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Quick graphics rant. I want to see if other people share my opinion or not. It seems nowadays "graphics" are the selling point for so many games. When the PS3 fanboys make fun of me for buying my 360 instead of a PS3 because "THE PS3's GRAPHICS ARE BETTER!" or when people whine that if you don't turn the graphics up the whole way on the computer, you aren't really experiencing the game. I have to laugh.

I have this opinion of graphics. There are 3 tiers of graphical quality as of now. They are as follows:

Crap quality 2D graphics: This begins with the first games ever out there up until the real development of 3D graphics. I like these, but they can be a bit annoying at times

Presentable Quality 3D graphics: These start with the first real 3D games and continue on to the highest quality ones that are coming out now. As long as I can clearly see what's going on and the graphics are not muddy, then it doesn't matter to me. I am no more impressed with PS3 than I am with Dreamcast. Gameplay is what matters to me, not how good the shadows are or how believable the reflections are.

Photorealistic graphics: This is the point where I start to care about graphics. This level of quality does not exist yet, but is coming eventually. Once we hit this level all previous forms of graphics will seem meaningless.


Basically.. until we hit photo-realism, I'm sick of developers trying to wow audiences with graphics. 9 times out of 10 they substitute game-play length and quality for snazzy lighting and texturing. (good example is oblivion. They made the game look very pretty, but axed the size of the world drastically) If they can achieve good graphics AND good gameplay/story/length then by all means go ahead. However, the games over the past few years have been pretty to look at indeed, but I don't feel the same excitement when I pick up games anymore. Maybe I'm getting jaded, but there really aren't many games worth buying anymore...

Oh and for the record. I don't like halo, have never played through Halo 2, will never buy halo 3, never plan to buy a ps3, i was a beta tester for world of warcraft back before it was popular and now can't stand to hear about it or see anything related to it, oblivion was a letdown, i don't care about final fantasy, i'm sick of worldwar2 games, battlefield 2142 is overrated, and i still think dreamcast had possibly some of the most enjoyable games ever. so take THAT fanboys of the world!

/endrant

Cereb Daithi wrote:...(good example is oblivion. They made the game look very pretty, but axed the size of the world drastically) If they can achieve good graphics AND good gameplay/story/length then by all means go ahead.

huh?!? Oblivion was pretty and huge. I played that game for hours, left it lay for months, picked it back up and played for hours again and STILL haven't finished the story or the side quests. if/when I do finish it there is an expansion pack out with more quests.

maybe I don't understand the point you're trying to make with the Oblivion reference...

I still haven't picked up Oblivion.... it's one of the few games in recent years though that I have heard has great game play and graphics.

Dave: Your wait till photo-realistic graphics is not going to be long, that is for sure. I fear that once we get to that point though, most games will be "Mature/Adult Only" ones... Too realistic and parents will not like what impression it will give their kids. Just means that the separation between kids games and adult games will get wider with fewer games between.

Sabre wrote:I still haven't picked up Oblivion.... it's one of the few games in recent years though that I have heard has great game play and graphics.

Dave: Your wait till photo-realistic graphics is not going to be long, that is for sure. I fear that once we get to that point though, most games will be "Mature/Adult Only" ones... Too realistic and parents will not like what impression it will give their kids. Just means that the separation between kids games and adult games will get wider with fewer games between.

Or, any video game featuring a weapon or violence of any sort will just be protested until game developers figure that it's just not worth it anymore.

Oblivion in comparison to it's predecessor, Morrowind, is actually much much smaller. The Imperial provence is less than half the size of the islands of Vvardenfel and Solstheim that you explore in Morrowind. The main reason behind the size sacrifice was the graphics and detail that went into the environment. Across Oblivion you see different cities and different governments, but in Morrowind, you literally see different cultures and civilizations. Strolling through an imperial outpost town is vastly different from spending time in a old Dunmer city or nomadic herder camp. Morrowind will always have more of a special place in my heart than Oblivion. (though the improved combat system and physics really did make oblivion rock)

speaking of short games: the c/net review of Heavily Sword says it's an amazing game but it's only 6.5 hours long!