It's Not About the Gameplay to Gamers, It's About the Graphics

Charlie writes:

"Gamer’s should stop denying this fact and realise that all they care about is the graphics. I’ve seen it so many times when I hear that all gamers seem to want is the next generation of consoles, when what we have so far is just fine. Look at the graphics that games like Uncharted 3, Halo: Reach and Battlefield 3 brought. I hear that people want the next generation, but then I also hear so many gamers saying that the gameplay should come first, then the story. They don’t really mention graphics when they say something like this.

And think about it: what the heck is the next console even going to bring? A new console doesn’t ‘really’ bring better gameplay mechanics you know.

And don’t take what I said and think to yourself “Well I don’t think it’s about the graphics. This guy is wrong” because I do not speak for all of you. Not all of you think the way I think and not all of you think the way the gamers I just described think."

[JellyJelly]

COD begs to differ.

[Kran]

I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry.

But just for even mentioning those three letters, people's gonna spam you.

Because CoD is neither gameplay or graphics. Its about the $$$

[h311rais3r]

It all about the money money money

[Gaming101]

CoD has smooth easy gameplay that presents little challenge, why do you think so many people love it? People buy it because of that reason, if it had sh*tty graphics with sh*tty gameplay noone would buy it fool.

[Tr10wn]

Gamers get money from COD????

[Awesome_Gamer]

Fact: Story & Gameplay > Graphics

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

I don't know why JellyJelly got any disagree...

[THESONYPS3]

Im so sick and tired of people hating Cod, if you dont like dont play it or rant about it or do you have nothing better o do? thought so...

[aCasualGamer]

When a new console launches, you can bet your ass i'm gonna look at the graphical advancements.

Graphics and presentation is a big part of the game for me. For those who differ from my point of view, good for you. But i would be lying to myself if i didn't say that i reaaaaally enjoy graphically advanced console games like God of War 3, Uncharted 2 and 3, Heavy Rain, Killzone 3 etc.

[CommonSense]

cuz COD doesn't have good gameplay. it has gameplay that is specifically designed for mass appeal.

i don't agree that graphics make the game. but i do think that a good developer will utilize every advantage including graphics and physics (eg, Half-Life 2).

having said that, i do have a graphical expectation from certain genres...doesn't mean they have to be top notch. and it definitely doesn't mean gameplay can be bad in exchange for graphics.

if gameplay sucks, i don't play. if graphics suck, it's up in the air.

[firefoxprime]

I dunno about that. My friends and I just slugged it out on SuperSmashBros(N64), FIFA-98'(N64), and Perfect Dark(N64).

Then we jumped over to the PS2 for some good ole Time Splitters: Future Perfect.

These are all old games spanning from 7 to 15 years old. Gameplay 4tw.

[MarkusMcNugen]

@firefoxprime Unless you play those games all the time, that's more nostalgia than anything else.

[orange-skittle]

Stop being a hater and trying to gather cool points. Even though I hate COD, it does have good gameplay and nice graphics. I think the author has graphics and animation mixed up. You can have a game with great graphics and mediocre animation(Mass Effect 3)and another with great animation with mediocre graphics and be fun(Call of Duty)

[GamingPerson]

cod is a billion dollar selling low budget game.
no dedi servers, bad hit detection, not hd, bad spawning = low budget. yes I am trolling about cod because it is the troll of the industry..

[Tr10wn]

The trolls always win :D

[CommonSense]

might wanna reassess your definition of "trolling" cuz i don't see any trolling in your comment. the term trolling really just needs to die because nobody seems to know what it means anymore.

trolling is when you say something that you know isn't true for the purpose of getting a rise out of people. for example...if you went to a catholic forum and said that the pope is an atheist, that would be trolling.

saying something like "cod sucks" is an opinion and you are welcome to it. even if EVERYONE else disagrees, it's not trolling. people's opinions have nothing to do with trolling. everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[snipes101]

It's actually a pretty solid reinforcement for the guy's argument. Just the fact that you brought it up is.

Think about it, the game gets thrashed by the more attentive video game crowd for being ugly and running on outdated tech. The graphics are just another part of the gaming public's hatred for it.

Most of the people that buy the game at this point arent even necessarily gamers anymore, theyre people going along with a fad. To them, the graphics arent much of an issue because, by traditional standards, they arent really gamers.

[MEsoJD]

I'm tired of people saying that they care about gameplay over graphics.... Instead of saying graphics, say art style. To me, each attribute to a game is of equal importance.

[kneon]

Art style plays a big part of it. Some games can have good graphics but use an art style that I despise.

