Sure, graphics matter to an extent, but at what cost? Introversion's (Darwinia, Defcon) Mark Morris argues that developers' pursuit of photo-realism is a dead-end for the industry.
So far, with visually abstract games like Uplink, Darwinia and Defcon: Everybody Dies, Introversion has taken an obvious stance on the graphics vs. gameplay debate. Company director Morris says that Introversion is likely never to create a photo-realistic title, and his reasoning is simple: "Everybody's doing it, it's expensive and, most importantly, photo-realism doesn't matter."
But really, would any reasonable person argue that graphics (particularly photo-realistic graphics) are more important than the gameplay factor? Probably not, but Morris says that the games that are released nowadays indicate otherwise.
"What I think happens too often is that [developers] sort of go, 'We're going to show you the best graphics you've ever seen and then we might pack a bit of gameplay or a little bit of entertaining fun on at the end," he says. "I think that's a very bad thing, a very bad thing to do, and I think we're seeing a lot of companies doing it."
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Yes, it does.
if not why made new and more powerfull/expensive machines?
We only needed a saturn or Ps1 if Photo-realism doesn´t matter.
Yes it dose. Just look at R: FOM and GOW. Both games play great and have great graphics. Crack down has awesome graphics and Game play that is on par with the best Mario games out. And Halo is Just WOW. And Madden 2007 is pretty too. So this guy is lame.
The best games have awesome game play and he probably sucks at video games in the 1st place. I tired of the tools that try to make it seem like good graphics are a bad thing. That is why I buy so many games. I want to see the best graphics and get pulled into a game by its realistic effects.
yes, they do
I'm tempted to instantly agree with the guys above and say yes,photo -realism matters.But i would just like to qualify that a bit more,before i pledge alliegance to the almighty graphics gods. afterall, we have been playing games for decades now and the first game characters consisted of not much more than stick figures.I don't think we enjoyed those games any less than we enjoy the modern, graphic intensive games we play today.So,it may be its what we have become accustomed to rather than whats actually needed from an entertainment point of view.I sometimes wonder if it isn't the industry that pushes the graphics, because of a lack of inventiveness and originality in the gameplay department.See,i don't recall us arguing over the graphics quality in Mario, or the fact that street fighter wasn't hi-res, no, we where to busy enjoying wonderfully entertaining games.Photo-realism in games is inevitable,whether its essential is, i think, debatable.