Sakaguchi: HD graphics are “excessive” for videogames

The Last Story director, Hironobu Sakaguchi, believes that developers worry too much about high-quality graphics, when their attention should be given to other aspects of their games.

[PersonMan]

True!

[JohnnyMann420]

I agree with him. All the guy is saying is that Gameplay should always be first and foremost in a game and that graphics should only be used to enhance already good gameplay.

[-Alpha]

Too bad the biggest games this gen focus on the opposite

[AngryTypingGuy]

Graphics are somewhat important because when you play video games, you are stepping into a virtual world. The better the graphics are, the more immersed in that world you will be. That being said though, graphics are the icing on the cake.

Gameplay and story are the two most important aspects to most games. A game with great gameplay and story but crappy graphics can still be considered a good game, however, a game with great graphics that has an awful gameplay and story experience will be considered a dud every time.

[Autodidactdystopia]

Color is "Excessive" for Tv

lol

[ozstar]

Actually story is also irrelevant.

[MaxXAttaxX]

He means that developer focus on graphics is getting excessive.

[Army_of_Darkness]

naw, I disagree... In this Generation and next, I expect at least decent graphics for all games cause if it plays and looks terrible( such as dragon age on consoles) gameplay and story wont help it personally... This just sounds like an excuse to let a visually ugly looking game of his slide from low marks on graphics because if his game was as great looking as KZ3, gears3 or uncharted 2 I'm sure he wouldn't be saying these things;)

[JohnnyMann420]

Pfft c'mon you guys.. a pretty piece of sh*t is still a piece of sh*t!

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

It's funny how people think it gotta be one thing or the other... Why can't we have good graphics, gameplay and story? You know, just like we judge everything when it's about music, movies or books... It doesn't matter if it has one great character or some really nice effects if everything else sucks.

When I read gamers saying "story is irrelevant" or "gameplay first, everything else isn't important", just buying into the "focus" crap, that's the moment I see that games won't ever evolve as a media.

I mean the production costs keep rising, the business is a lot more serious today and there's more money being generated here than in Hollywood, sure, but little has changed from the 80's in everything else.

I'm not saying gaming shouldn't be about having fun, it should, but it's supposed to entertain too. Games are not toys, they don't need to be that limited.

[Bigpappy]

It depends on the type of game you are making. Mario does not need HD, but Gears and Skyrim do.

I think this attitude is a cop out. I you want to stay with 32 bit graphics so you don't have to spend the extra time and money, I understand that. But when you do, take the Nintendo route and ask less for the games. Just dont expect to be a big player in the core market. The core fight over every pixel.

[slayorofgods]

Too bad The Last Story is on the Wii. It just isn't a console I envision selling a lot of rpg games on. But don't get me wrong I really like Sakaguchi and his games and would buy The Last Story in a hart beat, just not on the Wii.

[Tommykrem]

Agree! I think this generation can largely be summed up by the generation animation won at the expense of responsive gameplay. Games that balance responsive gameplay and great animation well, include Gears of War and Uncharted, but in games like FIFA and Assassin's Creed you generally have to wait for animations to prepare the action you want when you've pressed a button. Thankfully it's not as bad as it sounds. FIFA and AC are great games, but sometimes it can get a bit tiresome.

[reynod]

Well i am a PC gamer and while graphics are one of the corner stones f PC gaming. I will agree gameplay over graphics. I have been playing Dota for the last few months. Its a mod for a 10 year old game. However its bloody amazing. It has managed to keep my attention over many of todays block buster titles.

Hence yea Gameplay > Graphics, though sure graphics do complement gameplay.

[sikbeta]

And that's why he's not running Square anymore and his company is about to crash and burn :D

[BABY-JEDI]

Let's throw away Blue Ray & go back to Video cassette's.. Infact let's just get rid of mobiles/touch screen/ 3D/ dancing monkeys & all other good things out there...
LoL

[RedDead]

I've come to believe, Graphics are simply a bonus. I have replayed(and played) many games from Snes - Ps2 over the last 2-3 years. I have no doubt that the graphics simply don't bother me, because everything else is so good. Aesthetics and music were always good enough to pull you into the world, now graphics is just another addition to that. Have I had a better time with the classics from the past than most of todays games? Yes, yes I have.

