Until recently, non-stylized graphics looked dead. The real-looking characters looked plastic and un-alive. The scenery looked more like claymation than realistic. Stylized graphics make a consistent world that seems much more alive.
HOWEVER...as companies up the ante, technology wise, this will change. ArcheAge, for example, has an extremely high polygon count, very lifelike world...that is also seamless.
Realistic graphics will win out in the end, it just hasn't been implemented well yet mostly due to technology restraints that are loosening up quickly.
Realistic graphics will win out in the end, it just hasn't been implemented well yet mostly due to technology restraints that are loosening up quickly.
That's like saying realistic art will win in the end.
If I were to generate a list of games with great graphics I would not put any game with "realistic graphics" in them, the reason is that they are just instantly forgettable, I can't really remember what the graphics looked like in those types of game. It does not matter how high of quality the graphics are really they are just boring.
That is why I think it is better to go with a more artistic style than a realistic style, artistic graphics are just more interesting, they give the artist better control to set the look and theme of a world, they engauge your imagination more and let you appreciate the vision of an artist more than if the graphics try to ape reality.
Realistic graphic to me are a lot like realism in painting, pointless and not very interesting.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Until recently, non-stylized graphics looked dead. The real-looking characters looked plastic and un-alive. The scenery looked more like claymation than realistic. Stylized graphics make a consistent world that seems much more alive.
HOWEVER...as companies up the ante, technology wise, this will change. ArcheAge, for example, has an extremely high polygon count, very lifelike world...that is also seamless.
Realistic graphics will win out in the end, it just hasn't been implemented well yet mostly due to technology restraints that are loosening up quickly.
Technology is always improving of course, but any game considered to have a "high poly count" (a judgement made in contrast to other games at the time) will typically fail on account of not running smoothly on every rig. Some engines are more efficient than others, of course, so if you can run smoothly on 95% of systems while still displaying a "high poly count" (and more importantly, looking nice) then you're in fantastic shape. Realistically that's difficult to achieve.
(EDIT: Actually I guess this isn't too accurate since a lot of what may be termed "high poly count" is actually normal poly count -- adjusted for tech inflation. I was thinking of high poly count as in Crysis. Games that truly push high poly counts and wear it like a badge while it prevents their games from enjoying larger populations (although perhaps the profits come not from Crysis but from the subsequent licensing of the engine and the reknown associated for pushing tech boundaries aggressively?))
And replying to the linked benchmark demo, there are gameplay considerations with those sorts of graphics. The density of the foliage is great and all, but creates a very noisy environment in which is can be potentially tough for a player to navigate or see the game objects they want to interact with. Does this outweigh the benefits of a visually stunning environment? Probably not, those graphics are fantastic. But it's pretty crucial that games put gameplay first and don't allow visual noise to intrude upon the experience.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
Stylish graphic style jus appeals to me more. Games like wow,lotro,War all have that comic book look that I enjoy. I hope one day we get to see a black and white mmo kinda in a darkhorse comic style maybe like that beat em up on the Wii mad world I think it's called.
I think it has more to do with the financial issues. MMOs need certain initial box sales and a playerbase to be able to survive..no, to be actually highly profitable and therefore they need to catter to more people. Look at crysis, noone in their right mind would make an MMO out of that engine (there is actually ArcheAge and project E:ST, but generally I think the risk is bigger with an MMO than an SP game).
In 5-10 years when everyone can have realistic effects cheaply in all games, we'll go through a phase where that is very, very popular. Then people will get bored of it and things will branch out into various art styles. This will probably happen a lot faster than it did with actual art since the groundwork for various styles has already been laid out (though I expect we'll see some new stuff too).
If you take a "cartoony" game like WOW, you're mind will glaze over stiffer animations. On th other hand, if you decide to make you're game photo-realistic, those same stiffer animations stick out like a sore thumb. Your mind objects, and it keeps your attention, breaking your suspension of disbelief.Games with simpler stylized graphics have an advantage over "realistic" graphics for a variety of reasons.
The most obvious is processing power. Simpler graphics are able to run on a larger spread of machines.
However, there is a subtler, yet almost more important reason to have simpler stylized graphics over realistic ones. Its easier for people to "accept" them. What do I mean by that? Its a mental issue. When graphics are simple and stylized, people's minds will suspend disbelief easier than they do with realistic graphics. The more realistic graphics become in visual quality, the more realistic and fluid the animations have to become in order for the mind to "accept" them.
