Do good graphics really matter?

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JoshGod

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Aug 31, 2009
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Graphics are important, not the most important thing, but that does not make them unimportant, i mean if the graphics are poor in quality or design then the game is less immersive. A game were you don't remember/realise you are playing a game because its so immersive is very good game, and that is hard to achieve with bad graphics.
 

maninahat

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They're necessary for some games, where they would be totally unremarkable or unenjoyable otherwise. If the game is of a common setting or genre (FPS, RPG etc.) then normally looks and aesthetic mark it out from the millions of others.

In a RTS though, it is less important.
 

Serenegoose

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Mar 17, 2009
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Graphics matter. But it's not good graphics, it's coherent, clear graphics that matter. If you can easily understand what's going on on the screen, then it's mostly OK. With higher resolutions and more refined UI we generally expect a lot more clarity of information nowadays, and when older games can't provide that, their graphics become obstructive. But look back at sonic 1 on the megadrive. Sure the graphics are simplistic, but they're hardly bad. They build up their own world, they're iconic - but they convey all the info you need, so it doesn't really get in the way.
 

Marik Bentusi

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Aug 20, 2010
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Yes and no, in a way. If "bad graphics" are graphics from 1999, then no. If "bad graphics" means graphics of any age, but with a horrible color palette and just overall ugly or unfunctional design, then yes.
I take you mean the former, so...

personally: No. Homeworld is beautiful. Source Engine is all I want. HL2 looks great and I get >100 fps with it. Physics updates etc are another matter.
public opinion: I don't want to generalize, but... well, look at World of Warcraft.
 

PayneTrayne

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Dec 17, 2009
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They matter just as much as story and gameplay. If you gave me the story and gameplay of say, Alan Wake but it was just single pixel characters, I couldn't play it.

On the other hand if you gave me the graphics of Final Fantasy XIII and the story and gameplay of Final Fantasy XIII, I couldn't play that either.

But seriously, they help.
 

blankedboy

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Feb 7, 2009
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I don't really care for graphics at all. Crash Bandicoot (the first one) is more than enough, and it's definitely possible to overdo the graphics. Look at Crysis where it's damn near impossible to run, or UT3 where you can't see stuff for shit, or Shadow of the Colossus even where the glare turns the entire screen white every now and then.
 

Light 086

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Feb 10, 2011
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Good graphics would certainly make the game more aesthetically appeasing, but it isn't vital. I like dragon age origins (which isn't that old) and the graphics are rather appalling to me.
 

Pyro Paul

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Dec 7, 2007
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they are very important and key to many games, as with out the graphics you are left with just... a series of dice throws and pen marks on a sheet of paper...
 

Hyper-space

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Nov 25, 2008
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Graphics are but a tool, in which the importance of it is situational.

A game such as Kirbys Epic Yarn or Minecraft has no need for super-good graphics. However, for games such as COD or something from the horror genre it can be important, as its the realism that dictates the immersion.
 

BellHooks

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Feb 16, 2011
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I am surprised that people are still making the 2002 assumption that good graphics automatically equal hyper-realistic graphics.

Good graphics are graphics that complement the game.

Minecraft has good graphics.
Super Metroid has good graphics.
Crysis has good graphics.

Good graphics really do matter.

Do you guys see what I'm saying?
 

Mikeyfell

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Aug 24, 2010
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As long as they're not bad enough to interfere with play

High deff graphics just make development more expensive so the design has to be safer so the game has to be worse by definition.

If you look at something like an XBLA game with okay graphics they're usually more fun and less expensive than the design by committee triple A games
 

Arehexes

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warcraft4life said:
Arehexes said:
If a game needs graphics to help (like a horror game) then yes it is important, but some games it doesn't matter as long as it's fun (like megaman battle network)
Huh? Look at Silent Hill 1, Early resident evil games, the first few project zero's, they were horrifying, with ok-ish graphics (PJ0 Were good..) now look at RE5, Dead space, they're better graphics, does that mean they're scarier? Don't make me laugh.
Because they set up a good atmosphere also, I'll give you that Dead Space looks nice but isn't scary but thing of it like this

Dead Space your in a space ship you know was destroyed by monsters while RE1 (if your in my messed up mindset) you feel safe in your mansion...
 

SIXVI06-M

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Jan 7, 2011
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Situational.

Good graphics is great, but not necessary if a really good game doesn't need it to be a really good game. I look for innovation, smooth good game design, immersive play (and you don't need 'realer than real' graphics to achieve this), and some semblance of a learning curve and depth.

Anything else is a bonus - be it really awesome cutscenes, a fantastically pretty game world, etc.

What I worry about is that too much focus, work, effort and time goes into graphics and not nearly enough into the gameplay itself. In which case- I usually say that they should just make an entire movie because the gameplay is so tedious and bland that we could just play the game for the cutscenes and graphics and forget that it was actually a game in the first place.
 

Arehexes

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Jun 27, 2008
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warcraft4life said:
Arehexes said:
warcraft4life said:
Arehexes said:
If a game needs graphics to help (like a horror game) then yes it is important, but some games it doesn't matter as long as it's fun (like megaman battle network)
Huh? Look at Silent Hill 1, Early resident evil games, the first few project zero's, they were horrifying, with ok-ish graphics (PJ0 Were good..) now look at RE5, Dead space, they're better graphics, does that mean they're scarier? Don't make me laugh.
Because they set up a good atmosphere also, I'll give you that Dead Space looks nice but isn't scary but thing of it like this

Dead Space your in a space ship you know was destroyed by monsters while RE1 (if your in my messed up mindset) you feel safe in your mansion...
Uhmm, yeah, but I was saying that graphics shouldn't come in the way of horror, and as of recent the better graphics are worse in the horror department
I kinda blame that with games now a days, a dark room with jump scares isn't really horror.