 100-people at peak. Now we're building several games at different scales. <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118590-Epics-Fortnite-May-Require-Always-On-Internet>We're building Fortnite, a PC online game which is a fun, sort of Minecraft meets Left 4 Dead. It's a 35-person team. It's not aiming to beat Call of Duty in terms of graphics. It's more of a Pixar art style and a limited project in scope, just aimed at fun as opposed to massive breakthroughs in scale."

The sad part is, that Fortnite link goes to a article about how Epic might use always online drm for the game which is my problem with Epic lately. They seem to have the "how to make games people want to buy" part down but they still support crap always online and are against used games

I like great looking games but I just hope the next gen will tend towards style over realism because of costs, a few of the next gen trailers seem to indicate that

 

[Olas]

I don't care. Photorealism is a neat end goal unto itself in terms of showing what is possible with rendering, but it won't make games any better.

Besides, I don't think we'll ever reach photorealism anyway. It's not something you can reach, only get progressively closer and closer to but at a smaller and smaller rate. Basically it's an asymptote.

We'll just keep getting closer and closer until nobody cares anymore, which is already starting to happen, and happened to me almost a decade ago.

 

[zerragonoss]

A lot of you people must be looking at a different real life than me because it looks amazing and colorful. It would be rather nice to have in a few games. I mean just imagine photorealistic purple skies and the like. Though I do agree that most studios should just not care till at least 5 years after it becomes possible. The main point I have though is I dont want all studios focusing on any one thing. I want variety, Crytech and Epic can go on pushing realistic graphics. Other companies can make beautiful game of other styles. Than most other companies can just use whatever engine is at hand to focus on the game-play. In an ideal world the specialists will make all game better because their innovations will be adapted by the nonspecialists in future games

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

Amaranth: What's the ETA on games that have solid gameplay mechanic, depth greater than a teaspoon and plots that are equal to or better than those found in porn?

Because those are things I actually give a crap about.

POLYGONS IS EMOTIONS!

They tried that but not enough people bought The Walking Dead for them to consider making it standard practice.

However they bought the hell out of Killzone and Halo.

 

[1Life0Continues]

I think I'll just echo some of the other responses. Get back to me when the AI isn't braindead, and the story is a lot deeper and more complex than "Bad guy over there, kill him."

Graphics in my opinion should be a tertiary concern, after Gameplay and Story. Sure, that will probably hurt the FPS games out there, but quite frankly I could care less. Also, there are FPS games out there that are quite good at telling a story that is deeper than a thimbleful of water...aren't there?

(Also, can someone please explain to me the whole CAPTCHA thing I keep seeing? Forgive my ignorance, but I am very curious.)