Are You Seriously Not Buying a Game Due to its Resolution?

OnlySP: Watch Dogs. Infamous: Second Son. Ryse. Killzone. All of them share a similar story. Resolution.

[Gazondaily]

I won't buy a game on a certain platform if it performs inferior to another one because I have both consoles.

Obviously the fanboy war fuels a lot of the flames that keep the resolution debates burning but it is a legit concern for a lot of people.

I don't ever think "oh this game is not 1080p" and then deprive myself of that. That's just idiotic in my opinion. So far, the console exclusive I have enjoyed the most is probably Resogun on PS4 and that is a side scrolling arcade shooter.

Gameplay is king. End of.

[Wingsfan24]

Well yea, if you have both or all three platforms it makes perfect sense to buy the higher quality game if you have that option. But, I'm talking even more so the players with one platform who all of a sudden drop out of buying a game because it's not 1080p.

[Gazondaily]

I'm not sure if people like that actually exist. Not buying a game because it isn't a certain resolution? Do people really do that?

[Wingsfan24]

That's the reason I wrote this lol. The day the resolutions were announced, an entire NeoGAF thread was like, F that I'm not buying it now. Same with Twitter comments as well, that's literally what pushed me to write this. Obviously it's a vocal minority choosing to do so, but mixed together with the amount of articles on this topic, the news stories detailing every single game's resolution and framerate now, it's become such a huge talking point this gen.

Yup that thread.

[Kayant]

@Septic

My thoughts because that would be silly but I do remember reading some people switching to the PC version after PS4 was revealed to be 900fps which is fine.

I cannot honestly believe there would be a large majority that would do that.

Edit -
@PockyKing
This thread right --> http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

Yh the dev call out is uncalled, counted about four people in first 4 pages who seemed serious about it a lot just switched to the PC version. I think the 1080p60fps really hit home for some people looool. Craziness.

[AHall88]

It's going to suck for those people in a few years when all new games are less than 1080p.(On consoles)
I guess they'll just give up gaming then.

[Dirtnapstor]

I think the issue now is that the potential a developer has with the new hardware vs them not maximizing per game. I know it'll only get better from here, but there should be a big difference between generations (for instance). Hopefully developers won't be dumbing down last-gen just to provide the illusion of visual superiority.

[theshonen8899]

I buy the best version for the platforms I have. I'm getting Project Cars for PC because of graphics, Watch Dogs on PS4 because of exclusive content, and Child of Light on Vita because I like RPGs are better on portables.

It's common sense, get the version that you'd enjoy the most.

[denawayne]

I would hope everyone realizes that every game coming out right now was in development before the release of the consoles. This E3 we will start to see the games that will show what these consoles can do.

[Baccra17]

Industry made this an issue, let the industry deal with the problem it has caused.

And to be quite frank the only reason this is even an issue now, beside the industry making this an issue, is due to cost. Games are $60 dollars plus tax in a sh!t poor economy, and you're lucky these days to get a game that's 80% complete due to pieces being broken off by publishers to sell back to gamers. So yeah, paying full price for a game that's not complete, bug riddled, and has bad resolution doesn't look that enticing to people that are cash strapped and living through these times.

So lets get off that high horse and point the finger at someone else other than gamers cause that the "cool thing to do" in the game media now.

[redwin]

I agree, that's why I'm getting it for the box. It's just so easy to switch games. From Ghost to killer instinct to Forza to madden and Spider-Man . I can play Spider-man while waiting for Titanfall's session to start, or now skipe while playing. Yep, buying it for the box would allow me to multitask. I'll buy ps4 exclusives that's it..... I must be crazy , speaking my mind here will get me crucified.

[styferion]

They're not exist, it's just something that exist in forums and comments around internet for the sake of arguments, seriously, if a game is good you can be sure they all gonna buy it.

[mikeslemonade]

People are mistaking bragging rights and system power gap debates for not liking the said game.

People who don't understand that are actually the dumb ones here.

For the last time.. The resolution and frames gap shows that the PS4 is the more capable machine at a cheaper price than compared to the X1. No one really cares that much about resolutions and frames only. They care about how capable the PS4 is including frames, textures, resolutions, shadow, lighting, physics etc.

