Poll: How important are graphics in gaming to you?

[Fellwarden]

Graphics are far from the most important thing in games, but they can really help push it even higher. Mass Effect 2 for example, has fantastic graphics. They really helped me immerse even more in the world, and sometimes I would stop for a while just to enjoy the scenery. However, I heard some people complain about Dragon Age: Origin's graphics, but I thought they were great.

 

[Metalsand]

The order is:
1. Gameplay.
2. Sound
3. Good characters
4. Story 4. Graphics.

I agree. Too many devs focus on graphics rather than gameplay because graphics are relatively easier to work on, and people's first impression of a good looking game will be better.

 

[Mr. In-between]

The fact that I rate Adventure of Link in my top ten ought to say something about how much concern I have for graphics.

 

[The Night Shade]

there arent important to me,the game needs to have good gameplay thats why we play games graphics are just visuals to make the game look better

 

[Treblaine]

As far as looks go

to play: it doesn't matter

But to PAY: if DOES matter.

Look, games like films are art, it is the substance not the quality that matters.

However quality standards are linked with both price of hardware, effort to create them and value.

So I am not going to pay a full £40 / $60 for a game that has just come out which looks like it came out 6 or 7 years ago, otherwise I might as well buy a game FROM 6 or 7 years ago and pay the correspondingly lower price relevant to how much game depreciate in value as games quality standards improve at such a rapid pace.

Same with some simple (but new) 2D game that has just come out Like Mega man 10, no way am I going to pay $60 / £40 for a game like that, even though I may end up enjoying it more than a $60 game the "eye candy" is not there.

Small caveat with a Console-PC comparison; The cost of making the console hardware is subsidised by the final price of the games that go on it, while on PC the expense spent on your PC hardware is quite detached from the cprice of games.

Yet still I expect high graphical quality from PC games considering the amount that I may have spent on my gaming rig.

So bottom line:

If I pay £20-30 for a game I expect great graphical quality (not necessarily realistic).

But if I pay £2-10 I will settle for much lower graphical quality, I.e. some 16-bit re-make/re-release

But I will only play it if it is good, regardless of the cost. My time is worth more than money.

I expend this to films, a Blu-ray version of a film has almost the same content as a DVD version, I am (maybe) willing to pay more for the blu-ray due to the better quality. This is one reason why I won't pay for films on PSN/XBL films network as the quality difference from DVD is as great as the quality difference between blu-ray and DVD... yet they charge as much as for a DVD.

nah, something with a low bitrate like that should be VERY cheap, like £1 per film (especially considering it is only a rental) for that quality. That is why I am drawn to things like Hulu that stream relatively low quality (around SDTV quality) and the "price" is quite low, low enough to be supported by ads alone or a very low monthly fee.

I suppose BBC iPlayer is equivalent, assuming you need a TV licence to use the service (£140 per year, £12 per month, $18 per month) you get a LOT of content at less than DVD quality, kind of like youtube quality.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

what game is that? it looks pretty good.

Apologies on the delayed reply, PC was virused.

If you meant that seriously, then it is Lunar Silver Star Story Complete or the PSP port Lunar Silver Star Harmony. The storyline is cliched, which is not unexpected given the age however the character development and dialogue is fantastic.

If this was meant as a joke, well then... no apology for you!

 

[xAFROMANx]

no it looked alrite, i'm sick of current gen stuff sometimes it is cool 2 find something simple (hence y people like castle crashers). as long as its fun it works for me

 

[PureChaos]

i consider good graphics to be a bonus

 

[SenseOfTumour]

i consider good graphics to be a bonus

what he said, but I'd say well designed and drawn graphics, are great, however, I don't require them to be technically advanced, hence me still enjoying the visuals of WOW, even tho I could be playing AION or Conan or the upcoming APB. (gotta admit APB looks like a lot of fun tho.)

I can't understand turning your back on the last 20 years of gaming just because they don't include quadlinear occlusional bending and trifocal pixel deworming as standard.