Why did graphics become so important in gaming?

[J T]

Realistic graphics have traditionally been an easy thing to point at as a sign of pushing the envelope technologically. If it's true that they are more important to people now than before (which, I doubt is really true), then I think that is probably because the photorealism is getting so good that it's pushing games down into the uncanny valley area.

I think that, like the art world, once we achieve photorealism in graphics, then realism will suddenly fall out of style and graphics will emphasize having unique expressive style more than looking like real life. I think realism is only valuable in certain kinds of storylines and isn't appropriate for every game.

[AznKhmerBoi]

i think im already there because i think some ps3 and pc games looks pretty darn real. As more and more games lack art direction rather than just being real... everything now looks like all same to me in terms of next gen games.

Last night playing ffiv on wii, i was blown away by the parrallax scrolling of the mountains in background.


I dont get that feeling when i see the realism of Battlefield 3 or Grand Tourismo 5

I think that, like the art world, once we achieve photorealism in graphics, then realism will suddenly fall out of style and graphics will emphasize having unique expressive style more than looking like real life. I think realism is only valuable in certain kinds of storylines and isn't appropriate for every game.

[Xeogred]

I'd love to see remakes of FFV and maybe some of the other older FF's done in FFIV PSP's style, I loved the new look. It was fresh while still being pretty true to the original art.

[Damm64]

I think better graphics have ALLWAYS been the big selling point in videogames... remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nsBoqJ6s8

or this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM5rYuco ... re=related

I remember this friend i have i talk too him about deus ex, what you can do, the rpg elements, the different ways too get from point A too point B and else. He liked the idea i show him a video on youtube, i ask him "do you want the game" and he say "Nah, i don't like the graphics"... i wanna punch him in the face after that.

[J T]

I think better graphics have ALLWAYS been the big selling point in videogames... remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nsBoqJ6s8

or this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM5rYuco ... re=related

I expected this ad:

[dsheinem]

[Breetai]

I've been wondering why graphics have become such an important factor in gaming nowadays....

...I don't remember this happening with the PS2, GC or Xbox .

How old are you?

It definitely happened with the PS2/GCN/X-Box. It happened with the DC/PS2. It happened with the DC/PS1/N64. It happened with the PS1/Saturn/N64. It happened with the 3DO/Jaguar/32X/Saturn/PS1. It happened with the Genesis/SNES. It happened with the Genesis/TG-16/SNES. It happened with the NES/Genesis/TG-16. It happened with the NES/SMS. It happened with the 2600/7800/NES/SMS. It happened with the Colecovision/2600/5200. It happened with the Intellivision/Colecovision/2600.

Get the picture?

[Opa Opa]

[BoringSupreez]

I've been wondering why graphics have become such an important factor in gaming nowadays. I was watching some YouTube videos of the 360 version of Risen and most of the comment I saw were complaining about the visuals, the same with Rise Of Nightmares, Deadly Premonition and even Crysis 2 , what's going on? I don't remember this happening with the PS2, GC or Xbox .

Uh, there was tons of this during pretty much every generation.

This. It's just that hardly anyone debates the graphics of old games anymore. The type of people who are obsessed with graphics typically aren't retro gamers for that very reason.

I don't remember this happening with the PS2, GC or Xbox .

This means you paid absolutely no attention last gen. There was tons of it, mainly between Microsoft fans of both types and everyone else.

[o.pwuaioc]

I don't remember this happening with the PS2, GC or Xbox .

This means you paid absolutely no attention last gen. There was tons of it, mainly between Microsoft fans of both types and everyone else.

What I think he's saying is that players weren't so quick to dismiss a game that didn't have realistic graphics. I think that's untrue last gen, but I'm not so sure that it was the same few gens prior. Gameplay was the most significant thing in 4th gen, at least that's what I remember about comparing systems and games (especially fighters). I remember graphics being huge during the fifth gen, but none of my friends refused to play a game that had sub-par graphics. Then again, we'd play Dig dug for hours (PS1 Namco compilation - still have that, too!) and GoldenEye was our multiplayer FPS of choice until well into this generation when we switched to Red Faction 2 for XBOX (not 360). So maybe my friends and I were different.