[ShinMaster]

Maybe those people are PC elites or something.

[LOGICWINS]

Septic,

Totally agree. If you have BOTH a PS4 and XB1, then its understandable that you want the version of the game with the better resolution.

What I struggle to understand is why single console owners(ONLY have a PS4 or ONLY have a XB1) care about the resolutions on the opposing console when it doesn't affect them.

Out of sight, out of mind. Its like the Vita vs. the Vita Slim. The only way you would feel "bad" about the LCD screen is if you're playing the SAME game on the original Vita and the Slim Vita simultaneously.

I didnt even know Shadowfalls multiplayer wasn't 1080p until the Internet told me. 99.9% of humans CANNOT tell the difference without a side by side comparison on both screens with 1080p vs. 720p(or 900p) respectively. Who in the right mind spends most of their gaming time comparing resolutions on two screens? I'll tell you who...no one.

[morganfell]

But it does affect them. Why do people keep denying this in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Is there some need for people to pretend they are above what they consider to be the petty fanboy wars of plebians as if such a position is somehow superior? It is not and it is an illusion.

There is nothing lowbrow or immature about desiring the best gaming possible without having to own every platform. There is nothing wrong about hoping for and promoting the demise of a company you view as harmful to gaming and detrimental to the rights of gamers.

The people that really need their motives questioned are those that continue to promote a company that attempted to stab them and every other gamer in the back.

The oppositions performance or lack there of does affect you.

There is a likely chance that a console that performs poorly will have a lower adoption rate. When the opposition adoption rate and performance is lower than your console of choice, publishers and devs normally focus more on your platform. The result is better titles, sometimes exclusives titles, or at least exclusive with your company having to spend less money - hence more money elsewhere FOR YOUR PLATFORM. And as we have already seen often exclusive material for your platform, again either free or at a reduced cost for the hardware manufacturer.

Look at the beginning of this generation. Major moves were made by individuals (Kojima) and companies (EA) as they thought the adoption and performance would be better on the X1. As this proves to be far from the truth, more companies are gravitating toward the PS4 and MS is having to expend an ever growing amount of money in an attempt to stem the flow of blood.

Simply put, the more your opponent bleeds the better it is for your platform. I like have a single ecosystem. I do not enjoy having to mix streams. I did that last generation and I prefer not to do it again.

The article should be asking, are people seriously purchasing a console and titles from a company that abandoned the core gamer once already this generation? Casuals should ask the same question because they have also been abandoned and by the same company.

[Baccra17]

@morganfell

I wish I could give you a standing ovation, but I'll settle for giving you a bubble. Bravo.

[FlunkinMonkey]

Well said morgan.. The disagrees will come, or comments full of weak sauce, but nothing substantial.. As usual.

[DLConspiracy]

Personally I think that the only argument someone could have is the Frame rate. As it determines the reaction or latency from the controller to the game. It's not going to change the game play otherwise.

[thricetold]

What! How dare you suggest that gameplay should even be thought of or even mentioned when talking about the 8th gen! It ain't next gen if ain't bout them pixels.

Who gives a damn if the games play the same as 7th gen, you can count the blades of grass now! Exciting times to be a gamer!

[dougr]

I have a PS4 and a gaming PC. I'm absolutely dieing for a game to play on PS4, but because Watchdogs is also on PC it would be stupid for me to buy it for PS4. I can get it cheaper for PC through online sales and I will be able to use mods (potentially) in the future. I reallly realllllly want a game for my PS4 though, but I can't see one good reason to go with the ps4 version over the pc version.

[LoveSpuds]

You really should try Transistor chief, although available on PC too, it is just as nice on PS4 and on a big ass TV with good sound system it is such an amazing experience........erm, I am off to play some more Transistor :)

[DoubleM70]

Well last Gen I bought Batman on my Ps3. It looked better on the 360, but I wanted for my PS3. It didn't have nothing to do with power of the console or resolution. I simply need to show my PS3 some love over my 360.

[snookiegamer]

It's a perception issue.

Many people perceive the Xbox One versions as inferior, therefore choose PS4 or PC versions.