[Knushwood Butt]

He should be more concerned about why his recent games haven't sold very well.

[Kalowest]

"why his recent games haven't sold very well"
So what's you point, they're still great games.

[Knushwood Butt]

Point is that he isn't running a charity.

[OhMyGandhi]

I hope this wasn't an epiphany for him...this conversation has been going on for ages.

I don't agree with better graphics or better gameplay. A game with bad graphics can have good gameplay and the other way around, but the main question is, what -defines- good gameplay?

is it a matter of "fun factor" or "tight controls" or "feel good game mechanics" or "rewarding gameplay"....

or is it level design, character development? or a fresh take on an existing game trope? or is it enemy design and A.I.?

Sakaguchi asks a fundamental question in terms of when a game becomes entirely about eye candy, but for me personally, I think that gameplay is determined entirely within the context of the game.

A game like COD is fun because you kill and get rewarded in many different ways, but does it leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling like that of a game by Tim Shafer or earlier Naughty Dog/Insomniac/Sucker Punch titles? no. COD works well within the context of the game itself, a serious minded, take-no-prisoners blockbuster that creates tense situations and a story that is meant to replicate (as well as possible) reality.

In my opinion, game themes and moods have changed drastically. It seems like games need to be insanely serious to be taken seriously (exceptions exist, of course, Mario titles come to mind). But if it has just a hint of humor, it's not a major title anymore, and should be deemed an "indie title" due to it's lack of taking things seriously.

I don't like thinking that a game like ilomilo could not exist as a retail release solely due to it's light hearted-ness, but in terms of many videogames nowadays: if you aren't making a serious game, you aren't taking the industry seriously.

[Snookies12]

Not sure why you got so many dislikes... Do people really value graphics more than anything else in a game? If so, it's a sad day to be a gamer.

Give me ps2 graphics, a great gameplay system and a story that'll blow me away. I'll pay 60 bucks for it, I couldn't care less what the graphics look like, and if you were around back in the nes/snes era you wouldn't (shouldn't) either.

[hellzsupernova]

this man speaks the truth. for me its story - gameplay - graphics

[joab777]

One game releases with amazing graphics and every game in its genre, at least must follow suit. This is unfortunate but we are the reason. Until they are maxed out and look like real life, it will always be a major priority. Its like curb appeal as it helps to sell the game. If we see a gorgeous game, we will most likely buy it. If its average, we don't buy it unless later on we find out that its really good.

Companies just are not willing to take the risk elsewhere. Also, this Gen has been the Gen of sequels and graphics upgrades are a must for any sequel. We want gta5 to be next Gen because we can't wait to see how an entire city could look with some more power under the hood. It is too bad but it is real. I was put off by dragon ages graphics on Xbox. If the story and gameplay were not so good, i would have dropped it immediately. It grew on me but i was never fully satisfied. On the flip side, dragon age 2 was bearable because it looked much better despite having weaker elements.

I do agree that i would rather play a great decent looking game over a gorgeous average game.

[AWBrawler]

Several times I have said exactly what he is saying, but miyamoto said it best: people will play a mediocre game if it has pretty graphics.
This is whats wrong with modern gaming as a whole.

[sly-Famous]

See all the disagrees? 90% from PC gamers.

[mabreu]

Very true. I love games on the PC but I don't care about how much pretty pixels a certain game has on my screen. Just make it fun and have faith in visual artist who can turn crap into masterpieces.

Visual realism in games are like icing on the cake. If the cake taste horrible then you've wasted time and money on frosting.

[WildStyles]

Nothing wrong with HD graphics. Just make sure the gameplay is good.

[soundslike]

If he was simply saying "HD graphics = bad" he wouldn't have worded it the way he did.

[cyborg6971]

I'm thinking something was lost in translation.

