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What's the Importance of Graphics In Video Games?
An anonymous reader writes "I develop games as a hobby. I've experimented with games on almost every platform available. For me, the gameplay is the most influential factor of a game, with history and graphics dividing second place. But, for some reason, it's not the technical beauty of the graphics that appeal to me. I have played Crysis, and I've played Pokémon games. The graphics of the Pokémon games entertain me as much as the graphics of Crysis. I think both are beautiful. So, why is the current generation of games giving so much importance to the realism in graphic games? I think it is sufficient for a game to have objects that are recognizable. For example, while the water in some games may not look as good as in Crysis, I can still tell it's water. What are your opinions on the current direction of game graphics? Do you prefer easy-to-render 3D scenes that leave space for beautiful effects, like with Radiosity, or more complex 3D scenes that try to be realistic?"
World of Warcraft is the most popular game of all time. It attracts hardcore power gamers as well as 7 year old power nappers. The graphics engine for that game has essentially never been upgraded, and most of the graphics are downright cartoony. Subscription fees alone gross over $150 million every month. Graphics only sell to hardcore gamers with high end machines, and while they most definitely add a great deal of immersion, many people who play games could care less how much better this water looks than the last game's water. All that really matters is that it looks good enough, and plays very well.