Isn't it a similar situation as last gen with PS3/360 multi platform releases?

Absolutely it is.

Although that doesn't mean the Xbox One versions are 'bad', not at all. It's just that the other versions are perceived to be 'better'.

It's also easy to blame the fan boys, but I believe the games media as a whole are more to blame.

[Gamer777]

The media has caused an obsession with 1080p, by having an emphasis of 1080p over gameplay on so many "articles". Some articles describe a game as being stunning 1080p when it is in fact a very average looking game, like the PS4 version of Yakuza.
Gameplay>>>Graphics > Framerate> Resolution. Media should focus on articles about gameplay and actually write more than a few paragraphs.

[Wingsfan24]

Yup, apparently all a game needs to be stunning nowadays is to have 1080p resolution. According to a site that posts here quite a lot if you catch my drift ;)

[snookiegamer]

@Gamer777

Exactly!

Games should be about incredible experiences and being taken to fantastic places. Not pixel density and poly counts.

That's what's wrong with this industry!

[PS4OUR]

Funny how the media made a song and dance about the 10% difference in pixel pushing power the 360 had over the PS3 in many multiplatform titles last generation with Digital Foundry keen to point out the differences, now the vast majority of the media is complaining people care to much for pixels and should worry about gameplay.
Fancy that.

[TheDevKit]

But I'd have more fun with a game running at 60 FPS and 1080p as opposed to 24 FPS and 240p.

[Salooh]

You deserve a bubble ^^ . I always said that i prefer wow factor over the Frame and resolution. Before or in the beginning of last gen no one cared about these things so developers focused on bringing their vision then saw how the console handle the game. And no one complained about the results as much as we do now. Now developers focus on these 2 things instead of bringing the best vision they could..

[kakashi81]

I love MS consoles, but I'm really waiting for the dx12 update.

[TheSsus]

You're part of the problem...

[MRMagoo123]

its not going to do anything anyway, so either dont bother getting one at all or get one now , there is no point in waiting.

[Bladesfist]

Even just making life easier for the developers does something. I'm pretty sure last gen was a good example of that.

[NovusTerminus]

This game could be 1080p 30fps easy on next gen, but with resources scattered across 6 platforms resources were scattered more and optimization was thinner.

People think it's easier but writing code for this is hard, each system is running a different LoD system, prolly tweaked lighting per system, having to scale all the textures. It's taxing, even more so when you have to get is stable on 5 systems at launch and a 6th one shortly after.

tl:dr cross gen messed up the optimization.

[JMyers]

If I have a choice of the same game, same price and choice of system... Then I'll buy the game that performs better. Common sense.

[SonyMontana]

I think people's point about resolution is we should be able to utilize 10 year old resolution on brand new consoles. Really not a huge request nor out of the question. That being said I'll still buy a good game regardless of it's resolution, but AAA games releasing sub 1080p in the year 2014 on brand new hardware is unexceptable.

[ThichQuangDuck]

No I am not buying Watch_Dogs because I had hoped the AI would reflect the information they were showing and have a sense of memory. I also thought it was going to have a story more in line with Wikileaks, Snowden and Matrix combined based on the original trailer. Instead it looks like Assassin creed with average gunplay and gimmicky hacking that will get boring quickly.

[snookiegamer]

If a gamer wants to miss out on quality AAA games simply because of a slight reduction in resolution, then its their loss.

It's easy to say it's 2014 and we expect more, but I say sell your PS4 or Xbox One and buy a PC where you can spend over $1,000 to get ultra settings, spend your time fiddling with drivers, and screaming out loud at your dismay with poorly optimized games that are not 100% compatible with your very expensive GPX cards. Yup, there's a price to pay for all that power, and it ain't just cash!

Regardless, I for one will be thoroughly enjoying Watchdogs @900p 30fps come Tuesday :)

[starchild]

I was going to agree with your comment until you said that nonsense about PC gaming. None of that is true. You can build a $600 to $800 gaming PC and it will run the vast majority of games extremely well.

I don't spend much time fiddling with drivers other than occasionally downloading new drivers that give me MORE performance (and this isn't much different than installing updates on a console).