[MaxXAttaxX]

He meant that the developer focus on graphics is becoming excessive.

[StifflerK]

HD graphics are nice , but game play should always be more important.

[FinaLXiii]

Naughty Dog doesnt seem to have a problem with that.

[-Alpha]

I actually disagree with that. Uncharted puts more emphasis on presentation and cinematics than gameplay. QTE's, platforming, and shooting aren't anything special.

Compare that to the gameplay of Jak and Crash games where boss fights were actually creative, and gameplay was all around more solid and interesting. I can replay those games more times than Uncharted, because Uncharted's gameplay is very scripted and the second time around doesn't allow for any more creativity in gameplay.

[FinaLXiii]

"gameplay. QTE's, platforming, and shooting arent anything special"

So what makes Jak and Crash special? lol

[TheGameFoxJTV]

@Hojo, the Uncharted games are just pretty Shooter with decent writing. The gameplay is very generic. Older games did offer much more in terms of gameplay, that's the exact reason I still play my PS2 and PC more than I play my 360 or PS3.

[FinaLXiii]

@TheGameFoxJTV Uncharted 1,2,3 may be sripted in many parts of the game but dont forget there´s multiplayer and co-op to add up that non-sripted gameplay where the singleplayer doesnt do so much.

Just admit you prefer a game that is more based around platforming than shooting.

[xtreampro]

UC has to be ND worst franchise and hope TLOU turns out to be much better.

UC feels so limited compared to J&K, even their Crash games gave you that massive world feeling.

[badz149]

the hate for Uncharted is rampant here. if it's so "generic", which game doesn't?

"QTE's, platforming, and shooting arent anything special" - why fix something that is not broken? why the emphasis on it must be "something special"? seriously, that is the most retarded excuse to downplay the series.

"Uncharted's gameplay is very scripted and the second time around doesn't allow for any more creativity in gameplay."

that's not true at all! since U2, there's more that 1 way to infiltrate the many areas in the game. of course you need to approach enemies differently in different difficulty settings and even in the same setting, playing it the 2nd time around still gives you the option to go all out or stealth kill. don't pretend that you've played the game more than anybody else because I myself play every one of Uncharted at least 3 times and always tackle enemies in different ways!

[specialguest]

Everything was solid except the plot. The plot seemed like it was inspired by different movies we've all seen before, almost cliche-ish. In addition, the characters didn't make me want to care too much about them.

There are games from the 16bit pixel era that drew more empathy from me towards the characters and their story. Similar to a book, when you don't have good graphics to rely on, it is up to the developers to have strong character development and plot to keep it thrilling and engaging.

All in all, I still thought the UC series deserved the score it got for the stronger points of the game.

[_Aarix_]

Uncharteds presentation and story is practically top notch with amazing and impressive visuals but gameplay wise..theres nothing original or...good. Now games they made like crash bandicoot, ill take those over uncharted anyday of the week.

[MsclMexican]

Huh.... I tend to play games for narrative more than gameplay.

I mean, with gameplay, it really is hard to innovate/change anything once you have come across a winning formula that people like. Im guessing thats why games like COD stay the same, because they feel that by doing something radical, it will scare away consumers...

which is all activision cares about.

But at the same time, a great game must do it all well. Graphics, gameplay, story... that makes a great game.

Games like Uncharted, Bioshock, Metal Gear, Halo, Red Dead, Zelda, Mass Effect, you can argue do not innovate or change anything... but they do it all very well...

which is why these games are loved by so many.

I mean if a game has great gameplay, but a crappy story and graphics.... it might drive people away.

If a game has great graphics but crappy story and gameplay, it will drive people away

And if a game has a great story, but bad graphics and bad gameplay.. once again it will drive some people away.

The indie game market is allowed to make these risks due to the cost of their games, but if one of the big $59.99 games only suceeds in one of the 3 departments, it will drive people away.

Those games I stated before do it all well, which is why most of them get game of the year.

If it can all be done well it is a great game that many can approach, and each although not many people notice them brought something new to the table.

