Poll: Do Graphics Really Matter?

[NuclearJonJon]

Yes.

I hate people who go on about how "story being far more important" etc. YES. It is. We all know it is. However, you seem to overlook the extent to which graphics help to immerse you within a game. It's not like you spend all your play time looking at the scenery, but every now and then you realise "damn that looked good". I find it really does contribute a lot to the experience.

Think of good graphics as a subconscious immersion-booster

 

[I Stomp on Kittens]

It matters kind of alot to me because I like to be able to distinguish things

 

[Kinguendo]

I'll repost just for the hell of it. No need to get snippy unpronounceable poster name.

I've been playing games since the original Nintendo, and this has always been my stance. Good graphics are a good thing, but not at the expense of game play. If the ignorant masses think "Oh it's graphics are amazing that totally makes up for it's lack of game design" they're wrong. Blizzards graphics are laughable at, but they have some of the best games in the world.

Crysis had amazing graphics, but was a mediocre shooter. Same thing with Far Cry 2. Graphics should only be used to enhance game play not be game play.

Did... did you just report xmetatr0nx? This will not end well.

*DUCKS FOR COVER*

*Whispers*
Hey, I'm hiding here..
Get your own damn spot! >

Oh no! ARRRRGH! *Runs away with arms flailing*

Spoiler

You just made my day.
Thank you, I needed that.

No problem.

 

[The_Deleted]

I should add I do feel we have been almost spoiled by graphics these days and I do wonder how much further they can go. So yes, graphics do matter, just compare RE1 to RE5 or the first and last MGS releases. I just wish publishers would have faith and a bit more imagination.

 

[Exuberance]

For me, Gameplay > Sound > Graphics.

 

[akmarksman]

Graphics are a nice touch,especially when it comes to explosions and fire..When you blow up a car and the gas tank goes..it can be very pretty.

Knowing that when you fired that weapon,that in fact you did headshot that enemy and you can see the results..that's always nice.

Gears of War 2 being the example.

Call of Duty W@W and Call of Duty 4 do not look as good as their PC versions,yet my computer's processing power is less than that of the 360.
I really noticed that when I transitioned from PC COD4 online adversarial to COD4 360 online adversarial and COD:W@W online adversarial. I miss having that extra bit of graphics finesse

 

[quack35]

Of fucking course they do. We've had this topic so many god damn times.

 

[lava_lamp]

But for my contribution: Graphics don't make a game. This is proven by Final Fantasy 7, one of the most popular RPG's of all time, which is 13 years old and still sold 100,000 copies on PSN within a week.

the only reason it sold that well is nostalgia

 

[Polarix]

I would say that they only matter to the extent of if you can tell what you are looking at and if they interfere with the gameplay or not. For example Mercenaries 2 for the PS2 had horrible graphics where you couldn't even tell what you were looking at and don't load until you drive on the particular part of scenary. So graphics matter but only to a certain degree.

 

[Zand88]

Graphics don't really don't do much for games, and probably is a detriment to it.
I think anyone who has been playing games for a long time notices how when a game moves toward further realism, in graphics and physics, the more and more the gameplay suffers. There hasn't been anything particularly fun or different lately.

BioShock and anything by Valve are pleasant exceptions, though.

 

[McMarbles]

It shouldn't, but unfortunately, it seems like it's ALL that matters these days.

 

[Chipperz]

Does "Fantasy World Dizzy" mean "No, graphics mean nothing"?

 

[Colodomoko]

You could have the best graphics in the world, but without gameplay there is no point to a game.

 

[teutonicman]

As much as gameplay or story.... no. But they definetly do add to the experience.

 

[WorldCritic]

Whenever I look at a game I always look at the gameplay and story, not the graphics. I can only think of one time when I criticized a game for bad graphics: Star Wars The Force Unleashed on the Wii. I know the Wii isn't a graphics powerhouse, but the graphics in that game, mostly for the ships, looked like they had been dragged off the PS1.

 

[Doomdiver]

They matter to some extent to me as I find it much easier to get immersed in a beautiful world. I don't care about this to a point that I won't play a game because of it's graphics.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Regardless how powerful your computer is: take your favorite video game, and turn every alterable video setting to absolute minimum. Play the game for an hour or two. Is it just as fun as with the shininess? More because of less distraction? Less because of visual idiosyncrasies?

 

[Amalith]

for the 12.8, go play DwarfFortess then re post saying sorry.

best... game... ever (kinda).

Graphics are a nice touch, but past a certain point it doesn't matter. (That certain point being good enough that I know what is going on, which changes between types of games) That point is actually fairly low for me, I can't play dwarf fortress without mayday universal, and while not directly related to grapics, I can't play early shooters because of the controls (I'm looking at games like doom and marathon for this. can't stand the early 3d). But otherwise, I really don't care how much better than that it looks. That doesn't mean it's not nice to have the game good looking, it just means I don't care.