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It’s those little details that make the games what they are. You don’t really notice them but that’s what makes the game special, it makes them stand out. Take Shenmue 2 for example. The detail is amazing. You look at the buildings and every brick is a different shade of orange, the clouds move when you look up at the sky. Plus the every shop has it’s own personality and there all different in their own way.
Another example is Metal Gear Solid 2. On the ‘Making of’ DvD that comes with the game, it shows the way the rain moved before they had really thought about it and planned it out properly and it looked good but not that good. But when they planned it out properly it looked very realistic. The rain moved in different directions as the wind changes direction, when the rain hit Snake’s head and back, you could see that Kojima had spent time thinking about how he could make it look as realistic as possible. Also the water in Metal Gear Solid is sublime. It reflects everything above it, and when Snake runs through it, it’s the best graphics I have ever seen. Amazing.
But I think the real start of all these little details put in a game was Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The character had a lot of detail on his clothes and face, the characters were blinking like a human would, and the land that the story was set in was very detailed e.g. Epona, his horse, looked and moved like a real horse. I think this was the start of all the little details that game developers have become obsessed over.
This is all very well and good, but are game developers spending too much time on graphics and little detail too makes the game look good, and not enough time on the gameplay? Is that why we aren’t having quality games coming out all the time? Were having games with great graphics all the time, but not that many with great gameplay. If game developers spent as much time as they did on graphics as gameplay we would have the great game coming out all the time. Even if it did take much more time to produce they’ll be worth the wait.
Looking back on some of the old NES/SNES and even Mega Drive games like Sonic and Mario, I think they have better gameplay value than most of the games coming out today, and I think that’s because old consoles couldn’t produce really good graphics so they worked on gameplay to make a game sell, but today with the ‘Next-Gen’ consoles out that can produce life-like graphics, there spending too much time on the graphics side of things and not enough time on the gameplay side. Which consequently is starving gamers from great games.
Don’t get me wrong, not all games are like that. Metal Gear Solid 2 offers both. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is great too. That is because Konami have spent time working on both at the same time. It’s a win win situation.
So, the little details are important, and they are good to look at, but arte they so important that game developers are forgetting what gaming all about. Are game developers getting obsessed with those little details and the graphics and forgetting about gameplay?
Thanks for reading
The liquid
Another example is Metal Gear Solid 2. On the ‘Making of’ DvD that comes with the game, it shows the way the rain moved before they had really thought about it and planned it out properly and it looked good but not that good. But when they planned it out properly it looked very realistic. The rain moved in different directions as the wind changes direction, when the rain hit Snake’s head and back, you could see that Kojima had spent time thinking about how he could make it look as realistic as possible. Also the water in Metal Gear Solid is sublime. It reflects everything above it, and when Snake runs through it, it’s the best graphics I have ever seen. Amazing.
But I think the real start of all these little details put in a game was Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The character had a lot of detail on his clothes and face, the characters were blinking like a human would, and the land that the story was set in was very detailed e.g. Epona, his horse, looked and moved like a real horse. I think this was the start of all the little details that game developers have become obsessed over.
This is all very well and good, but are game developers spending too much time on graphics and little detail too makes the game look good, and not enough time on the gameplay? Is that why we aren’t having quality games coming out all the time? Were having games with great graphics all the time, but not that many with great gameplay. If game developers spent as much time as they did on graphics as gameplay we would have the great game coming out all the time. Even if it did take much more time to produce they’ll be worth the wait.
Looking back on some of the old NES/SNES and even Mega Drive games like Sonic and Mario, I think they have better gameplay value than most of the games coming out today, and I think that’s because old consoles couldn’t produce really good graphics so they worked on gameplay to make a game sell, but today with the ‘Next-Gen’ consoles out that can produce life-like graphics, there spending too much time on the graphics side of things and not enough time on the gameplay side. Which consequently is starving gamers from great games.
Don’t get me wrong, not all games are like that. Metal Gear Solid 2 offers both. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is great too. That is because Konami have spent time working on both at the same time. It’s a win win situation.
So, the little details are important, and they are good to look at, but arte they so important that game developers are forgetting what gaming all about. Are game developers getting obsessed with those little details and the graphics and forgetting about gameplay?
Thanks for reading
The liquid
yup i have to agree, it is the small little details that make good games, great games although the main thing is the gameplay, if the gameplay is good then the extra little touches take the game to a whole new level.
I think that these details are a key to a good video game. Whereas they may not be the heart of the title, they provide a sense of reality that many games out there lack nowadays. Take MGS2 for example-the melting ice cubes, destroyable alcohol bottles and magazines, posters, Raden's thoughts on what his friends have to say on the Codec...all these things make MGS2 an immersive adventure. Despite not being the backbone of the game, they make it into a more involving an atmospheric game. Many will argue that this wasnt a necessary touch or that was an un-needed addition, but bring all these details together and you already have an accurate representation of the real world.
Gameplay consists of 3 things in my opinion-a STORY which carries the player forward and develops his understanding of the plot,the ACTUAL CONTROL that the player has over the games characters ie. the movement and the actions he is able to take and the DETAIL which has been encorporated into the given title. In my opninion all 3 of these factors can make a good game. If a developer has a good gameplay foundation, there is only one thing left to do-BUILD the graphics around the gameplay. This is what is being ignored by developers. They kinda want to make an impresive game and if they feel the detail they have in mind will not look good on the screen, they scarp the idea. They seem to care about the graphics more these days..