Uncharted- Showed how well character's can affect how much people care for the game, which is why a lot of people love Uncharted

Bioshock- This world was one of the most unique places in gaming, and brought themes that were not ventured in games before

Metal Gear- Became the pinnacle of cinematic experiences

Halo- Created a rich sci-fi universe

Read Dead- The first well done "western" game

Mass Effect- Showed the pinnacle of Biowares branching conversation system

if it only does one or two, like I stated before, people will be driven away due to the lack of what they look for

[Megaman_nerd]

tell that to Square-Enix please, maybe they could listen to you and stop ruining the FF franchise. If only they stopped their obsession with graphics and started to create a really good game instead of mediocre pretty games then they could come out of the hole they are themselves digging.

An by "excessive" what Sakaguchi is really saying is that HD graphics lets you reproduce exactly what you want but at the same time by giving too much detail you kinda ruin other elements but that he has no words to explain this clearly.

[Megaman_nerd]

this is his complete quote:

"Now that high-quality graphics rule supreme, you can reproduce what you want to communicate visually, but at the same time, I don’t know how to put this, but there’s an element that’s slightly excessive about it all…"

"The player ends up being able to see things you’d have preferred not to show them.
You end up communicating too much to the player. This is why I now feel that we’re at a turning point."

I really don't know why people have turned this into another argument about graphics vs gameplay when that is not the point. =/

[LightofDarkness]

This is mainly an issue with Japanese devs during this generation, from what I (and many others) have observed. They seem to have struggled far more than Western Developers in adopting and successfully employing HD/High Resolution graphics in modern games, in both a timely manner and without having to reduce the time spent on gameplay.

Some studios have done quite well; KojiPro, for instance, have managed to create some pretty open-ended gameplay and very pleasant graphics to the same level as western developers. They did fall into the presentation trap, however, with a huge array of cutscenes that far out-last the gameplay (a paltry 5-6 hours worth).

But really, this is more indicative of Japanese developers falling behind in the production of modern games than a problem with hi-definition gaming.

[Godmars290]

Yes, and if you really look at the situation you'd see that "success" isn't exactly that. FFXIII lacked several basic mechanics. MGS4 had major programming and loading issues - which many still chide it for - as well as a number of other examples which gamers often complain about yet don't recognize for what they are.

Both Japanese and Western devs have had issues with HD. Its just amazing that many gamers don't or wont understand it.

[PirateThom]

MGS4's installs were a necessary evil, but it needed the option to install it all to the HDD in one go.

Look at the time it takes to load a texture via the menu in MGS3 and then the real time camo change in MGS4. It also removed the automatic transitions with load screens to "press start" screens between areas, but, functionally, it behaves the same way.

MGS4 behaved exactly as intended, MGO was another matter.

[BuffMordecai]

I'm ready for some HD graphics, this generation has had some nice games but they also come with low res textures, 30fps, screen tearing, drops in frame rate, etc.

[AWBrawler]

These kind of comments is why "Hardcore" gamers are seen as Cry babies by the casuals. I have many casual friends who play party games with me and Smash Bros, who scratch their heads and ask why are they always complaining about that "stupid stuff" when they see me on N4G.

It's truly sad that the casuals seem to be able to enjoy a good game more than the "Hardcore" with out nitpicking for problems in graphics, framerates, anti-aliasing, and what not

[BuffMordecai]

I couldn't care less about what casuals think, I'm just stating some problems with current games today. I enjoy all kinds of games, new and old, but a person would have to be blind not to notice problems associated with trying to push ancient hardware.

[hyabusha]

Stick with Nintendo then...

[ExCest]

Yea, but they look SOOOOOO NICCCEEE! no sarcasm

[LegendarySins]

Well its definitely not true for sim racing fans realsim is better.

[ozstar]

Realism is boring. Thanks for encouraging all games to be more boring.

[pandaboy]

lazy sakaguchi at it again

[floetry101]

Lazy Sakaguchi? Oh right, yeah the same lazy Sakaguchi that conceptualised some of the greatest RPG's ever made. The same Sakaguchi that introduced and inspired you to play games in the first place. The same Sakaguchi that has allowed your lazy ass to sit and play his games for hundreds of hours in your lifetime.

