Poll: Is realism killing video games?

[Vanguard_Ex]

It really depends on what aspect of realism is being thrown in. Personally, I think the realism thrown into GTA 4 was great, but if they made you lie on a hospital bed for a few in game days after being killed then the game would go belly-up. The fact that they're still making games like Too Human (where you play as a god) makes me think that realism is still undecidedly an ally or foe.

 

[vasudean]

Realism isn't what's killing the video game franchise it's more along the lines that when they saw the smash success of realistically toned games like Halo all that some game companies saw was a big dollar sign and instead of trying to improve upon what they got, they tacked on the grim and grittiness onto just about any game they ever got their hands on, thus making a cavalcade of mediocre to awful games in the process (there have been exceptions from what I've been told). Thus it really isn't the realism in video games, it's that too many game companies don't get the bigger picture to try and make better quality games with better story and better game-play while still making games to snag new gamers from the next generation.

 

[LordCraigus]

So many people are like 'realism isn't fun'... for the people who enjoy realistic games, it is. It's as simple as that. So basically, adding realism to games which don't require it can spoil the game, but as for realism ruining games as a medium, no it's not.

Then again, different people have different takes on what realism is... for me, realism is games like OFP, ArmA, Red Orchestra... etc. By reading this thread it seems a lot of people think games like CoD4 and GTAIV are realistic. Sure they have realistic elements, as do most games, but far from what I'd call realistic games.

As for which sort is easier to play, I think realistic games definitely have a higher learning curve than less realistic games, assuming you're not already used to the realism. Both types take a lot of practice to master, but realistic games will definitely sort out the men from the boys much earlier on, which is why the realism/simulation market is a niche one because it's not as accessible to the majority who are more comfortable with less realistic games.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

realistic graphics, unrealistic play is good, perfect example of how to fuck it up, Need for Speed pro street, realism ruins everything.

 

[Jazzyluv]

I don't understand, maybe these people have never played a real unrealistic game...... I've played red orcestra, what is so difficult about it..... first off, its pretty random, but so i real life so ill give you that. 2nd.... tell me one technique in controls can't be mastered in 10 minutes.... 3rd.... have any of you guys picked up a real unrealistic game? I'm not talking pseudo unrealistic wheres its sort of realistic and sort of not. I'm talking about the genre called Deathmatch..... a small genre, mainly cause it takes alot of skill to do anything.... at all. http://www.own3d.at/?section=videos&file_id=709 watch that and say it doesn't look incredible difficult to do.... certainly harder than a headshot in CS

 

[sirdiealot88]

I reli dislike GTA4, they're supposed to be fun games; where cops drop dead if u look at them and ur character can take enough bullets to take down the entire Bolivian army and then u save the game and suddenly ur not the most wanted man in the world anymore

 

[Spartan Bannana]

I love the recent realism but it's also like riding a unicycle next to a gigantic hole, if you get it right it's amazing but if you don't then you'll fall to your death.

 

[vede]

I'm telling you. Play STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl. And don't play it on easy. Play it on at least normal. If you want a good example of realism, play it on veteran. They don't use cheap tactics to make it harder. The way it works is that with different difficulties, your resistances are all higher on easier difficulties. On veteran, they're all zero. So go play STALKER on normal, hard, or veteran (preferable veteran, your choice, I guess) difficulty, and tell me that realistic games are easy. Tell me they're slow. Tell me there's not much to think about.(I wouldn't suggest playing online, the offline AIs in the game are fine.)

And I'm not going to play Quakeworld online. No. I don't like playing online. Partly because people who play online are usually excessively awesome at the games. You are using yourself as an example of games' difficulty, but say that you have actually won tournaments. Wouldn't that be like saying "play this game, it's hard," then putting the players on hardest level on the hardest difficulty with more enemies as an example?

EDIT: This is starting to seem like arguing with a religious person.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I haven't the faintest interest in "realistic" games, myself; if I want realism, there's this place called "the outdoors" where I can get all the realism I want for free. I'm all for being able to shrug off the odd bullet and be the daring action hero, or the intrepid plumber rescuing princesses, or a frog trying to cross a multi-lane highway.

That being said, realism isn't killing games... indeed, the games industry isn't dying seeing as it's racking up record sales, and the most successful gaming platform today (the Wii) isn't even remotely interested in realism in the bulk of its games. Add in the successes of Flash-based games and XBLA / Virtual Console games, and I'd say realism isn't doing squat to hamper games.