If you take a "cartoony" game like WOW, you're mind will glaze over stiffer animations. On th other hand, if you decide to make you're game photo-realistic, those same stiffer animations stick out like a sore thumb. Your mind objects, and it keeps your attention, breaking your suspension of disbelief.
That's pretty much what has been determined in studies about androids. Attempts at making androids that could pass for human results in something that is close to "real", but different enough that it triggers a response in the brain similar to seeing a camouflaged tiger. You know something's wrong, but you can't pinpoint exactly what isn't right, so it must be something dangerous. Your brain will repeatedly note that something is wrong. It's easier to accept something that isn't real when it doesn't bother trying to look real, than something that isn't real and tries, but only almost looks real.
* edit - bansan named it - "The Uncanny Valley"
That's an interesting theory...
And definitely one I can find myself in, although I wouldn't go so far as 'feeling threatened' by games sporting realistic graphics...
But stuff like this is definitely way creepier because it looks real..
It's more than a theory. I remember reading an article about a group of Japanese engineers developing a "life-like" robot to act as a type of information kiosk. People that interacted with it felt uncomfortable because it looked very authentic, but they could not prevent themselves from continuously searching for and finding the flaws. It actually ended up hindering the robot's purpose of providing information because people weren't paying attention to what they were being told, but looking for the inconsistencies in the messenger. When they changed the robot from a human-looking android into something purely mechanical, it was much more effective.
I expect that a similar effect happens with cartoony vs. realistic graphics. A clunky animation would be fine for a cartoon character, but would really detract from the experience if performed by a realistic looking character. Our expectations would be higher and we would be actively looking for the flaws. With cartoons, it would be much less of a distraction and our attention wouldn't dwell on it for long..
If you know anything about art, the most obvious advantage of "stylized" graphics is the artist is free to interpret his design anyway he sees fit.
when an artist takes a realistic approach, any deviation from this realism will greatly distract the viewer. If you have a beautifully rendered and realistic game world in a still, once the animations start if theyre not equally as realistic it will completely take the player out of that game world. Something that might look so realistic, if it doesnt appear to animate realistic it becomes completely bizzar. Even the most minute error will be noticed as alien.
In a styllized world, these deviations are obscured a lot more because its not trying to be a direct reflection on whats real.
If you know anything about art, the most obvious advantage of "stylized" graphics is the artist is free to interpret his design anyway he sees fit.
when an artist takes a realistic approach, any deviation from this realism will greatly distract the viewer. If you have a beautifully rendered and realistic game world in a still, once the animations start if theyre not equally as realistic it will completely take the player out of that game world. Something that might look so realistic, if it doesnt appear to animate realistic it becomes completely bizzar. Even the most minute error will be noticed as alien.
In a styllized world, these deviations are obscured a lot more because its not trying to be a direct reflection on whats real.
Another area where stylized graphics might be adventageous would be where an MMO allowed more user generated content. I can't think off the top of my head of an MMO that allows you to add your own skins to weapons, armor, or characters. i.e. ones you made in photoshop, blender, etc. Maybe APB did - i never played it.
As far as I've paid attention, most games have the textures, on your hard drive, but if there were a lot of ugc, you might be loading it as you came into new areas or upon people.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
Comments
Until recently, non-stylized graphics looked dead. The real-looking characters looked plastic and un-alive. The scenery looked more like claymation than realistic. Stylized graphics make a consistent world that seems much more alive.
HOWEVER...as companies up the ante, technology wise, this will change. ArcheAge, for example, has an extremely high polygon count, very lifelike world...that is also seamless.
Realistic graphics will win out in the end, it just hasn't been implemented well yet mostly due to technology restraints that are loosening up quickly.
That's like saying realistic art will win in the end.
Style over power.
If I were to generate a list of games with great graphics I would not put any game with "realistic graphics" in them, the reason is that they are just instantly forgettable, I can't really remember what the graphics looked like in those types of game. It does not matter how high of quality the graphics are really they are just boring.