Anyway, if developers pay more attention to detail, I would think we will be onto MGS2 beaters in the next few years
Gameplay consists of 3 things in my opinion-a STORY which carries the player forward and develops his understanding of the plot,the ACTUAL CONTROL that the player has over the games characters ie. the movement and the actions he is able to take and the DETAIL which has been encorporated into the given title. In my opninion all 3 of these factors can make a good game. If a developer has a good gameplay foundation, there is only one thing left to do-BUILD the graphics around the gameplay. This is what is being ignored by developers. They kinda want to make an impresive game and if they feel the detail they have in mind will not look good on the screen, they scarp the idea. They seem to care about the graphics more these days..
Anyway, if developers pay more attention to detail, I would think we will be onto MGS2 beaters in the next few years
I think this is similar to the topic done a few weeks back on whether gaming/graphics are best in a game.
>So, the little details are important, and they are good to >look at, but arte they so important that game developers are >forgetting what gaming all about. Are game developers getting >obsessed with those little details and the graphics and >forgetting about gameplay?
I think the little details are very good in the game and modern day games need both graphics and gaming and with the addition of the real life little detail only can make the game better, I don't think they miss out any gaming features as a result of adding the little details, just look at MGS and the Final Fantasy Series they both entail small details but still are fantastic games.
>So, the little details are important, and they are good to >look at, but arte they so important that game developers are >forgetting what gaming all about. Are game developers getting >obsessed with those little details and the graphics and >forgetting about gameplay?
I think the little details are very good in the game and modern day games need both graphics and gaming and with the addition of the real life little detail only can make the game better, I don't think they miss out any gaming features as a result of adding the little details, just look at MGS and the Final Fantasy Series they both entail small details but still are fantastic games.
excellent post, a marked improvement on the first one...
It’s those little details that make the games what they are. You don’t really notice them but that’s what makes the game special, it makes them stand out. Take Shenmue 2 for example. The detail is amazing. You look at the buildings and every brick is a different shade of orange, the clouds move when you look up at the sky. Plus the every shop has it’s own personality and there all different in their own way.
Another example is Metal Gear Solid 2. On the ‘Making of’ DvD that comes with the game, it shows the way the rain moved before they had really thought about it and planned it out properly and it looked good but not that good. But when they planned it out properly it looked very realistic. The rain moved in different directions as the wind changes direction, when the rain hit Snake’s head and back, you could see that Kojima had spent time thinking about how he could make it look as realistic as possible. Also the water in Metal Gear Solid is sublime. It reflects everything above it, and when Snake runs through it, it’s the best graphics I have ever seen. Amazing.
But I think the real start of all these little details put in a game was Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The character had a lot of detail on his clothes and face, the characters were blinking like a human would, and the land that the story was set in was very detailed e.g. Epona, his horse, looked and moved like a real horse. I think this was the start of all the little details that game developers have become obsessed over.
This is all very well and good, but are game developers spending too much time on graphics and little detail too makes the game look good, and not enough time on the gameplay? Is that why we aren’t having quality games coming out all the time? Were having games with great graphics all the time, but not that many with great gameplay. If game developers spent as much time as they did on graphics as gameplay we would have the great game coming out all the time. Even if it did take much more time to produce they’ll be worth the wait.
Looking back on some of the old NES/SNES and even Mega Drive games like Sonic and Mario, I think they have better gameplay value than most of the games coming out today, and I think that’s because old consoles couldn’t produce really good graphics so they worked on gameplay to make a game sell, but today with the ‘Next-Gen’ consoles out that can produce life-like graphics, there spending too much time on the graphics side of things and not enough time on the gameplay side. Which consequently is starving gamers from great games.
Don’t get me wrong, not all games are like that. Metal Gear Solid 2 offers both. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is great too. That is because Konami have spent time working on both at the same time. It’s a win win situation.
So, the little details are important, and they are good to look at, but arte they so important that game developers are forgetting what gaming all about. Are game developers getting obsessed with those little details and the graphics and forgetting about gameplay?
Thanks for reading
The liquid
Another example is Metal Gear Solid 2. On the ‘Making of’ DvD that comes with the game, it shows the way the rain moved before they had really thought about it and planned it out properly and it looked good but not that good. But when they planned it out properly it looked very realistic. The rain moved in different directions as the wind changes direction, when the rain hit Snake’s head and back, you could see that Kojima had spent time thinking about how he could make it look as realistic as possible. Also the water in Metal Gear Solid is sublime. It reflects everything above it, and when Snake runs through it, it’s the best graphics I have ever seen. Amazing.
But I think the real start of all these little details put in a game was Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The character had a lot of detail on his clothes and face, the characters were blinking like a human would, and the land that the story was set in was very detailed e.g. Epona, his horse, looked and moved like a real horse. I think this was the start of all the little details that game developers have become obsessed over.
This is all very well and good, but are game developers spending too much time on graphics and little detail too makes the game look good, and not enough time on the gameplay? Is that why we aren’t having quality games coming out all the time? Were having games with great graphics all the time, but not that many with great gameplay. If game developers spent as much time as they did on graphics as gameplay we would have the great game coming out all the time. Even if it did take much more time to produce they’ll be worth the wait.
Looking back on some of the old NES/SNES and even Mega Drive games like Sonic and Mario, I think they have better gameplay value than most of the games coming out today, and I think that’s because old consoles couldn’t produce really good graphics so they worked on gameplay to make a game sell, but today with the ‘Next-Gen’ consoles out that can produce life-like graphics, there spending too much time on the graphics side of things and not enough time on the gameplay side. Which consequently is starving gamers from great games.
Don’t get me wrong, not all games are like that. Metal Gear Solid 2 offers both. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is great too. That is because Konami have spent time working on both at the same time. It’s a win win situation.
So, the little details are important, and they are good to look at, but arte they so important that game developers are forgetting what gaming all about. Are game developers getting obsessed with those little details and the graphics and forgetting about gameplay?
Thanks for reading
The liquid