Also, even the poorly optimized games still run better than on consoles if you have a decent PC. People talk about AC4 being poorly optimized, but it still looks and runs better on my PC than on my PS4.

I do agree with your point about just enjoying your games, though.

[gigoran]

Are You Seriously telling us to buy an inferior product?

Lets see... hmmm... 1 game, 2 versions, one is better than the other, and exactly the same price.

Seriously? Are you SERIOUSLY telling us to buy an inferior product? This is by far the WORST advice by someone that claims to be a gaming journalist. And that's compared to Kotaku, so that's really saying something!

[Wingsfan24]

Apparently you didn't even read past the title so good for you. Maybe your second bubble will be used for a more mature and informed comment :) I was actually talking about the resolution of both versions of the game and players who are on PS4 as well complaining the game wasn't in 1080p. So no, I wasn't giving advice on anything actually.

[gigoran]

Apparently you didn't understand anything I wrote.

I'm choosing the version that is superior to the other. Now I can see in your quite insulting reply that you presumed I was talking about two consoles. When I said 2 versions I'm talking about the superior PC version vs the console version.

So there you go. I used my last bubble to satisfy your ego and correct your assumption. Your reply pretty much proves your worthiness of kotaku. I don't expect an apology for your mistake. I expect you to say something about you being right or whatever. Predictable.

[T2]

Fact - pc is more powerful than ps4 which is more powerful than xbox. If games are all the same resolution it literally means the developers made one weak version of the game. Doesn't make it a bad game but if a similar game comes out on the same platform and puts it to shame with 1080/60 or higher, your sales and reputation are going to take a hit. That's life

[ThatKanadianKid]

How's he supposed to know what "two versions" means gigoran? That could mean anything. The article wasn't even about choosing the better version. Jeez, it's a no wonder you only got two bubbles there. I think you actually proved your own worthiness to Kotaku with that comment :)

[punctualdork]

READ THE ARTICLE. THEN POST.

[Skate-AK]

Nope. If that was the case I would not have bought a singe game last gen since a good amount were sub-HD.

[Iamnemesis4880]

I will go for a game that is fun to play that's it.

[N8]

I have both consoles I just believe in getting the best version. More times than not its ps4. I have no balance in my games right now.

[T2]

Yes I only have the time
and cash for one console currently so no I don't care about res now but it factored in which console I bought first and will stick with for a bit

[TheGrimReaper0011]

I think the biggest problem (at least this is just me) is the difference between promise and deliver

What we saw at E3 2012 is not the game they will deliver and the game we have is not up to the promise we first got

Looking back at E3 (and even later footage), the game looked way better, simple as that. I agree, basing something on graphics is shallow. I love games like Terraria, Minecraft, Hotline Miami to name a few.

But it was the demo that sparked the hype and naturally if the final product looks inferior, people will be dissapointed.

I hope it'll still be a great game in it's own right. Hacking shit seems pretty fun to do!

[extermin8or]

You've played it and finished it then> The E3 2012 trailer had a note at the start of it that it was concept footage I swear and they said it was running on highest of the high end pc's at the time... I had been agreeing with you about graphics and even E3 2013 ps4 footage and as late as last october, I've jsutt seen live feed gameplay and I can tell you graphics haven't changed since last october. Oddly enough xbox one version resolution aside in screenshots that are unlabelled I've been able to see the difference to the ps4 version which I think definitely looks a little bit better. Nothing major but considering the resolution difference aswell it surprised me.

[dragonopt1]

Resolution doesn't matter to me or frames per second, as long as I enjoy the gameplay I'm glad on my purchase.

[system22]

if its a multiplat game there are two factors i usually consider. which platform runs the title better and or whichever platform i have more friends on that are playing that game as well. usually the latter wins, since i prefer multiplayer in general.

in the case of exclusives, resolution doesn't really matter to me unless its really bad (which i have yet to see on next gen). as long as its just a good game is most important. its the reason i bought tombraider for ps4 and battlefield on x1. second son was glorious in 1080p and titanfall has kept me up late more times than i care to admit at 792p.

[JediDiah]

My Resolution is not to play sub Next Gen Resolution!

[T2X]

Not buying a game based upon resolution alone is idiotic in my opinion, but I guess if it makes you feel better.