That is why I think it is better to go with a more artistic style than a realistic style, artistic graphics are just more interesting, they give the artist better control to set the look and theme of a world, they engauge your imagination more and let you appreciate the vision of an artist more than if the graphics try to ape reality.
Realistic graphic to me are a lot like realism in painting, pointless and not very interesting.
All men think they're fascinating. In my case, it's justified
Technology is always improving of course, but any game considered to have a "high poly count" (a judgement made in contrast to other games at the time) will typically fail on account of not running smoothly on every rig. Some engines are more efficient than others, of course, so if you can run smoothly on 95% of systems while still displaying a "high poly count" (and more importantly, looking nice) then you're in fantastic shape. Realistically that's difficult to achieve.
(EDIT: Actually I guess this isn't too accurate since a lot of what may be termed "high poly count" is actually normal poly count -- adjusted for tech inflation. I was thinking of high poly count as in Crysis. Games that truly push high poly counts and wear it like a badge while it prevents their games from enjoying larger populations (although perhaps the profits come not from Crysis but from the subsequent licensing of the engine and the reknown associated for pushing tech boundaries aggressively?))
And replying to the linked benchmark demo, there are gameplay considerations with those sorts of graphics. The density of the foliage is great and all, but creates a very noisy environment in which is can be potentially tough for a player to navigate or see the game objects they want to interact with. Does this outweigh the benefits of a visually stunning environment? Probably not, those graphics are fantastic. But it's pretty crucial that games put gameplay first and don't allow visual noise to intrude upon the experience.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
I think it has more to do with the financial issues. MMOs need certain initial box sales and a playerbase to be able to survive..no, to be actually highly profitable and therefore they need to catter to more people. Look at crysis, noone in their right mind would make an MMO out of that engine (there is actually ArcheAge and project E:ST, but generally I think the risk is bigger with an MMO than an SP game).
In 5-10 years when everyone can have realistic effects cheaply in all games, we'll go through a phase where that is very, very popular. Then people will get bored of it and things will branch out into various art styles. This will probably happen a lot faster than it did with actual art since the groundwork for various styles has already been laid out (though I expect we'll see some new stuff too).
It's more than a theory. I remember reading an article about a group of Japanese engineers developing a "life-like" robot to act as a type of information kiosk. People that interacted with it felt uncomfortable because it looked very authentic, but they could not prevent themselves from continuously searching for and finding the flaws. It actually ended up hindering the robot's purpose of providing information because people weren't paying attention to what they were being told, but looking for the inconsistencies in the messenger. When they changed the robot from a human-looking android into something purely mechanical, it was much more effective.
I expect that a similar effect happens with cartoony vs. realistic graphics. A clunky animation would be fine for a cartoon character, but would really detract from the experience if performed by a realistic looking character. Our expectations would be higher and we would be actively looking for the flaws. With cartoons, it would be much less of a distraction and our attention wouldn't dwell on it for long..
I just don't see why some people consider "cartoonish", "stylized", and "comic book" graphics crap...
Like I stated before...it depends on the game...the IP really...
I think people are just so "anti-WoW" that they have to criticise everything that may possibly show some relation to it.
PLAYING: NOTHING!!!
PLAYED:FFXI, LotRO, AoC, WAR, DDO, Megaten, Wurm, Rohan, Mabinogi, RoM
WAITING FOR: Dust 514
Basically.
If you know anything about art, the most obvious advantage of "stylized" graphics is the artist is free to interpret his design anyway he sees fit.
when an artist takes a realistic approach, any deviation from this realism will greatly distract the viewer. If you have a beautifully rendered and realistic game world in a still, once the animations start if theyre not equally as realistic it will completely take the player out of that game world. Something that might look so realistic, if it doesnt appear to animate realistic it becomes completely bizzar. Even the most minute error will be noticed as alien.
In a styllized world, these deviations are obscured a lot more because its not trying to be a direct reflection on whats real.
winner? the stylized artist
So long, and thanks for all the fish!
Another area where stylized graphics might be adventageous would be where an MMO allowed more user generated content. I can't think off the top of my head of an MMO that allows you to add your own skins to weapons, armor, or characters. i.e. ones you made in photoshop, blender, etc. Maybe APB did - i never played it.
As far as I've paid attention, most games have the textures, on your hard drive, but if there were a lot of ugc, you might be loading it as you came into new areas or upon people.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga