Are graphics killing the gaming industry?

[veloper]

Graphics don't matter is a fine sentiment and I don't think great graphics make up for poor gameplay, BUT

if it weren't for graphics whores, the whole hardware industry would fall over and die and take microsoft and professional game developers with it.

 

[AtticusSP]

As long as Wii is the top selling console, graphics isn't the thing killing the gaming industry. Wii needs more games like Mad World. Not super violent, but games with stylish visuals that make up for the fact it's a glorified Gamecube.

 

[DM.]

As long as Wii is the top selling console, graphics isn't the thing killing the gaming industry. Wii needs more games like Mad World. Not super violent, but games with stylish visuals that make up for the fact it's a glorified Gamecube.

Wait a second...

THAT IS THE SMARTEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD ANYONE SAY ABOUT ANYTHING!

 

[Steelfists]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Graphics don't matter is a fine sentiment and I don't think great graphics make up for poor gameplay, BUT

if it weren't for graphics whores, the whole hardware industry would fall over and die and take microsoft and professional game developers with it.

Overstating the case. Hardware companies and Microsoft have plenty of customers who couldn't care less about games at all. Game developers could probably make more stable profits catering to the non graphic whore consumers who buy the majority of games. If they wanted to.

As long as Wii is the top selling console, graphics isn't the thing killing the gaming industry. Wii needs more games like Mad World. Not super violent, but games with stylish visuals that make up for the fact it's a glorified Gamecube.

More games like Mad World? Graphics showcases with limited gameplay that sell like swine flu brand hot dogs in a mosque?

 

[AtticusSP]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

The industry can't be commented on for the laziness of Bethesda.

 

[Steelfists]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

The industry can't be commented on for the laziness of Bethesda.

Bethesda and most other developers are slaves to gaming industry trends.

And the fact is I wouldn't really call it laziness, they had a set amount of time to make the game and they decided to spend a majority of that time on graphics, at the expense of the voice acting and other aspects.

 

[antipunt]

yes...and no

 

[AtticusSP]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

The industry can't be commented on for the laziness of Bethesda.

Bethesda and most other developers are slaves to gaming industry trends.

And the fact is I wouldn't really call it laziness, they had a set amount of time to make the game and they decided to spend a majority of that time on graphics, at the expense of the voice acting and other aspects.

Bethesda doesn't even spend time on graphics. Modders are always fixing those damn things. Graphical bugs are pretty common in vanilla Oblivion and Fallout 3.

 

[veloper]

Graphics don't matter is a fine sentiment and I don't think great graphics make up for poor gameplay, BUT

if it weren't for graphics whores, the whole hardware industry would fall over and die and take microsoft and professional game developers with it.

Overstating the case. Hardware companies and Microsoft have plenty of customers who couldn't care less about games at all. Game developers could probably make more stable profits catering to the non graphic whore consumers who buy the majority of games. If they wanted to.

Most of the non-gamers wouldn't need to upgrade their PCs at all. Companies and organizations into computer aided design or scientific research may want the latest and the greatest, but alot of companies use computers more than 3 years old. And they only upgrade ever so infrequently, because everyone else is doing it and you want your product to stay compatible.

If I weren't a PC gamer, an old pentium III could easily satisfy all my email, internet and word processing needs.
All your average consumer needs better hardware for, is games.

No graphics whores = no consumers upgrading = stagnating market = reduced research and development in the professional market aswell.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Most of the non-gamers wouldn't need to upgrade their PCs at all.

Need doesn't come into it. More people consume because they are consumer whores than graphics whores.

 

[Senvae]

#1- Graphic bugs have existed since we entered the realm of 3D graphics. If anyone owned a Nintendo 64 they will all agree that those bugs are decreasing. Unless all you play are Bioware games.

#2- Wherever there is money, there are people who will want to control it. Video games have been on the rise from Atari to Super Nintendo, and henceforth towards the Playstation 1. It was only a matter of time until the greedy fat cats dug their claws in the business.

#3- If I pay 4-500$ for a console and then fork over 50-70$ per game (and some that require monthly payments for online accounts), they better damn well be pretty.

 

[Steelfists]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

The industry can't be commented on for the laziness of Bethesda.

Bethesda and most other developers are slaves to gaming industry trends.

And the fact is I wouldn't really call it laziness, they had a set amount of time to make the game and they decided to spend a majority of that time on graphics, at the expense of the voice acting and other aspects.

Bethesda doesn't even spend time on graphics. Modders are always fixing those damn things. Graphical bugs are pretty common in vanilla Oblivion and Fallout 3.

Exactly.

They spend more time on making everything shinier, better textures etc and then don't even spend enough time testing everything.

 

[WrongSprite]

Yep, gameboy colour was the golden age of gaming.

 

[AtticusSP]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

The industry can't be commented on for the laziness of Bethesda.

Bethesda and most other developers are slaves to gaming industry trends.

And the fact is I wouldn't really call it laziness, they had a set amount of time to make the game and they decided to spend a majority of that time on graphics, at the expense of the voice acting and other aspects.

Bethesda doesn't even spend time on graphics. Modders are always fixing those damn things. Graphical bugs are pretty common in vanilla Oblivion and Fallout 3.

Exactly.

They spend more time on making everything shinier, better textures etc and then don't even spend enough time testing everything.

But their textures are ugly as hell.
Have you looked at Megatons walls? I can see why texture packs exist for near every location in that game already.

 

[Ghost]

absolutely, and i can't really tell the difference due to my refusal to replace my old cathode ray tube tv's.

and a game needs to be good to be good, not have fancy graphics.

the problem is people think they're not 'hip and with the times' to play a game with sub par graphics, this is probably because they only play games due to peer pressure, and wanting to look cool. if gamers were seen as 'nerdy and weird' like it used to be there wouldn't be such demand for games that are all lustrous and no soul.

 

[Steelfists]

Graphics are good, but it was a bit shit when the NPCs in Oblivion would walk up to each other and say "I sure hope I never see a mud crab" for the one thousandth time in the exact same voice.

The industry can't be commented on for the laziness of Bethesda.

Bethesda and most other developers are slaves to gaming industry trends.

And the fact is I wouldn't really call it laziness, they had a set amount of time to make the game and they decided to spend a majority of that time on graphics, at the expense of the voice acting and other aspects.

Bethesda doesn't even spend time on graphics. Modders are always fixing those damn things. Graphical bugs are pretty common in vanilla Oblivion and Fallout 3.

Exactly.

They spend more time on making everything shinier, better textures etc and then don't even spend enough time testing everything.

But their textures are ugly as hell.
Have you looked at Megatons walls? I can see why texture packs exist for near every location in that game already.

I don't have fallout 3, I was talking about Oblivion.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

Graphics isn't the issue here, it's that damned Chuck Norris.

Don't say that! He's already killed you now.

Anyway, graphics do seem a little bit OTT on the list of things which manufacturers care about, as they take the longest to do, and they are one of the things gamers care about the least.