For example I hate the character models used in Gears of War and Brink, they just rub me the wrong way. It wouldn't make any difference if these same character models were rendered at full 4k resolution, I'd still hate them.

[snipes101]

Graphics and art style are not quite the same thing though. Art style is the aesthetic of the game, the theme that the environments have and whatnot.

Graphics are just the things that make the art style look sharper.

[Tapioca Cold]

Nice point.

However, why is there always this ultimatum of a choice?

I'll take both, please.

I want next gen graphics and awesome gameplay. They go hand and hand.

[calibann]

You always notice the graphics before the gameplay. If the latter appeals to you, bad graphics won't stop you playing it. Breathtaking graphics only hold a gamers attention until they experience the gameplay, and from there we decide whether it's an enjoyable experience. Graphics will never mask bad gameplay, but good gameplay will always compensate for bad graphics.

[kevnb]

publishers think this, but games that focus on gameplay first always sell the best.

[geddesmond]

Its about Story, gameplay and Graphics. Always has been and always will be. You can't have a brilliant game that only has a good story but crap gameplay and graphics. On the same hand you can't have a great looking game but have the gameplay and story suck.

AAA games need to have a combination of all 3 and if a game fails in one of those then its an alright game.

To the author stop whinning. FYI new consols do bring better gameplay aspects to the table. Depending on the Memory and processors of the next consols, gaming companies can try new things that make the game run smoothly. Every consol has limitations and when those limitations are reached there is not much room to try new things.

This generation has brought a lot of new gameplay aspects to games that were only dreamed of the last 2 gens.

[kevnb]

it can be about story, but most successful games arent. This gen is a bit different, there have been some major story based games that have done well. But usually, its got to be about gameplay as many gamers will completely skip the story. Thats why we have many gamers that only play online games now, they hate these boring stories that 99% of games have.

[dantesparda]

i dont care what anybody on N4G says, but the CODs look good

[Muerte2494]

Once you complete me have the game play down then why not focus on graphics. God of war, Uncharted, Gears and Halo all did that. But you must have your game play mastered first before if you focus on graphics

[Ares84HU]

JellyJelly, you are right.

CoD doesn't have great graphics. It has ok graphics but it's very accessible and as much as people like to hate on it, it has great gameplay. People tend to hate on CoD because of the 12year olds online but keep on forgetting how great it works yet the graphics aren't even HD.

This journalist is very obnoxious for thinking that we gamers only care about graphics.

We appreciate great graphics for sure. Who doesn't?? But make no mistake, we go where there is great gameplay. I still play PS1 games a lot. Now beating Crash Bandicoot 1 again.

[R1CAN617]

Nowa days you kinda do have to have bleeding edge graphics to get gaming communitys attention.

[Kran]

This guy (R1CAN617) Just too true.

[Amazingmrbrock]

I think graphics only matter for initial sales close to release. It's strictly a gimmick, if you make a game pretty enough that nobody will notice the story till later, it will sell. Even the reviewers get blinded by it, usually the mention the story but all the categories they use to judge a game are relative, one aspect can be soooooo good that it will make up/ make you ignore the others.

While super excellent gameplay can afford to take a slower route, if it's executed literally perfectly the graphics could be placeholders and nobody would care. Just look at minecraft, or any blizzard game thats ten to twelve years old and is still on the shelf at many stores.

[Jazz4108]

I don't see how a series such as uncharted that goes for a pixel cartoon look is graphic pushing. I would think killzone or gears with its realistic graphics would fit that description better in my opinion.

[TheFirstClassic]

What? Pixel cartoon look? Sure we're talking bout Uncharted here?

[ShinMaster]

Pixel cartoon? Sounds more like Minecraft, not Uncharted.
However, Uncharted's art style and design not being grounded on photorealism isn't a bad thing by any means.

And although Killzone and Gears look great, you're confusing grittiness with realism (don't know why a lot of people do this).
GT5 looks realistic, for example.

[GarandShooter]

Wrong again. Gears is the textbook definition of 'over the top comic book' or 'Saturday morning cartoon' art style brought to video games. It is equally as 'cartoony' as any game out there. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's nowhere near realistic, graphically.

Killzone, while its character models aren't as over the top as Gears' burly men, falls into the same boat.

[Anon1974]

I disagree. Look at some of the highest selling games this gen. Mario Kart, New Super Mario Bros, Wii-play, Just dance 2, Mario Party 8, etc. You could argue that graphics matter to PS3/360 owners more, and I would agree, but to say that their the end all, be all to gamers simply isn't backed up by the facts. The Wii trounced both PS3 and 360 this gen. Gamers spoke with their wallets this gen and they resoundingly said that graphics were not their main focus.

In fact, no where in this article does he even acknowledge that the Wii exists. That's a rather big omission that basically scuttles his entire argument. What about the Wii's success? Doesn't that invalidate this entire article?

Edit below: Casual gamers aren't real gamers now? Again, I disagree. I don't care if you play minecraft or minesweeper, you're a gamer. I can't stand the elitism among some in the gaming community that say "Oh, those aren't real games or real gamers." Get over yourself. The majority of gamers in the world play, guess what? Casual games, facebook games, mobile games, etc. That doesn't make them less as gamers somehow because they don't play the same genres that you feel define gaming. That's like saying "Oh, dramas aren't really movies because sci-fi is where it's at and anybody that doesn't follow sci-fi isn't up on all things movies and couldn't possibly even call themselves a fan of movies."

You have any idea how arrogant that statement is?

[snipes101]

The thing is that those games are not being sold to gamers, theyre being sold to the casual crowd that doesnt know the first thing about gaming. They just see a 1)long running franchise; 2) something licensed; or 3) something simple that can be played by everyone, and they buy it up.

Gamers, in the traditional sense, are actually buying the prettier games, but since the casual crowd outnumbers the core crowd, it appears that we dont.

[AtomicGerbil]

@darkride66
Is there any need to be so pedantic? You know exactly what he meant and should also know that there are noticeable divides between gamers, although yes, we are all gamers, some game more than others.

[DragonKnight]

@darkride: Yeah, the casual gamers may have bought up the hardware, but the fact remains that casual gamers don't put in the same financial commitment into gaming that core gamers do, and that's the real reason people don't consider them to be "real gamers." The casual gaming scene is unpredictable and very fickle. The Wii was mostly bought up by families and those same families will see no need to buy a new console. Why spend another couple hundred dollars when they have a console that already works?

Gamers didn't vote with their wallets where the Wii is concerned, families did thanks to endorsements from people like Oprah. Not to mention the Wii's cheap price. It had very little to do with actual gaming pride and enjoyment and more to do with what's cool at the moment. That's not to say there aren't some core offerings on the Wii, but they are rare. Wii's software support is really awful compared to the hardware's success.

[Crap_Turtle]

This guy is wrong.

His logic is flawed

"New systems come out because of money, and making more of it off new systems" Of course you have to change things........

It has nothing to do with what makes a game good which is gameplay only

[Kran]

"New systems come out because of money, and making more of it off new systems"

Sorry but can you actually tell me where on earth i wrote that :/

@below

Um.... that's kind of what I was actually saying throughout the entire article.

Plus you still didnt answer my question.

[Crap_Turtle]

the point being gameplay is by far the most important thing

[MysticStrummer]

He doesn't answer questions or explain his reasoning. It's just his way.

[Kurt Russell]

If it was all about the graphics I wouldn't still be enjoying my xbox :)

[mcstorm]

I agree with you. I thing Graphics are what people look at on games Like BF and Crysis as they were good looking games to start with but this is not what makes a game sell well at all.
Its all about the game play and how it makes the people feel when playing the game.

For example the beginning of this gen was all about Halo 3 on the 360 as it was the best of both world for core and none core then COD came out and this fits more peoples playing style than any other FPS game out there as believe it or not Core gamers have mates who are not core but play for fun so they pickup the same game to play together and they can play on there own.

I play game I enjoy playing and I have a big mix of games but some of my favourite games this gen are by far not the best looking games but I like them for the way they play. Some of them are MSRC, Super StarDust, Resident evil revelations , UC 1, LBP2, Mario Kart 7, Mario 3DS, Halo ODST, NHL 2K11, Forza 4, Bullet Storm and Alan Wake are among that list. Yes I like playing BF3, KZ2,3 UC 2,3 and GA but they are not on my favourite games list because that is what I like and I am different to everyone else.

But when I look back at some of the games I have enjoyed the most over time and keep going back to every now and again I can say Graphics are not what make me buy a game.

I still have an Amiga32 SNES, N64, Gamecube, Dreamcast and a MegaDrive at home and there are some games on theres consoels that keep me going back to them and its not because of the way they look its the way they play and make me feel when playing them. Games Like Super StarDust CD32, Zool 1, 2, James Pond 2, Micros Machines, Worms, Super Mario World, Sonic 1 2 3, JSR, Res 4, Golden Eye, Perfect Dark, WCW no mercy and a lot more.

If it was graphics that mattered to the Core then PC game sales would be way above the consoles game sales for games like BF3 ect but they are not.

