[Goudaquisition] Do Graphics Really Matter?
May 13, 2013 12:38:47 GMT -8
LuciferIX, Speedy_Fox_IV, and 6 more like this
Post by Deleted on May 13, 2013 12:38:47 GMT -8
I really have to thank Gloomy, but I don't want to.
In [almost] every generation of gaming, we have seen the dunderheads just go and say, “Oh, the Wii U has horrible graphics,” or one of the following “PS3/Xbox 360 has the better graphics compared to the Xbox 360/PS3!” In every step of the way, people go to the technical aspects of the console.
From GPUs to the CPU, to the RAM to the Flops, they combat one another. Even down to the Audio DSP. What the Hell is the point of it all?
Do people honestly care about graphics or are they just pumping their proverbial mental dicks, flexing it out and showing their impotency? Or are these social rejects actual right about something for once in their lives? I’m referring to Neogaf, just to let you all know… Oh Gouda, Neogaf…
Anyway, the basis of this article is to rant on what could be the most “important” aspect in gaming: Graphics. In the world of gaming, we’ve seen many advancements; from simple little blocks to the realm of Polygons and boob physics. We’ve seen the advancements and honestly, people think that’s the only thing we really need in the world of video games; those little, naïve pricks.
Yes, I will be the first to say this: graphics are important. But, huge “but” by the way, are they most important thing? Hell no.
Before you go on a rage and type on the keyboards like a madman, think for a second – you have brains for a reason. When video games first came out in the market, who the Hell cared about the pixel aspect ratio, the amount of RAM, the on-board flash memory, and all that other superfluous shit we are so accustomed to? I’d like to say this: the 50s and 60s never had that. All they had were a line moving around with a little joy-stick on a computer the size of what could be the people on Neogaf’s ego and non-existent dick sizes.
Graphics were never meant to be the real reason to play games, not back then and certainly not know. There are things most gamers lack nowadays: creativity. People had to imagine what the characters or what the Hell they were even playing, especially on the Atari 2600. People thought that the Atari 2600 looked amazing and some people still do to this day.
Fast forward to the NES and SNES, the graphics went from being 1-bit (as I’d like to call them) to 8-bit and 16-bit respectively. The amount of detail, movement, everything was now noticeable and it became the norm to have better graphics in every generation of new consoles. Why did it get to be like this? Well, I’ll tell you why.
Game designers back in those days were already used to the hardware of the NES, and the more powerful Master System which flopped, and were already complaining they couldn’t do much with the hardware. That and the facts that computers were slowly getting more and more powerful components, Nintendo and Sega (who did it first) decided to up what they can do in a new console. They also thought that since computers can be upgradeable, so can consoles. Sega did it first with the Genesis and then Nintendo with the SNES.
Needless to say, the two fought for supremacy in the “bit-wars”, the juvenile version of the console wars we have now on Youtube with 30 year old men with the mentality of an eight year old boy on a very high sugar rush.
The thing was: it was competition. The fanbases dubbed it and fought for the two companies, as if they were knights in shining armor. The fans were all kids.
With advancing technology comes better graphics. That’s a given. However, people just blow it out of proportion. Think of this way, when did the console with the best graphics had won the “sales war”?
Let’s look at it:
NES vs. The Master System – NES won.
SNES vs. Genesis – SNES won (even though it had a better GPU, the CPU and other components were rather bottlenecked).
N64 vs. Playstation – PS1 won (mostly due to it using CDs and because of the RPGs being on that console).
Gamecube vs. PS2 vs. Xbox – PS2 won (Fact: Gamecube and Xbox are nearly identical in power).
Wii vs. PS3 vs. Xbox 360 – Wii won (Really? Do I need to explain it?)
See the trend?
The reason why graphics matter in any way is to immerse the player in the realm of the game. However, is it truly the thing we need that’s the most important? What about controls, gameplay, story, music, and replayability? Are you telling me that in the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, graphics are the most important thing in the world for you that it gives you a sense of self-actualization and happiness for a video game?
I know, I’m blowing it out of proportion, but the only way to fight fire is with fire.
In all cases, graphics are important but when it comes down to it, I think there are other variables within making a game that’s important. Consoles need better hardware to make companies to be happy, especially with how much those companies waste money on the best engine in the world. I’m looking at you, Epic and your stupid Unreal Engine 4.