Have some damn respect. The guy creates games so chumps like yourself can be lazy.

[pandaboy]

haha, just a joke dude. Take it easy old boy.

[listenkids]

"Worry too much" Maybe in Japan and that's why they can;t make games this gen for shit, herp 10 years later we get FFvs13, no wonder he stuck with last gen.

[chadboban]

He stuck with last gen (aka Wii) because Nintendo now owns the majority share of his company Mistwalker. Oh and he did make Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon for the 360.

[YoungKingDoran]

the wiiu should get a couple of awesome RPGs with monolith and mistwalker

[HurstDarkStar]

I think the focus on graphics has caused this generations to be a bit boring.I mean who cares how pretty something is when you don't enjoy what your playing.... there's a good reason still love their old games isnt there?

[Nitrox]

Not sure how he figures that incorporating HD graphics have such a profound effect on game-play or storytelling... Don't very different people work on those? Like an artist creating the graphics, and another person working on the story, another tweaking the control system...

Shouldn't a focus on graphics only result in pushing a release date back since it is a completely separate process?

[FrigidDARKNESS]

I think next gen console we will get the best of both world. Developers will have a lot more memory to work with to invent and improve gameplay along with 1080p HD.

[Mikhail]

He has a point. What makes a game memorable is not the graphics but rather the story and the gameplay. A game with all of the sophisticated textures and effects would be forgotten after 4 years as technology would move on and give games some new eye candy to play upon.

[maniacmayhem]

No reason why a game can't have both.

[TacoTaru]

I recall reading several different sources that said the bulk of game development now goes to developing the graphics. One interview with a SqEnix guy had him saying that the new games will never be as "big" as even the ps1 games because of the cost of developing the graphics. And I know that people complain if the graphics are re-used in multiple areas.

[mayberry]

Killzone2 has both.

[Tose]

Lawl. No it doesn't.

[mayberry]

vast majority of gamers agree that it does. v v

[jc48573]

i have a good feeling they're aiming to release the gasme in the US

[Tzuno]

Pure epic words.

[LoaMcLoa]

I can actually compare this game graphically to a HD-game :) I just think it looks that good.

But then again, I don't care that much for graphics. I'm all for gameplay and story!

[Mrmagnumman357]

Everything i heard makes me love pc even more. Crysis has great gameplay, a good story, and incredible graphics, same for metro 2033, BF3 and a lot of games

[Genki]

I completely disagree. This is akin to saying photographic companies concentrate too much on optical quality, and should focus more on the other aspects of photography. If this were true, we would still be shooting pinhole cameras and Daguerreotypes.

I believe that devs should put forth 100% effort towards ALL aspects of gaming. Those of you who say things like "graphics don't matter" or "it's all about gameplay" are fooling yourselves and you need to grow up. Such sentiment is absolutely disrespectful to the people who work hard to make our games look great, and graphics add immersion to our games.

[kevnb]

ya, devs are always trying to push the consoles too far and the framerates suffer.

[PersonMan]

And don't forget screen tearing. I'll put up with less than stellar graphics as long as it doesn't tear, I can't stand it. What's the point in making a game that only looks good when not moving?

This is why I have to play Assassin's Creed on PC.

Gameplay should be the main focus on games, but instead, it's all about graphics now-a-days and more of the budget is spent on making it pretty.

There are just way too many games that are dull, boring and lifeless (LA Noire). Speaking of LA Noire... I love the graphics, but I hate the boring repetitive play and then when you're done the story, there's NOTHING to do in that giant city except run around and try to knock people over. LA is lifeless in that game. Rockstar does a much better job at delivering a convincing living, breathing city.

[GraveLord]

It the reason Call of Duty is such a mega-franchise. They put gameplay over graphics. Same goes for Wii Sport and Mario Kart.

[Hudahudahuda]

Yeah, but they havnt updated the gameplay either.