[mochachino]

Since I bought my new hardware, resolution is no longer a problem for me.

[Max-Zorin]

God forbid these gamers today catch a heart attack just because something isn't 1080p.

[counselorterry]

Great article man. This is what I've been thinking this entire gen so far. Last gen (x360 and ps3) was bad enough with every game being scrutinized that this one looks better than that one blah,blah,blah. This gen is even worse because you don't even read about how good a game is or isn't, you only hear what the resolution or framerate is. Unlike the author though who says he can't say it doesn't matter, I DO say it doesn't matter to me at all. This of course is only my opinion, but I'm just tired of that being the biggest complaint this gen. Personally I don't play games with my nose on my tv screen counting pixels as I play.

[Wingsfan24]

Thanks for reading it!

[Roccetarius]

I think of it more like not buying a game, because the publisher / developer is misleading customers, so i think that's justified.

[system22]

its not resolution that makes a next gen title next gen. its all the other capabilities it can do with more power and then rendering it at the highest rez possible. its being able to have way higher density geometry, more complex, detailed animations, better physics simulations, better lighting, more rendering effects like ambient occlusion, subsurface scattering, volumetric lighting etc.. all things that couldn't be done on last gen consoles at ANY resolution because it just takes too much processing. just simply outputing something at higher rez doesn't make it more lifelike, it just makes less aliasing - which - sure is important, but so many other things make them closer to realism than simply rendering at 1080p

[system22]

if we are speaking in terms of pure visual candy, i don't think resolution is as important as other "next gen" capabilities. things like ambient occlusion, global illumination, caustics, ray tracing, refraction, subsurface scattering, better simulations like water, cloth, better/more particle effects including volumetric smoke with dynamic lighting etc... things last gen couldn't really consider at any resolution. resolution is good but all it gets you is cleaner lines. im more impressed with all of these other effects that make scenes become more lifelike. if that comes at the expense of 100 or so vertical lines, so be it.

[S2Killinit]

not that Im not buying it, I just want to buy the better version. anything wrong with that?

[johny5]

I not buying it because it looks repetitively boring and there are last gen games that are better looking! "GTA iV/V"

[uth11]

I can't conceive of not buying a game just because of its resolution, or just because it's not 60fps.

That said- 1080p is the native res of HD TVs, and games will look best at that resolution (sharpest- when you have to scale the video, it usually blurs somewhat), so 1080p should be the goal. If they can't reach it, there's probably good reason.

[JediDiah]

Try buying a new fancy car and find out it has roll up windows.

[j0ncap125]

Whoever wrote this article wouldn't be asking this question if games were coming out in 480p and being upscaled to 1080. Just saying.

[biggie2316]

I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this but here it goes. As a gamer I do not think it is unreasonable to expect developers to give us a great looking game. In this day and age we as gamers should hold developers feet to the fire and say give us the best looking and story driven game,even if it is only able to be done on one platform or the other.I am so sick of spending money and getting a half ass game because the other console can't do it. In return game makers should be holding the feet of the console companies feet to the fire and say hey you want us to be able to make this game for you then give us the tools to do it. We have standards and minimums and they should be expect with the next gen consoles. They are next gen for a reason if I want a game that looks like crap I will play it on my old console.

[GeraltofRivia]

i am never buying a multiplatform game on a console again. above 1080p works great for me.

[JCOLE13195]

I don't know who wouldn't buy a game over its resolution. That's just ridiculous.

[kewlkat007]

I have never not purchased a game because it was not 1080p or 720p..

Currently playing games on psvita,360, wiiu,ps3 and my only nextgen console Xbox one.

I know the visual differences between all these platforms and it all about that game that does not exist on the other is why I play.

Nextgen is in the first quarter.(football analogy) While I do not think it has been a major leap so far from last gen so far its wait to be seen what new games and experiences it shall bring.

If I only cared about graphics I'd only game on pc exclusively.

[punctualdork]

I couldn't agree more. If graphics are your main concern you would probably be better served computer gaming.

[Necro_559]

Infamous SS is 1080p though. Why would it be brought up in context of resolution and Ryse and Watch Dogs.