-- Steve

 

[Jumplion]

I don't understand, maybe these people have never played a real unrealistic game...... I've played red orcestra, what is so difficult about it..... first off, its pretty random, but so i real life so ill give you that. 2nd.... tell me one technique in controls can't be mastered in 10 minutes.... 3rd.... have any of you guys picked up a real unrealistic game? I'm not talking pseudo unrealistic wheres its sort of realistic and sort of not. I'm talking about the genre called Deathmatch..... a small genre, mainly cause it takes alot of skill to do anything.... at all. http://www.own3d.at/?section=videos&file_id=709 watch that and say it doesn't look incredible difficult to do.... certainly harder than a headshot in CS

Jazzyluv, that is your own skill level. You said it yourself, you were on a team, you won tournements, you obliterated opponents and you've won prizes, OF COURSE some games will be easy for you.

Just because Red Orchestra or some other "realistic" game is easy for you does not mean it's an easy game overall. It's your skill level which I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that you are very skillful player in some games.

(Most) Realistic games are not slower, easier, or require you to think less. It's probably just that you're so natural at them (assuming you havn't played the realistic game before) that everything comes easy to you and you can easily pwn people as I'm sure you can because you've won freakin' tournaments.

 

[Mistah Kurtz]

That's like asking if the invention of sound killed movies.

 

[UntrodTripod]

When a game surpasses NetHack in terms of applying realistic logic to a game, I'll be impressed.
Otherwise, you people need to just content yourselves with finding fun in what gets churned out. Realism can be fun. Fantasticism can be fun.
In terms of physics, I've found that I had a HELL of a lot more fun with N than with Half-Life 2. In terms of logic, I've had a hell of a lot more fun with NetHack than any game that has "puzzles". Why don't we just concentrate on making (or demanding) games that are FUN rather than salivating over the most realistic ragdoll physics. Just a thought.

 

[CounterRetort]

I'd like to put it like this, realistic characters (the one you play) is ruining games, it's increasing the difficulty as hell in many cases. As stated by Yahtzee "Whatever happened to health bars?"

What realism contributes, are good phsyics engines! The first really realistic one that got released was Rag-Doll (Oh how I love a dead body falling ten stories down from a building).

I will put down some examples to show you what I mean. Apart fro ragdoll, that's taken care of allready.

Battlefield: Bad Company. Semi fun game, but what kicks ass is to blow up walls and doodads, it just rox, call me "Haggard" but I can never get enough of revealing a snipers position with a simple Bazooka shot.

GTA IV: Living cities, take cabs, date, eat, bla. bla. you've all played it. You know what I mean, I dont know if there's a special engine implemented for the living town effect but it's still nice.

Assassins Creed: Climb Walls and buildings? HELLO?!

The best mix ever (in my opinion) would be a GTA IV living city and also as wide, with an awesome ragdoll engine, 90% destroyable houses, doodads and walls and the freedom of movement you get in assassins creed. At the same time, to make it a fun game, you would want an massive amount of ammo, explosives, guns, sweet ass AI and alot of health packs on the ground, no freaking shield generators.

One word: Awesome

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Yes, all these sim games are killing videogames...

wah?

 

[Whoolpurse]

well my dad enjoys race games like forza and Grand turismo. The only games he wants to play really.

 

[DevilSaint44]

Realism is shit.Everything is same, look at gears of war.Grey is fuckin everywhere.though its still a good game and it is still fun butt once u see one screen, youve seen them all

 

[monostable]

I didn't think any games were realistic anyway. For example I was playing GTA 4 today, and I stole a car with a cop close to the car. He does the usual "Stop thief!" thing and closes in on the car. I get spray about ten rounds out of my Uzi from the drivers seat and hit him in the shoulder, and he doesn't even flinch, the next second I'm busted and lose all my weapons.

Now even if he had been (in the real world) wearing body armour, he would at least have been knocked back. I generally don't like games where bullets have no visible effect on a person (or an alien like the brutes in halo 3 when you have broken their shields).

The only games I can think of that are realistic that I can think of are Full Spectrum Warrior (either one) or the new Brothers in Arms game released next month where bullets are fatal.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

A bit of realism is good, but add too much and the game becomes mundane and boring. There's a reason we're playing a game - and it isn't so that we can act out our dull lives.