[colonel179]

A lot of people say that graphics don't matter. Well, they do, because otherwise, every gamer would be buying the Wii instead of a PS3 or a 360. Every gamer in N4G would choose to play COD, Halo or Uncharted in a PS3/360 than a Wii capable machine, why? Graphics!

Also, graphics do matter, because if it wasn't for the PS3 power, Uncharted wouldn't exist. They need the processing power to make better AI and better animation, but also, need better graphics in order to present everything and looks the way it should.

In reality, I think it's not graphics alone. Games should not be judged by graphics only, or AI only, but the sum of everything that makes the game. It's like when you like a girl. If she is the most beautiful girl in the world, but she is a bitch you won't want to be with her, the same if she is the best person in the world but ugly. It has to be a balance between everything you'r looking for.

[AtomicGerbil]

I disagree with your Wii comment. The control scheme would have been an instant deal breaker for most serious gamers. But I will agree with your last paragraph.

[Hicken]

Graphics matter, but they're not most important(unless you're certain PC elitist trolls). Gameplay is just as important. To that end, the Wii doesn't generally have the gameplay most core gamers would like, with it being so focused on motion controls.

Gameplay is most important, though graphics are certainly worth taking into consideration. Thinking anything else is just being silly.

[chcolatesnw]

look man, just because some PC elitists are into spending money on graphics doesn't make them trolls. Saying that PC version of games have 100x better graphics and its better on PC is truthful. You only choose to see it as a troll comment because you yourself are more on the console side of the fence than PC.

[TheFirstClassic]

@chcolatesnw he said certain pc elitist trolls... he didn't say pc gamers in general. Don't tell me you haven't seen pc gamers who say console gampers are idiots for not being pc gamers, and I've seen plenty that say a game isn't worth playing unless its in 1080p with 60 fps. There are trolls for every system, its just that pc gamers are the ones who usually shove the graphics in everyone's faces! Nobody is denying that pc games look better.

[MysticStrummer]

@chcolatesnw - Next time you see an article about a console game's graphics, read the comments. Chances are you will see more than one PC gamer laughing at the people who think that console game looks good, listing PC games that look better, and generally filling us all in on the greatness of PC gaming, sometimes including the specs of their gaming rig and what it's capable of. Those are the people he's talking about. I lost several bubbles by calling them out.

[DragonKnight]

@MysticStrummer: THANK YOU!!! What you just said shall be quoted for truth in the future. Plus, even though it won't help because my invisible "trust" score for bubbling people is low, I will give you a bubble up just because I too have felt that particular sting.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

i don't play on the wii 'cause i hate the controls and the controllers available.

[Ranyos]

Yeah...I choose PS3/360 over Wii every time not because of graphics, but because I hate that godawful Wiimote.

[mamac123]

i play quake live and cs 1.6 bitch please idgaf about graphics

[SecretPsycho]

Minecraft....that is all..

[Truth]

I'm a graphics whore and I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I also grew up in the Atari era and appreciate game play and graphics equally. If a game is beautiful, but plays like crap I don't want it. However, if a game looks like crap and plays phenomenal, I can let that game slide because I have FUN playing it. What matters is I enjoy the game I'm playing.

And to author of the article who said the next generation brings nothing to game play aspects, you're dead wrong. Better technology beings little refinements and things such as better AI logic, larger areas/battlefields, more things happening on screen for better immersion, etc. These are some of the things I look at when playing a game, alongside great graphics.

[ninjahunter]

Good graphics are usually a good indicator of a high quality game. Not in all cases though.

I dont get why people act like good graphics are a bad thing, Its like hating a girl because shes hot.

People like what they like, Maby graphics are everything to some people, ever think of that? People need to stop hating because they feel like their opinion has to be right and all must agree with them. You ask me, i would take a game with good graphics over a game with bad graphics any day.

[Animal Mutha 76]

I would consider myself to be a bit of a graphics nerd as with each system ive owned in my life I have always wanted to show it off when first launched and i used to be addicted to 3DMark years ago.

However after playing FEZ and Trials Evo this week im starting to soften on this need for visual perfection. Older hardware is sometimes a good thing as it pushes devs to not only squeeze more out of the system but to also look to other areas to improve the experience such as gameplay. Fez is a prime example - retro,cute,addictive and simple.

COD was mentioned above. It is a dated engine but the gameplay mechanic is as good as you can get. I do think it needs investment though.

There needs to be balance between the technical look and the gameplay. Rayman Origins anyone?

[Jio]

Gameplay is more important than graphics, but seriously, there's a limit to how bad acceptable graphics are.