[Moerdigan]

yeah, Square Enix recently showed off their next gen engine for games and I was not excited, because it would not improve in the way of the actuall games they been making as of late except for just looks.

[Genecalypse]

Good graphics and good gameplay are not mutually exclusive. You can have both!

[mayberry]

"Good graphics and good gameplay are not mutually exclusive. You can have both"

Killzone 2 says hi!

[FutureTechnologies]

Well I just hope 720p is not here to stay for the next 10 years, I mean 8K TV's will be releases by then (8K is 32X the resolution of 720p).

[yezz]

yeah but are you planning to buy a 100-inch tv beacause only then you can benefit from that resolution? :O numbers arent always everything...

[FutureTechnologies]

Have fun with your blocky GFX

[Strikepackage Bravo]

talk about a lazy developer... The Japanese have fallen so far in game development, this is pathetic. Keep making excuses guys...

[smashcrashbash]

How did a comment on HD graphics become an attack on UC? Please don't start the 'Uncharted is generic' agreement again please. Lots of games are generic with a pretty coat of paint COD, Halo, MW3, Gear of War, Assassins Creed. Lets talk about them for once instead of the usual UC bashing by people that still can't get over the fact the UC series rocked. The critics liked them ,UC2 got tons of awards and people loved the characters enough to be disappointed when they don't get enough screen time, something most games can't boast. Get over it.

[turgore]

Don't see this guy as relevant in the modern gaming world.

[theeg]

current consoles should have a lot more 2d games in 1080p with creative mechanics, more games with static backrounds like onimusha (which, to this day looks better than some of those ugly, console games in sub-hd with the unreal engine). They cannot handle true 3d enviroments in 1080p obviously, thats why 95% of games are 720p or much less, and even then, the framerates suck and their are jaggies everywhere, i like a clean polished look, scale back the graphics a bit, stop trying to compete with pc, (consoles will never be close to what pc can do, it's a pipe dream, crysis from 2007 looks a generation ahead of uncharted 3 and anything the ps3 will ever make)

old schoool games like Trapt for ps2 were creative, took chances and we FUN! Were they amazing cinematic master pieces.....no, but they were fun.

games like gears and uncharted annoy me, the gameplay is medocre over this "serious, mature" storyline that comes off worse than some "B" sci fi movie that they only show at 1am staring some burnt out porn star.

one of the best console games this gen by far was demons souls.

it was hard, it was creative, it was deep, it had secrets, powerful items, bosses that you had to learn the mechanics of, and it didn't waste time telling me some story i could write a better version of in my head while i'm crapping.

uncharted, gears, halo, are all fun games, they could be more fun if they took chances and wasted less of my time on their idiotic stories, in uncharted 3, when the game went to the parts with "little drake", lol...i seriously almost fell out of my chair laughing at how retarded it was.

that series is going down the tubes, same with gears, i hope halo 4 comes out on next gen, actuallly looks good and has some creativity!!

[VsAssassin]

Sakaguchi has a point. If I had a Wii I would get The Last Story along with Xenoblade. However, I hope he doesn't rule out HD goodness in his future RPGs.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

Thank god finally someone else has the same idea that I've been preaching for 2 years!!!!!!!

[ziggurcat]

so... you're a luddite?

[fastNslowww]

Guy is trying to sound like he knows what he is on about, him pointing out the obvious is hilarious, like he is trying to look good to make up for his shitty sales.

Of course gameplay matters, but so do graphics...both are fine in combination and from what i can tell, the top graphical games seem to have top gameplay as well. These japanese developers seem butthurt course they don't have the scope of financial support to make similar games. IMO.

[Animals_as_Leaders]

I agree that graphics are not as important as gameplay.

But basic things like resolution, which require no specific programming relative to a lesser resolution, or frame rates, can always benefit from better hardware.

I think if next gen was 1080p 60 frames and a widescreen FOV, but with graphics the same as this gen, people would still be very happy.

[plato]

"I think if next gen was 1080p 60 frames and a widescreen FOV, but with graphics the same as this gen, people would still be very happy."