[Delsin_Rowe]

Yes not buying a game due to its resolution Because I got bored, I really don't like to play for story just for the graphics. Said no one ever. I buy a game just for story, its non sense buying games for graphics.

[urwifeminder]

Simply not buying cause I don't like mobile phones and they feature heavily in this game lol,if I did want it though I would get for it to be on PC the best possible copy money can buy massive textures and rez but as it stands will pick up at $5 steam sale.

[kakashi81]

It's either wait for DX12 update or get a PS4 for me. I supported the xbox systems and defending it for quite some time, I just want everything at the ready when I decide to purchase one.

[quenomamen]

Are you seriously going to buy the under performing version of a game when you can enjoy the better version instead for the same price ? Should be the title.

Funny how now we're supposed to accept the worse version of a video game. All you guys screaming how we should shut up and just play the game. Do you also accept inferior things in other aspects of your life or do try and get the best for your money ? You guys wearing Pro Wings from Payless instead of Pumas or Nikes ? Are they not both just shoes ? Do you buy decent jeans or the $10 dollar denim from the Flea Market ? They're just jeans ?

Do still play your games on a 19" CRT that weighs 100lbs ? Why not it's just a TV ?
Why do you own a $2000 gaming PC ? Why did you just upgrade to a $400 video card ?
Didn't the $200 one you had before play the game as we'll ?

Why did you buy an X1 ? Watchdogs is coming out on the 360 as we'll ?
Point is we want the best we can afford, but now we should just accept the inferior product and enjoy it ??? Bunch of hypocrites, buy Watchdogs on the last gen console sand enjoy it, it's the game the matters anyway !

[Meltic]

its not the resolution its the lying im tired of it. They said from the beginning it would run on 60 fps and 1080 p. And dont get us excited and then let us down.

[MasterCornholio]

Depends on the resolution. I bought a next gen system because I wanted an upgrade in the visuals of my games. Thats why we buy new hardware. For me this gen is all about 1080P with 900P being acceptable for me. I refuse to buy any game on my PS4 that runs below 900P because 720P looks extremely blurry to me. I can tell the difference easily because I use a computer monitor to play my games on.

P.S I dont mind the graphics being crap because as long as the game is fun its acceptable to me. Like Wolfenstein for example. The game runs in 1080P 60FPS but it looks like a last gen game but I'm still getting it.

[Krosis]

Last gen, this wasn't an issue. When PC gamers mentioned resolution a d fps, console gamers mewled "graphics don't matter! It's all about the story and gameplay!"
Now, that a console has FINALLY managed HD 1080p etc graphics it's this ground breaking criteria. With one console still lacking 60fps predominantly, it is used now as flamebait (fits with the two-kids-in-a-sandbox mentality).
If "obviously you buy the best version" is now truth--then that is, and always will be PC.
In 2-3 years, I'd be surprised if the consoles could still manage 60fps as their hardware limitations are magnified with every passing year.

[rsnotz]

I remember reading an article some time back about the whole 1080p and wondering why in the world would this matter so much that some people would not buy a game, when we went thru a whole 10 years with 720p. Games still sold and we still enjoyed them.

Yes I know hardware has gotten more powerful and we all want a higher resolution and framerate but I always thought we play the games for the gameplay. Yes graphics, resolution matter but I can only see a problem if it was 480p.

Just my opinion. Frankly if I can play the game and have fun, 1080p or 900p doesn't really matter.

[punctualdork]

I guess I couldn't really care less about graphics, resolutions, or framerates. I just want a game with a decent story and fun gameplay. Hopefully Watch_Dogs will nail that.

Pretty much the same philosophy I've held since the days of Atari when we had to imagine what little square blobs were instead of them being rendered in near photo-realism.

[shuuwai]

meh. 1080p is so late 90s, 4k is where game resolutions needs to be now.

/s

I'm fine with 720, but I want 60fps with 4k. -_-;; no bake pre-render animation and background either, no bake lighting either. everything live. -_-;;

/rolleye

[KinjoTakemura]

It's important to a point. I'd still buy The last of us if it ran at 30fps and was 720p, but it would probably have more content due to the freed up space.