[Unlimax]

God Yes .. Well said

Also .. " Don't let the limited becomes Unlimited " !

[Flipgeneral]

Title of the article is misleading compared what he is actually writing about. The title screams flame bait

Anyway, I fail to see why cannot have both great graphics and great gameplay.
I think developers have become complacent, or there's a lot of pressure from publishers to make games more "accessible", because all I see these days are rehashed ideas and one dimensional characters.

[Mr_cheese]

I disagreed, for me anyways. Yes it's nice to have amazing graphics, but if the gameplay is flawed there is no point.

[Tyre]

Better hardware ALWAYS spawns new gameplay mechanics, better physics and new possibilities with the surroundings and characters, even Jade Raymond acknowledged this in her latest interview. This has always been the case and most definitely will be in the nextgen. It will lead to gameplay we haven't even thought of, seeing is believing. And every gamer has always wanted CGI quality graphics finally being possible in games. That is just not the case even ToyStory 1 still looks better than games this gen. You also need more power to make better storytelling possible...i mean better cutscenes realtime all the time. Even Uncharted has prerendered cutscenes wich look better than in-game graphics. Of course those Uncharted cutscenes will be realtime nextgen cause those cutscenes are all made with the game-engine(just with more rendering power behind it). You easily can see what will be better nextgen if you look at those cutscenes(especially Uncharted 2). It is also what developers want and what developers work towards. And don't say the graphics of Uncharted are just as good as these cutscenes...that is just smoke and mirrors by Naughty Dog, very well done, but still smoke and mirrors. The nextgen will arrive...we can't linger for too long in this gen cause the end of possibilities draws near. The argument to delay the nextgen is just an argument by companies too make fast amounts of money as long as possible with this gen.

[XboxInnovation]

This young gen of gamers have ruined gaming. It's always the young ones with the loudest mouths. Shut up guys, we want gameplay, not graphics.

Graphics is like a one night stand. Gameplay is like a marriage.

[PersonaCat]

So graphics are awesome and gameplay is terrible? :p

[MattyG]

Way to make a generalization. I'm 16 and I don't go around screaming about graphics and COD. It's not always the youngest with the loudest mouths. Just usually.

[wollie]

@momthemeatloaf

oh the irony.

[Hufandpuf]

I say that if the gameplay is better than the graphics, then the game is good in my book.

[MasterCornholio]

The best games have both. That means great graphics and great gameplay but I do agree that a game has to be fun to be good.

It's a complete myth that great graphics = terrible gameplay.

XperiaRay

[MattyG]

The next console isn't always about graphics. Look at the Vita. It wasn't made just for money and graphics. The second analog, touch screen and pad, all those things added to gameplay. Also, the power of next gen consoles can be used for more than just graphics.

[Derpy]

To say that it's about graphics to all gamers is pretty untrue. In actuality it's more of a division than a unity. I've noticed that there is basically the gameplay camp and the graphics camp.

It's easy to tell who's from which camp. For instance, those who are in the graphics camp will say things like they're only interested in the newest game systems and care nothing for the old ones. They're the ones that always defend their systems and games of choice based on graphics. (I've noticed a lot of fanboys tend to fit into this category.)

Those from the gameplay camp enjoy today's games, but they haven't forgotten yesterday's greats. Many of them still keep and play systems from previous generations. If you look at a new game before purchasing and think, 'Wow! Great graphics, but is it any fun?' Then you're probably from this group.

[SamPao]

yeah thats why I played Tomba yesterday, or crash bandicoot today oh and Monster hunter just the other day

[8bit_Nes_Rambo]

Cool story. Tell that to the Wii and 3DS.

[BitbyDeath]

Uncharted has better gameplay and story than graphics IMO.

[Ima9er4Life]

Think bout this would u rather ride a ugly ass ride, or a clean tight looking whip? I rest my case.

[Spenok]

This article has made my faith in the industry drop just a bit. If this is true, then i am sorry for most gamers.

Because its an absolute bullshit point. So if gamers cared about graphics over gameplay... then why do games like minecraft sell 5+ million copies? Why do i prefer story/gameplay over graphics every time?

Dont get me wrong, pretty graphics help, but they in NO way make the experience.

Becuase if this were true then suddenly everygame from past generations now suck because their graphics arent up to par.

Sorry Finiteuniverse.com but you have lost a potential reader... as i never frequented your site in the first place.