That's pretty much what PC gaming is right now...Just with better graphics.

[Animals_as_Leaders]

"*Just* with better graphics"

I think you underestimate how big the differences are in graphics.

Consoles are DX9...PC is DX11.

So not only do you have all the assets ( shadows, texture character models, draw distances, AF, AA, lighting ) all significantly better. But you also have all sorts of graphical features not on the consoles, soft shadows, advanced DOF, advances ambient occlusion, tessellation, much better shaders, 128bit HDR ( even crysis had it in 2007 ) but most console games don't even use HDR at all, and when they do it's a lesser form of 16bit HDR.

[plato]

@Animals

Pretty much what you said I agree with fully. I just kept it simple with my response and summed it up with "better graphics" ;-)

The truth is, "Next Generation" is already here for PC gamers depending on your setup.

What you currently see now on mid to high end PC rigs, is what gamers will be experiencing with these "Next Gen" consoles in the next 2+ years.

Now just imagine how powerful PC's will be by then...

[JadedWriter]

Considering my penchant for PS 2 JRPG's I would say he's got a point. With my current favorite games being Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Persona 4, Persona 3 and Final Fantasy X. Don't get me now I like some of the current gen stuff with Resonance of Fate and Valkryia Chronicles being my favs, but most of today's games aren't as good as the past gens. I'm leaving this opinion exclusive to the JRPG genre since this is where Sakaguchi makes his bread and butter and to hopefully not get ambushed by some people on this site.

[gamer7804]

Unfortunately what he's saying can't be more untrue as a blanket statement.

It very much depends on the style of game and goal of the developers.

Sure for some games gameplay is far more important.

But in games like Skyrim, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake etc, creating a believable, breathing world to get lost in is extremely important.

[Enigma_2099]

"The Last Story director, Hironobu Sakaguchi, believes that developers worry too much about high-quality graphics, when their attention should be given to other aspects of their games."

I'm in complete agreement with you Sakaguchi, but I still have to add...

.. this is coming from the guy who worried too much about the money Microsoft was throwing at him, when his attention could have been given to making good multiplatform games..."

[Rai]

totally agree, FF13 is a prime example of what hes talking about. its a really pretty game but the gameplay is quite shallow and the story is wasn't on par. I would say Lost Odyssey was probably the only JRPG I liked this gen and it looks nothing like FF13 but the story was better and the gameplay was better.

[Incipio]

Gameplay is definitely first, but it is proven that aesthetic appeal in a game is important. That cannot be ignored.

[tubers]

Hmm.. haven't played a game with the highest tier of graphics that had mindblowing-ly boring and useless gameplay.

(UC, Crysis Series, Metro, BF, Batman, etc.)

Even games like Infinity Blade seems very enjoyable.

Then again, everything's subjective.

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

Lol... These old Japanese game makers, and their old school antics. A dying breed I tell ya.

Make way with the New School.

[MWH]

i don't know what "new school" is to you kid, but if it's students are like you then it sucks spider balls.

what a pitiful lack of respect and intellect, that i tell ya.

[SuperBeast811]

well I didnt pay all this money for a PS3 and 360 and HD TV to get last gen games

[bunfighterii]

I think a bit of this statement is lost in translation. Japanese is full of subtle nuances that when translated literally take on a different meaning.

[MWH]

i have a lot of respect to Hironobu Sakaguchi, he's one of the industry's founding father. and although i do understand what he means but i'd like to just and humbly express that Visual fidelity is important but not on the expense of the 2 most important aspects of a game and these are: gameplay and story.

if a game already got a solid story and gameplay at hand there's no reason why it shouldn't also deliver appealing visuals, everything counts for the best overall experience.

on the other hand, some developers can't come up with good gameplay and stories even if they tried therefore they may try to cover for it with nice graphics.

so i think the keywords here are Creativity and Balance.

[DFresh]

Why can't you have both?
If games take longer to make because of that then so be it.
I didn't just spend all of that money buying an HDTV, Gaming PC and a PS3 to get outdated SD crap.

