All this detail.. to what means?

june gloom on 11/5/2010 at 20:23

What?

SubJeff on 11/5/2010 at 20:56

STP geekfest itt.

down you go

gunsmoke on 11/5/2010 at 21:27

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm 19 years old again? :sly:

Zygoptera on 11/5/2010 at 22:57

Quote Posted by EvaUnit02

What graphical arms race?

The graphical arms race that says that half the comments on any given game tend towards graphics. Games with perfectly serviceable graphics get "slammed" for not having the latest and greatest and you get plenty of people saying that games look like they came from 2007 or whatever, and that definitively influences developers and publishers. Take DAO for example, its graphics aren't great but there's plenty of other stuff more detrimental than that (filler filler filler filler filler filler generic more filler generic combat) but what do Ray and Greg want to fix in it? yep, graphics

And there ain't a whit of doubt that the most labour and time intensive parts of making a AAA game- and the reason why selling well over a million copies isn't enough to break even in some cases- is creating the graphical assets.

It is of course a lot less relevant for indies or more limited release ones.

Ko0K on 12/5/2010 at 03:01

Ideally eye candy should be pursued to the extent where it adds to immersion, but I get this sad feeling that the so-called 'graphical arms race' takes place these days because there happens to be a demand for it. I'm afraid that the gaming scene these days is no country for old gamers. Yeah, I obviously borrowed that phrase...

Enchantermon on 12/5/2010 at 03:35

Again, I wish game designers would focus on the story and gameplay as much as they do on the graphics. I'd rather have an enjoyable, replayable game with an immersive and well-designed plot and good graphics than a game with so-so mechanics and an okay plot and awesome graphics.
Not that I think you can't have the best of both worlds, mind you.

Also..."to what means"? :p

Sulphur on 12/5/2010 at 05:42

Quote Posted by Ko0K

These days? I'm afraid you must have missed gaming since the early 90s onwards, because the so-called 'graphical arms race' has been happening since the time games moved on from EGA to VGA. There's always been a demand for better graphics.

mothra on 12/5/2010 at 10:21

I remember 3dfx and their voodoo card. there was always demand for better graphics. most of the games I love usually have a good balance of ALL elements: design, gameplay, story, sound, graphics. That's what makes them timeless, there is no element that stands out, every system is tuned to all other systems and none of them stand out as superior. Having said that I have no problems with excellent graphics as long as they support a good story and make sense design-wise. And I have no problems with "worse" graphics if it gets balanced out by superior gameplay, atmosphere, story......
I would like developers to put as much care as they can into any aspect of their game without neglecting the other ones. and have the guts to cut things if they hinder other features, e.g. cut multiplayer in favor of a better single player.

faetal on 12/5/2010 at 10:54

Also, you can't assume it's a linear process porportionate to the tools and skills available.
There has always been demand for better graphics sure, but the progress curve of "effort spent vs quality produced" could be getting much steeper as graphical complexity improves (slightly offset against mitigating factors such as engine licensing providing some shortcuts), meaning that more hours need to be spent on achieving today's graphical zenith compared to say, when 3d cards came to the fore, or even when per-pixel lighting became the norm. Could be that the necessary improvements in graphical complexity to be considered "contemporary" follow pseudo Moores Law of GPUs.

Or something.

Eldron on 12/5/2010 at 11:43

Quote Posted by Scott Weiland

Just look at Deus Ex, it's a huuge immersie fantastic atmospheric gameworld and there wasn't so much detail and quite a lot was left for our imagination and it still worked perfectly.

Realize that deus ex was midst in the whole unreal engine era, a big focus was on graphics, as it always has and will be.

Way to make a point.

Besides, where would dwarf fortress be if it wasn't for the detail.