[Kahvipannu]

"And think about it: what the heck is the next console even going to bring? A new console doesn’t ‘really’ bring better gameplay mechanics you know. "

Well, it removes limitations from devs to actually create theyr vision to the screen.. Ofcourse more horsepower will bring more options, for example you couldn't create a game like Total Wars on current consoles, becouse they just can't run them, but hey, more horsepower, problem solved, with the assumption you could control it with controller.

Recently I have played Master of Orion II, Medieval-TW 2 (mods) and Ufo: Alien Invasion, all old games, but I don't make assumptions that stupid. Graphics matter yes, who doesn't love good graphics, and some games need them becouse of theyr design/story, etc.., but it's not everything, gp is the main thing ofcourse..

[Somebody]

I'm with the "good graphic + gameplay" camp when it comes to gaming. I don't think my purchase of an expensive graphic card would be justified if the only games I play are browser games or cell shaded games. The same goes for purchasers of the next gen consoles. Why buy a brand new system if you're saying that graphic is not that important?

I like good graphic but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate gameplay. I have pretty decent desktop PC that I played Total War Shogun 2 with. I also have a very old laptop that has the first Total War Shogun installed. There's a stark difference between the two in terms of gameplay and graphic (not to mention the 10 years between) but I enjoy playing with both of them. I also have Apache Air Assault in my desktop and Comanche 4 on my laptop. Don't forget that Total War Shogun and Comanche 4 were considered as graphical innovations when they were released- a decade ago.

Crysis was also considered a graphical marvel when it was released but it also became the poster boy for the "gameplay>graphic" ; camp's agenda. Then it was ported to X Box 360 and Crysis 2's Nanosuit 2 controls were added in. See that? It's quite easy for the developers to change the gameplay aspect of the game should they have the will to do so. Strangely enough the naysayers of the original PC Crysis suddenly became quite and praised the X Box 360 version. None of the earlier gameplay>graphic arguments were ever mentioned again...

[Captain_Freud]

Critical mistake in this article. He assumes we want the next generation of hardware because we want better graphics. Wrong.

We want better tech so developers can work with less limitations. LA Noire was spread thin over three discs on the 360. Imagine the depth of a world like GTA VI if developers could fit in every ounce of detail they wanted.

In other words: new tech gives room for developers to breathe. In turn, fans get better games.

[mochachino]

both are important imo. More power also means better AI, physics, more players, larger maps and generally greater immersion. Also, DVDs have reached there storage peak.

[ZILLA]

If they dont come out with another PS3 for a while im fine with that.the grafixxand gameplay are perfect.im playing KILLZONE 3 online for ever in 3D and the gameplay beats the grafix.WARZONE...FTW!!

[IHateYouFanboys]

fanboys only care about graphics, actual video game fans care about gameplay.

N4G mainly cares about graphics, hence all the bodily fluid spewing over Uncharted. take away its above average graphics and its a linear plays-itself third person shooter with some of the sloppiest controls youll ever see. but it looks pretty in bullshots, so the fanboys love it.

the rest of us though, especially the ones who grew up on the atari/nes/etc, we can enjoy games even if they look like they are from the 80s/90s.

[blackburn10]

You have any idea how bitter you sound? Read over what you wrote and you will see what I mean.

Anyway back in topic, graphics ARE important. Without them the games would not look as nice as they do.God of War was a great game but it's beautiful towering views and landscapes made it epic.Of course game play has to come in there too.A beautiful face as well as a wonderful personality combines into the whole package.Why should I play a game that you obviously didn't put much effort into making look good under the excuse or the disguise that 'graphics don't matter'.

If you were going to buy a table and it had scratches all over it, bent nails embedded in it, unvarnished or unpainted but it could stand up on its four legs would you still buy it? No. Why? Because it looks ugly, carelessly done and plain.

Trying to pretend that graphics is all that matters is very childish. But at the same time don't hand me some crap that looks like it still belongs on the NES like Conduit did. Games are supposed to be moving forward and getting better and advancement is pointless if people keep jumping backward out of some crappy sense of nostalgia or laziness. So don't take 5 steps back and expect me to follow you.

[NotSoSilentBob]

no point replying to him as all of his comments are Anti-ps3/Sony. No matter what you say he will praise MS and their stuff.

[edgeofsins]

I absolutely love to have great graphics but gameplay always has to be good or screw that game. Demons Souls would not be near as fun or as great of an experience if the gothic art style wasn't done so well. Graphics give better atmosphere. Sometimes graphics are directly part of the gameplay too like certain games control light to show solutions or secrets in games.

[supersonicjerry]

Everybody likes COD because its fast paced and the game modes. Gameplay over graphics but it needs decent graphics still.

[Ezio-Auditore00]

The graphics are not that bad there actually decent.