[Rayko]

The problem is not HD graphics. The problem is lack of fantasy. Why do we see games like Call Of Duty and Modern Warfare every single year. Why are the top 10 list always dominated by FPS and millitary shooters. Why is masterpiece franshice Resident Evil turning into a horrible millitary action game?

There are your problems. I kind of lost interest in games this gen because of all those millitary and FPS games, they are no fun. Just a matter of time when we'll see Mario using a shotgun as well, throwing grenades at Russian soldiers, JESUS!

[Kos-Mos]

No shait. Of course, just look at gears, gow, cod, gta, me, killzone, halo. These are weekend games without depth.

[kingPoS]

Finally..It's about time time someone saw it that way!
The ps2 era had good games nvm that it's rival had
usually had better graphics.

[galmi]

Bless you Sakaguchi-San, that's why I have always said the there is nothing special about god of war3 and the uncharted series, just average games that sell cuz they look good not cuz they give exceptional gameplay nor distinctive storytelling. I loved lost odyssey, you could actually feel Kaim's pain and troubles when you play the game and follow the story. and without him the ff series has gone to shit really, I hope developers focus more on gameplay and storytelling in the future and not just how many polygons can i push into a disc while only allowing the gamer to watch the game play itself half of the time. What happened to games like grandia, tales of vesperia, silent bomber, vanguard bandits. tlus have made and published some of the some the best games with creative gameplay elements that are weird but just satisfying, developers need to go back to that...

[ndl1531]

they both matter . graphics and gameplay . first of all if graphics didn't matter then we all might as well just play our nes and scrap all your ps3s and 360s right ? cause graphics dont matter right ? wrong . what makes atmosphere ? what makes the world you play in ? what lets you interact in it? GRAPHICAL POWER . without it you could not make these beautiful worlds that we get lost in . ofcorse then comes gameplay . what good is a beutiful world if your character plays like crap? THEY GO HAND IN HAND . THEY ALL MATTER . GRAPHICS . STORY . GAMEPLAY . i think graphics are important . just look at were games have come in the past 20 years ? you all think they are packing these consoles with power for nothing ? look at the psvita basically a ps3 in your hands just a beautiful piece of technology . but what good would it be if it had nes specs huh? because graphics dont matter right ? please ive been through 30 wonderful years of gaming and im looking forward to the future of video games not the past

[Khronikos]

Apparently, many Japanese devs just don't want to code anymore in the GFX department and I for one am getting pretty sick of it.

Sorry, but we have entered the HD market dude. We are moving on. PC has been moving on for quite some time now. If you cannot catch up then you fall back.

GFX are pretty much more important than a lot of things when it comes to immersion and one reason I now have a nice PC and xpadder/DS3 tool as I can just play with my pad. Sorry, but only the best devs on PS3 stand out and the Wii..... HAHAHAHA.

[honkyjesus]

Graphics only sell consoles, bring in new game generations, etc. If he understood how hard it is to get these machines to pump out this stuff instead of "directing" a video game he wouldn't say this jap crap.

[adamant715]

People go out and say:

"HD graphics are nice , but game play should always be more important."

Then go out and buy the new CoD game.

lolwtf?

[Enigma_2099]

If it makes you feel better, I've never played a Call of Duty game.

[Parasyte]

I agree. Pretty graphics are nice, but gameplay and story should come first. Look at a game like Borderlands for example, it was cel-shaded and is one of my favorite games of all time!

Remember the old saying; You can polish a turd, but it's till a turd.

[Tanir]

this coming from the guy that is making the only game on Wii that actually looks Sorta Current gen compared to the gamecube and ps2.

last story is the most beautiful game the wii has, yet graphics are excessive? odd.

[CanadianTurtle]

I disagree. Without amazing HD graphics, Killzone3 would've only been half the experience of what it was. Same with Uncharted 3, Resistance 3.

HD is a industry standard now, for the Xbox and PS3.

Its too late going back.

[ForROME]

Dear Mr Sakaguchi

you are a tard for having said that

Yours Truly

ForRome