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Aritcle
If You Don't Play a Game Because of Graphics, You're a Bad Person.
Category: Ramblings Game: Default Posted on Jun 02, 2009 9:59 am
RANT TIME
It's time for my first blog-style rant on MMOsite. This time, it's about graphic, for the lack of an offensive non-explict term, "buff." Just pretend that "buff" is as offensive as being called -Insert offensive term here-.
Why do you hate graphics Mr. Warden?
My friend, that is a complete misconception of what I've said. I said that you are a bad person if you don't play a game because of bad graphics. I, for one, LOVE advanced graphics, mainly for the fact that it shows that our technology is progressing. Think of Everquest, when it just came out. Remember the graphics? Now think of Aion. It uses CryEngine! Aion is an absolutely beautiful game, but just because it's beautiful, it doesn't make it more fun than any other MMO, like Guild Wars. I believe graphics can help make a game more enticing and realistic, keeping people hooked into a game. But if you only play a game because it's absolutely beautiful, you're a bad person as well.
Graphic Buffs: You're hurting the industry*!
*Note: I have no proof of this what-so-ever. I'm either BSing to get your attention, using hyperbole, or trying to get my point across.
*Extra note: Everything past this is complete speculation and all for fun. I have no clue how long it takes to develop on a certain engine, etc. If you take this too seriously you're just making a fool of yourself.
Lets think about this, shall we? You are the lead designer of a new MMO. You are being funded by a big company who is giving you 2 years to complete the game, as stated in your contract. You have a meeting with your development team, where you must choose. An engine will make the game look absolutely gorgeous, but will take much longer to develop for, about a year and a half, or an engine that is easy to use, takes half the development time of the other engine, but makes your game looks average. But with that extra year and a fourth, you can develop an immersive story line, unique systems, skill and character development, detailed customization, etc. with no rush. But if you chose the engine that will make your game look beautiful, but you'll only have half a year to make all of the story, talent systems, quests, etc. In essence, you'd be putting out a half-baked game, so to speak.
What I did is put you in the shoes of the MMO designer, instead of the gamer. This is the choice that MMO makers have to make. And if they choose the less powerful engine, if everyone was a graphics buff, the game would fail mainly because there would be so many people complaining that the graphics are terrible. An (BUZZWORD!) innovative game, which is fun to play and would be a GOTY, just failed, because everyone was whining about graphics. And if the powerful engine was selected by the developer, you graphic buffs would be happy with a half-baked game with terrible story, no (BUZZWORD!) innovation, and not being as fun as the other one would have been just because "I LIEKZ PURTY GRAFICS." Excluding the graphics, the quality of games will be frozen in place, which will become boring and repetative, and then you'll wish that you had something DIFFERENT. But seeing as the majority of gamers at that point would be graphic buffs, no changes will be made. You've condemned the industry to an eternity of mediocreness. Congratu-freakin'-lations.
Conclusion
Graphics are good. Fun is good. People who play games just because graphics are good are bad. People who don't play fun games because the graphics aren't amazing are bad and make me cry.
Tags: graphic buff bad person mmo
Ariticle url: http://my.mmosite.com/blog/accad5f6aa6d52f9cd378b2463c9d363/blog/item/2773a210a03b4f1942ff1c8d2394c4ed.html
