Crestfallen Studios

Ok, I know I am preaching to the choir in a very big way here. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure.

I am sick and tired of people who judge games based on their graphical quality. Yes, better looking games are cool, and good graphics do improve a game by massive leaps and bounds. However, my point is that the visuals cannot make or break a good game. A major factor, yes, but not THE factor. THE factor is gameplay, and I shall explain why.

It's not some high moral concept, like letting people with less money compete, it's just the obvious fact that weather or not you enjoy a game or not is mainly dependent on its gameplay. This is true for every single person I have ever met. Then why do people judge games based on their graphical quality? It's because these people never experience the gameplay of games with lower quality graphics. This is because they look at the screenshots and gameplay videos, and based on those they choose weather or not to buy the game.

Keep in mind that I do like awesome looking games. Everybody does. I also can't help but be irritated by bad looking games. However, I don't choose to try or not to try a game based on its look.

Now, remember that nobody likes a game with awful gameplay but awesome visuals. Nobody. Not even the epitome of the Halo Kiddie stereotype. The issue is that people choose to try a game or not try it based on the visuals. Thus, games with great gameplay but so-so graphics (I.E. The Way as well as pretty much every other indie game ever made) don't get played as much.

This means three things:

A) People cheat themselves out of great experiences.

B) The most important factor in competition in the gaming industry is graphics. Or, in other words, the most important thing one needs to get money in the gaming industry is money.

(This is not factoring in art direction. I think American McGee's Alice looks cooler than most next-gen games, just because the art direction on that game was such ownage. Thus, money really isn't the only factor in getting a great looking game, but it is an important one.)

Last but certainly not least:
C) The communities that do play games with bad graphics but great gameplay are constantly assaulted by twelve-year-olds shouting crap like "OMG THiz GAEM lOKS LIEK it was MAED IN TEH NINITES!~~~".


I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but I do have a right to express my opinions.

I guess you could summarize my post by saying "A book shouldn't be judged by its cover, even if the cover and illustrations do have an effect on the value of the book."

This post was really a response to www.mmorpg.com/gamelis...ead/123604



Also, sorry if I'm posting something that has already been comprehensively posted about on these boards.

And again, I don't expect anyone to disagree with me, making this a bit of a one-sided rant. Oh well.

This will look familiar to Jera.

jesus christ, you are a fast typer. like 10,000 per minute.

Well, my opinion on this is that in order to become great games, it needs Hookers at the beginning. Great start means great attention, just like Three the Hard Way. Runescape fails because it had the worst start possible, depends a ton on grinding, and only draws strength and money upon the cursed and tortured.

Heh, the only reason I play AOE3 is the ship to ship battle on full graphics. Other than that the game's improvement system is boring and much slower to that of AOE2.

D2, SC, and WC series are the most famous games in Korea. It's kinda ironic that those 3 are from the same company, but it proves Aegis' point.

Personally, I find that music is way more important than visuals. I mean, if F-zero didn't have such an awesome soundtrack I wouldn't have replayed it yesterday.

But then, some people are visual freaks, they can't stand things that aren't top of the line.

I prefer games with vintage graphics than most games nowadays.

There are 3 solutions: -

a)Advertise the rpg maker community more

b)Get a job(s)

c)Invade the forums of the 12 year olds...

Yeah I agree with what Aegis and Tele said. My favorite games are the most replayable and with the best soundtrack.
People who judge games by their graphics have a very limited attention span.

Or basically just retarded graphic junkies.

Those who prefer to buy PS3 instead of the Wii?

Actually, PS3 is a media center aswell, so it's not just graphics.
And I think the wii can get good graphics aswell.