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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.

comments ( 9 )

Guest
Post Time : Jun 04,2009 3:36 pm

Well I mean I don't have a prolar PC that can handle extreme graphics, too much graphics in a game lags me a bit, so it really doesn't matter. Besides, I find almost all mmo's in the past 3 years suck.

Well *almost* there are exceptions. I mean game developpers don't come up with anything truly original, a lot of games just follow the same old formula, which is getting boring. They add graphics and skill effects to try to suck you in, but really it turns me off more.

I know its a hard job to code games, I mean, I can barely even make a 2D one lol... but wouldn't we all play a good game that they spent 2-3 years coding rather than a quickly made one in 3 months?

Guest
Post Time : Jun 04,2009 11:00 am

i nt depend on the graphic cz i play onli usin noob pc +_+

Folder
Post Time : Jun 04,2009 10:38 am

yes its reasonable, what tick me off is the graphic is not improve as the game industry progress. It does not need to have the standard of greatest graphic but should keep up with standard technology for majority use. Therefore gameplay,system, etc should not conflict with the graphic as it shouldn't even be a burden to the other categories.

Though i'm still a fan of great gameplay and mediocre graphic.

Guest
Post Time : Jun 03,2009 1:30 pm

Nice graphics always a plus when I choose a game to play, but not the only factor. Game play (quests, some storyline, and crafting) go a long ways for me since I don't care to just grind...grind...gring all the time even if the game is graphically amazing. The biggest thing for me that makes or breaks a game is the community within it; I've played some that the community is just plain horrible and others that are nice...even helpful. That is what keeps the game alive more than a games story or graphics.

I left 2moon due to bots, gold sellers and griefing during xp events. But more so due to lack of content other than grinding all the time making it just down right boring. Even if ther graphics where better than a majority of other F2P games on the market.

Then I found Perfect World International which has good graphics, decent game play (like most asian imports there is grind), but what hooked me is that they have regular content updates and a community with a willingness to help others advance in the game that many of the other MMOs have lacked.

Guest
Post Time : Jun 03,2009 9:34 am

I agree 100%  we get so many shitty MMO's and conslole games be of graphics whores.  We get all this "wonderful" eye candy yet the game play is either avarge and is found in any old MMO's or is shitty and somethng that would't even pass muster in the 80's. This is why I play games far less thnat I use to. They are like hot guy who dumber than hell. All looks no substance.

naridas
Post Time : Jun 03,2009 8:46 am

 i dont believe graphic engines just only increase graphics, they also allow developers to make their game more unique, i mean in the past u couldnt break crates and walls and other effects but with the new engines u can have a lot more action which also increases gameplay in ways if used correctly so  it does enable game developers to be more innovative or creative in some ways but like u said i rather have good gameplay than awesome graphics ><".  also not all mmos have great storylines and they still do pretty well

Cyferlaw
Post Time : Jun 03,2009 5:11 am

Is this apply to 2D/Anime style graphic game too? Because there are some of those games just nice, and may be some people have personal flavour that likes to play 2D/Anime style games, like me.

 

However, I am quite picky when choosing a game to play especially the graphic part, no matter how nice the story or gameplay of that game can be, without a nice graphic I wont give any chance at all to think of trying it...

 

Well the best that I can hope is to have it all, story+gameplay+graphic+sound. Without any of this, the game are just not going to be long.

KuramaShuichi
Post Time : Jun 03,2009 4:30 am

lol the funny title caught my attention xD I totally agree with you that graphic is not everything in a game .... I guess balance between graphics and gameplay is fine for me.

ecn
Post Time : Jun 02,2009 9:52 pm

LoL I waited and Huxley came ! Hope the gameplay is as good as I saw on vids . Past that I think Dungeon Fighter is my combi of non-graphic heavy , but fun , games .