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Graphics Don't Matter

Posted by Zonk on from the listen-to-your-dad dept.

Dave Long writes "My column at GamerDad features some musing on how unimportant graphics are becoming to enjoyment of games. Everything looks great today which removes the excitement of that bullet point on a game box. There's some historical context and speculation on next-gen consoles and graphics' effect on consumers." From the article: "I guess we're getting closer to photo-realism, but I just don't care. The games shown don't look markedly better than anything from this generation. I guess they're impressive in a 'that's close to the movies now' kind of way but the graphics aren't changing gameplay in any way that I can see. It just makes old types of gameplay look prettier. For the people who absolutely adore technology and this incessant need to replicate the real world, there will certainly be things to cheer in the next generation. I'm sure I'll eventually buy the new consoles myself and be at least modestly excited at the graphics, but I've just grown so accustomed to things looking nice on current machines that there's no 'wow' factor anymore."

3 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Re:To a point.. by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 2, Informative

    Man that looks like an awesome game. Where can I download it?

    I think the text-adventure port of Doom 3 is still languishing in development hell, but there's always Interactive Fiction Quake, although the graphics admittedly aren't quite the same...

    --
    Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
  2. Re:Well... by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 2, Informative

    Final Fantasy VII vs. Final Fantasy X-2?

    What about FF VI (III in the US) vs. FF VII?

  3. Re:To a point.. by WWWWolf · · Score: 2, Informative

    Well, they already did Q1 E1M1 as a text adventure, and, in my humble opinion, if you forget the slightly sarcastic tone in it (after all, this was made as an April Fools joke)...

    As you enter the West portal room, the words "THIS IS THE FIRST EPISODE: DIMENSION OF THE DOOMED" materialize in front of you. After briefly panicking slightly, you continue, when all of a sudden the words, "THE MYSTICAL PAST COMES ALIVE..." pop up. Carefully, doing your best not to trip any more mystery words,you tiptoe your way into the room.

    ...the game's action is quite faithful to the original, with insightful commentary as well - it was heck of speedier and thrilling than most of the text adventures I've played, and a lot of fun too:

    A grunt is standing here, armed with a shotgun and looking rather surly.

    The Grunt's shotgun nicks your leg, hitting you for 5 points. It won't kill you,but you'd really rather it not happen again.

    >attack grunt with shotgun
    You hit the Grunt taking off 10 from his health.

    The Grunt's shotgun wounds your torso for 20 points.

    >attack grunt with shotgun
    You hit the Grunt taking off 10 from his health and killing him. Move over, Thresh.

    [Your score has just gone up by two points.]