[sly-Famous]

"It's Not About the Gameplay to Gamers; It's About the Graphics"

What this should say is "It's Not About the Gameplay to PC Gamers; It's About the Graphics" (Fact) And if you dont believe its fact just take a look at the avg post is of a PC gamer

[annus]

You mean like the rage over MW2 not having dedicated servers, leaning, having shit servers, all the other crap that relates to gameplay? Or the countless other rage from PC gamers when they get shitty console ports that screw with PC? Yeah, I guess they only care about graphics.

[Ezio-Auditore00]

Yeah it might matter to most people about graphics, but without the best possible gameplay, the game is just rubbish.

[Ezio-Auditore00]

If a certain game has the best possible graphics and gameplay that is what you would call a masterpiece. For e.g: uncharted 3.

[Tzuno]

Wrong it's about the both of them.

[chukamachine]

Good graphics does not mean bad gameplay.

CRYSIS 1,2
HL2
DEADSPACE
BF3
UNCHARTED
GOD OF WAR
GEARS OF WAR

And any other great good looking games i'm forgetting.

These games all have excellent gameplay.

[Jovahkiin]

I disagree, im loving these HD collections. I prefer content over graphics any day of the week.

[asmith2306]

Such rubbish. Im playing RE Code Veronica X at the moment (after playing through the first three as well) and I couldn't care less about the graphics. The gameplay is what has me playing it, such an awesome game and great pacing. Better graphics is expected by me every generation simply because the hardware is more powerful than the last gen hardware. Its stating the obvious and we should just take it as a given.

[listenkids]

Deadly Preminition 4 lyf

[supremacy]

All I know is presentation plays a key role; only the prettier looking games get all the spotlight.

Commercials, trailers, great marketting and even toys and movie mentions.

And the thing is gameplay has barely and if anything to do with it all.

I mean there are those niche games that make it to stardom like angry birds, ect.

But I would have to say a lot of people do care about graphics more than they think. The industry tends to react to this and as a result the games get prettier and expensive.

Nintendo is the only company I can think of that goes the other way to stay profitable and please those who cant or arent willing to spend more money on a gaming product.

Nintendo just probably goes... "Nah, you guys go right ahead and build more powerful machines now, we'll get there at a later time when you know the parts and manufactoring becomes affordible". "No need to rush, you guys go ahead"

But, yeah I suppose graphics are important in their very own way. I usually prefer artstyle with color and detail over just hashbrown graphics with dark pallets.

[NotSoSilentBob]

It isn't about the gameplay to PC gamers it's about the graphics

Fixed the title for ya

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

console gamers only REALLY care about graphics when it's a FANBOY battle between ps3 and 360. pc gamers are the constant graphics whores. they have cheaper game costs and potential access to better graphics and options and somehow they're still unhappy people who feel the need to try and bring down consoles.

[tubers]

better graphics means more "raw power".. translates to better AI and physics and scope.

Not that I really disagree with the point :)

[kainslayer]

ofcource its about the graphics or we would still play games on out snes otherwise

[Holeran]

Speaking honestly I like gameplay and graphics. Good graphics do have an effect of sucking you into the moment even more than if the graphics were terrible.

[Titanz]

Prefer graphics over gameplay. I'm a personality type of person (gameplay), that's why I prefer the Wii.

That's not to say that the Xbox 360 and PS3 can't deliver on both experiences, it's just that people have become so shallow, and discredit the Wii as a piece of $%&# console.

[banana420]

basically no.

[Wintersun616]

Graphics, story and gameplay. There's the holy trinity of gaming. I consider story and gameplay to be of equal importance. If either one of them absolutely sucks, there's a good chance I won't complete the game. Graphics are nice bonus, but I play older games often too and I don't mind bad or outdated graphics if I enjoy the story and gameplay.

[sandman224]

Better graphics means better games. It's a fact people. Why else did we go from Atari to Xbox 360. But in order for the graphics to survive you need to have great controls and gameplay. But yes graphics made me appreciate games. It also gets new people to try gaming out. I almost forgot to say good frame rates no screen tear help a lot.

[Noticeably_FAT]

Rage was a game that had stunning console graphics, blistering 60fps and had a mediocre story. So I didn't really like it.

I still go back and play great games of yesteryear that have pretty bad graphics, so I'm not all hung up on those.

When I have my buddies over we still break out the N64 and play some Goldeneye split screen!

[MilkMan]

Damn, to think I woke up this rainy ass morning to this rubbish of an article. Let me move on.

