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"Graphics Vs Gameplay"

For a long time now people have been going on about the argument between Graphics and gameplay and which one they thought was best.

I have always thought that the graphics in games need to be reasonable but as long as the gameplay was excellent. A few games spring to mind when i think off amazing games with the gameplay that every games maker tries to recreate when they make a new game.
two examples of gameplay over graphics are in the mobile phone game SNAKE and that old game Pong

Snake - everyone has had at least one go on this game, the graphics are probly the most limited you will have ever seen with you controlling a black bar which is representing the snake and you have to control the snake collecting bits of food, anyways the game is one of the most addictive games you will ever play. You will forever be trying to beat your top score or even your friends score's to make them jealous :-).

Pong - Now this game is one of the oldest and greatest games i remember playing, you have two bars on either side and it plays like tennis, you hitting a little white ball across the screen and either the computer or your friend trying to hit it back. once again this game has very limited graphics but the gameplay is endless, you can hardly ever get bored of playing this game.

But times change, games creator's can not get away with splashing a blob of blue on the screen and then saying "this is the sea" they have to actually show the waves going up and down with boats on there and the boats have to have people in or other wise it wont be very realistic...

... But developers who have took too much notice to the graphical side of the game and have virtually forgotten to add the game play in, a good example of a game with good graphics but non exsistant gameplay is:

The bouncer: high hopes were pinned on this game from the makers of final fantasy series, the screen shots were absolutely amazing they were simple photo realistic, but for some strange reason the developers wouldn't let games tester play it. It soon turned out that this game had game play that was put simply really bad, so even though the graphics were good this game turned into a failure.

Some developers though have added great gameplay and great graphics into the same game and also made it addictive, a game that stands out is:

Grand theft Auto III - The possibilitys are endless in this game and you can do every thing you want in it and the stuff you have to do will last this game until the next version comes out, the makers (rockstar) have really made this game a must have and they are a perfect example of adding good gameplay and graphics together.

Lets look into the future for a minute though, a few games seem to stick out for different reasons:

The getaway - it has been in creation for about three years now it has the best in game graphics i have ever seen but in my opinion they are doing what happened to the bouncer, showing loads of decent pictures of this "amazing" game but not letting any one have a quick play on the game

Deus Ex - this game has nearly been completed for the PS2 but the good thing is it has already been on the PC so people seem to know what to expect, this could become one of the greatest games of all time if they manage to port it successfully, the mix of amazing graphics and intelligent gameplay is exactly what the player wants. He wants a choice of how to complete a mission and not just "found key, put in door" which we all know about at the moment.

SO what do developers need to learn for the future? It doesn't need to have every grain of sand realistically added to a game to make it good, just add some nice graphics and good gameplay and they will be onto a winner.

What do you think? graphics or gameplay?

when ever i buy a game i always look on the back of the box for the pics. this is wrong really because i go for the one with the best graphics but when i get it home i`ll stop playing it if it has a bad gameplay. i`d buy a game as long as the gameplay is good and as long as the graphics as much detail as needed. after all look at the top games metal gear solid, perfect dark they have both and the companys have earned my respect (woa i bet there glad). also i find a lot of people say that "the graphics are amazing" when we compare games. it could be that they buy game to show off and not to play. Conkers bad fur day = my mates came over and straight away it was "oh the graphics arn`t that good" but then we start playing it and then it`s "a reallly good game" and they stop talking about the graphics and it`s all about the gameplay. So there u go most ppl when they first turn on the console and see the game it`s "the graphics are amazing" then they start playing it and it`s "oh it`s repetative" so they leave. i say gameplay wins hands down.

but doesn`t graphics add a little to gameplay because if the graphics are grainy then you won`t be able to pull off the perfect head shot and see blood fly all over the place or you won`t be able to if the gun is a PP7 or a golden magnum.

all my games must have good graphics AND gameplay. its unfair that i can see the graphice before i buy put not feel the gameplay.

I think the XBox is really going for it in the graphics way to try to get in a more mature audience but really what a hardcore gamer like yours truely wants is a game with good enough graphics and amazing gameplay. The PS2 has put in a good fight on both fronts but lacks truly origional games or even good graphics. This is where the gamecube comes in, it has brilliantly origional games with really good gameplay and has good enough graphics, so I rate it top.

Has anyone seen that Project Gotham Racing advert on TV:

"No Style, No Points"

That just sums up the XBox really

Obviously gameplay is the best thing about any game, and is the real reason you should choose to get a game!
Good graphics are and added bonus, and even though bad ones can put you off of a game, you shouldn't really let it effect your game selection.

I'd rather have a game with brilliant gameplay and cack graphics anyday!! - if I couldn't have them both great of course.

In this day and age, I don't think it's unreasonable to demand both great graphics and great gameplay.
Quality graphics are now the "norm", so I suppose "it's all in the gameplay".
For me, great gameplay without great graphics is just as bad as great graphics with poor gameplay.

sure

lol

KR, would you read my post on artificial stupidity? cheers

he has only just turned Regular so in my eyes he is still that spamming newbie

Evidently he does