Am I the only one around here

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Friday, March 29, 2013, 23:56 (4255 days ago) @ Cody Miller
edited by Kermit, Saturday, March 30, 2013, 00:11

You're twisting their words there, though. Jumping between the graphics in Limbo and Space Invaders in pretty extreme, cross generational, and largely irrelevant?

That's not the point. The point is that so many people responded positively to the atmosphere of Limbo. Narcogen and JIllybean even say that's one of the big reasons they love the game. If the graphics in Limbo had not been able to do that, then I don't think anybody would have paid it much attention. Limbo is an example of graphics making the game significantly better.

The graphics are the primary way you respond to a game. As such, their quality and art direction has a huge impact on how you perceive the game. As you point out, yes you have to have graphics appropriate to your game, but can you imagine making limbo on the NES? Would it have the impact it had? Nope. It would have just been a dull platformer that would have been instantly forgotten.

The quality and art direction can be judged separately from level of detail, level of realism, and all the tech specs that people usually talk about when they talk about what a graphic engine will do, which is what I thought we were talking about.

The graphics for LIMBO were pretty basic technologically speaking, but the art direction was stellar and suited the game. I feel the same way about Bungie's games. My statement was another way of saying I'm not a pixel-counter, and I don't think you are either, Cody. I suspect you're just stirring the pot.

I know that there are graphics fanatics, but those people aren't playing on Xboxes anymore. They're into alienware and all that stuff I don't care anything about.

They remind me of these snooty audiophiles who would come into the record store when CDs were new and refuse to buy any CD that wasn't fully digital--digitally recorded, digitally mixed, and digital format (obviously). This standard would require them to dismiss virtually all recorded music made at that time, which is ludicrous if, you know, you actually like music.

Ten years before that you had audio equipment manufacturers recording special pressings in quadraphonic sound so that dweebs with more money than sense would ooh and ahh over them (and spend megabucks on hardware), as if they weren't hearing C-list artists like Livingston Taylor (you all probably don't even know his more famous brother, James).

Screw that noise. Give me the Ronettes. Bring back mono.

Can't figure you out, Cody. I never know what measuring stick you're going to pull out. I sure didn't expect graphical fidelity to be your touchstone for greatness in games.