[Studio-YaMi]

Graphics are are a nice addition,but gameplay is the core of it ! I mean why do I still enjoy my NES games so much (even some atari titles) when they have poor graphics ? it's because the game is FUN ! and you enjoy it even till this day ! I do think good graphics are a must with todays technology,but gameplay to me is much more important :D !

[Dubfella]

COD games kind of remind me of that one pretty hot blonde girl in school that all the guys wanted to date, but you soon come to realise her fake personality (gameplay) is shit and so is the graphics (covered in make up). Now on the other hand Battlefield 3 is the real pretty hot brunette girl that has it all in the one package! :)

[Prince_Dim-Lu]

Seems to me PC elitist and PS3 only owners are the ones concerned about Graphics more than anything.

I'm old school gamer. I'll take gameplay over graphics any day.

[OooHJohnny]

I want both gameplay and graphics, can I?

@Prince_Dim-Lu : Only PC and PS3 owners? Just ask some 360 owners their opinion on some multiplatform games...

[TacticEspionage]

LMAO! This article is funny because it is true. I mean nowadays if you take a look at the super classic super mario, Gamers just deny it!

[Kemicalbeliefs]

Graphics only matter to me when it starts to look turd. I stopped playing my ps2 so many years in once the graphics started looking weary. The Xbox had come out and put it to shame. Kind of reminiscent to when I wouldn't accept my 3dfx voodoo card was getting whooped by the GeForce.

So graphics do matter, eventually but im nowhere near the same position as some who want the ps4/Xbox 720.

Gameplay should be complimented by good graphics.

[stragomccloud]

Sad but true. Especially this generation, and among younger gamers in their teens and early twenties. If more gamers cared about gameplay, there would have been more people playing some of the great games on Wii like No More Heroes/2, Xenoblade, Muramasa, etc.

[ACEMANWISE]

I think gamers are just looking for something new rather than wanting a console with better graphics. There is some truth that people look for that newness through the graphic capabilities of a console at first. It's seems the easiest and quickest way for someone on the outside to see the capabilities of an unowned console. It's hard to determine if a console has better "gameplay" just by looking at the box at the store.

Sure, a gamer can see the features, peripherals, and services offered but how can a gamer ever decide it's gameplay values if the entire purpose of a console is to interact with it?

So to say gamers only value graphics over gameplay (when talking about wanting new consoles) is somewhat inconclusive given the circumstances of the situation. Yes, it's true that many of these consoles don't ever begin to deliver with much innovation on the gameplay front, Yet those ideas are somewhat promised through a representation that graphical power equals freedom of gameplay a console "could" deliver...if you buy it.

[trenso1]

Story and gameplay come first an a graphically appealing game should come last. I know this is how i think but a lot of console gamers and especially PC players feel the need to have games that all look like crysis or witcher on high settings.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Wrong, Now next gen will come with better graphics as well as gameplay, like. Interaction with environment/ the AI, that's from a technical stand point. Look at Skyrim, It wouldn't of been executed in the same technical way if it were done on the Nintendo Wii. Plus look at Online play interaction through other ppl has changed the gameplay allot as well.

[mp1289]

Stopped reading when it mentioned Halo Reach for "great Graphics". about 3rd sentence.

[neutralgamer19]

I shouldn't have to settle and look for games that have both, but of course imo gameplay is a must have. In any case games like Dark Souls, UC1,2 and 3, Killzone 2 and 3, resistance 3, Demon Souls amongst many others show that you don't have to settle and can have the best of both worlds. Companies that don't incorporate both are just selling themselves short. For example im appalled that Ghost Recon future soldier beta looks so ugly. The tactical gameplay may be good, but there is no reason the graphics should be that bad imo.

[Roper316]

it's all about the game play for me. While top notch graphics are nice they don't make or break the game for me. Who would really care how good a game looks if the controls are loose and sloppy or if the hit detection/aim is off and your continually shooting nothing but air.

Game play > graphics imho

[low-lite]

I have to agree with this. Obviously not everyone thinks so highly of graphics, myself included, but it's definitely the current trend for the majority of "gamers"(let's start using the term "video game enthusiast" if we want to be respected).

Graphic quality is certainly an integral part of video games but I find that something equally as important is completely overlooked, art style. But as much as I dislike the current craze for photo realistic graphics, I don't think anyone is wrong for craving it. All I ask is for people to keep an open mind and try everything.

[Kidmyst]

Graphics do play a part for me in games but when it comes down to the full length of a game, story and gameplay are much more important than graphics. I'd rather have a 40 Hr story with lesser graphics than a 6 hr story and beautiful graphics. I feel I got more for my money when I have longer gameplay.