Why graphics is not the most important aspect of gaming!

[XHunter]

Ok so you are probably wondering why I posted this on the front page of the site. How does this even relate to Rockman? The answer to that would be EVERYTHING. Seriously, to many gamers from this generation worry more about realistic graphics and less on if the game is actually fun. When all is said and done, why do we play games? To ultimately have fun; to enjoy them. People can argue about which aspect of video games make them fun. Is it the story, the game play, the graphics, the characters, but ultimately it comes down to did you enjoy the game, did you have fun. I grew up with games that were on the Atari ST and the NES, games like Time Bandits, Gauntlet, and Rockman.



Back in the 80's video game creators were limited by not only the amount of data a cartridge could hold, but with the color palette map. Games like Rockman were built on an 8-bit graphics architecture which meant that it was limited to only showing the maximum of 256 colors at one time. This limited the amount of detail game creators could give their game so they had to be creative with expressing just how this world would look like. This also meant that making the game fun to play was a big part of game development. Obviously as the years have gone by the graphics capability of the computer hardware we are using has improved. We are no longer limited to 256 colors at a single time on screen and game artists and creators have more freedom with how they express how their world interacts and looks like.

So how does all of that relate to Rockman? Well with Mega Man Legends 3 possibly on the horizon (The game has yet to be given the green light to go into full development) it is important for people to understand that graphics and realism are not what make a game fun and enjoyable. I have no doubt from what I have seen that Mega Man Legends 3 will look really nice on the Nintendo 3DS, but I wouldn't judge a game based on its graphics alone like many of the younger generation of games do.

Hmm... lets see if I can explain this another way. Playing video games is just like playing a board game, card game, or even playing a game outside with your friends. You do all of them for your own enjoyment. You don't see people playing Monopoly or Hide-N-Seek because they were so realistic that playing Monopoly helped them become a rich millionaire or that playing Hide-N-Seek helped them at finding things or people. People play Monopoly and Hide-N-Seek because they are fun. Ok, so you are probably saying "Well those are all games you play with other people and not just by yourself", well you would be correct. But people also play games like Solitaire because they are fun, challenging and pass the time. I see a lot of reviews and younger gamers complain about graphics in video games today and the only thing that comes to my mind is "Seriously? Unless the graphics are hurting your eyes to look at shut up and stop complaining". If games were all about graphics, we wouldn't not have games like 98Koshien which has become an internet hit.



Short version:

Watch this video by Extra Credits on Graphics vs Aesthetics.


http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/ ... Aesthetics

[Weapon of Light]

I wonder why you couldn't have just stuck with the short version for the whole thing... But it's all very true. I'd much rather play Link to the Past over the new Zelda games. Any day of the week. I still dislike the fact that Megaman Legends 3 is coming to the 3DS. We've waited for how long? And they release it on the 3DS? What garbage! Release it on the 360 and PS3! Not for the graphical power they obviously have over the 3DS, but I am talking about the maps and worlds you can go to vs a smaller game space. Although, I still don't care that much for Rockman 9 or 10... WHERE'S THE CHARGE SHOT PEOPLE!? PROTOMAN DOES NOT COUNT!

XD

Sorry X... I saw you ranting a bit and I wanted to do the same.

[XHunter]

Honestly, it is not that big of a deal to me that the game will be on the 3DS although I can see why people would be confused, heck even I was confused when it was announced for the 3DS. The Legend series has historically been on the Sony consoles and handhelds, so it only made sense for it to be on the PS3. People also included it being on the 360 because graphically they are the same. While the 3DS can hold up to 4GB (That is the largest known size as of now), it is nothing compared to the amount of space you can have on the PS3 Blu-ray disc, or even on 360 disc. But lets look at what I posted about what ultimately makes a game good, the fact that it is fun. Regardless of the disc space, I have seen games on the DS and GBA outlast games that were on the PS2 and PS3 because they were fun and somehow managed to make the game longer then a game that has more disc space. In the end, I don't think it will matter if the game is on the PS3, 360, or 3DS, as long as the game is fun to play and I enjoy it.

The unique experience we have with Legends 3 Weapon of Light is that the game is being co-developed by the most of the original Legends crew and the fans. So anything you think you can add to the game to make it better you can do so over at the Devroom which is honestly my favorite part of this games development.

http://www.capcom-unity.com/devroom/

P.S You should call me sometime Weapon of Light. I recently got a new cell phone as a graduation present and I have free mobile to mobile within the US.

[Weapon of Light]

PM me your number. I lost the old one somewhere in the Undernet.