Graphics have become stale

Whether it's Ryse or Killzone Shadowfall or even Crysis 3 on full-setting, it just doesn't feel like a huge leap from what we've mostly seen throughout the gen. The focus on realism is resulting in both uncanny valley and diminishing gains.

Hooking up Gears of War 1 to a high-definition television was a HUGE leap. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It even dwarfed most PC games. Yes, Crysis 3 and friends look way better than Gears of War, but it's much less of a jump

Are we going to have to accept graphics getting shittier and shittier over time?

lol

I agree with some of your points. There isn't a huge difference between so-called "next-gen" and latest PC games. In fact, PC games look better than all of next-gen titles.

Also, HDTVs back then started entering consumer market, but now everyone has one. That's one of the biggest reasons why you don't see that "huge" difference.

But there's a massive difference between next-gen and past-gen console titles.

Graphics won't get shittier.

Gears was a small jump over Fear. Then again when you consider Fear's far superior shadows and lighting it may not have been any jump at all. Crysis 3 blew me away as much as any other graphics king from Quake to Doom 3.

I wonder what the actual percentage of HDTV owners is for having an actual good HDTV. I went from a shitty Insignia 32 inch to a 60 inch samsung un6400 and was blown away. I think someone coming from a crummy tv or a computer monitor still can be impressed greatly.

Graphics used to be terrible, now they are great. Let's focus on gameplay now.

Graphics are not getting shittier - that's just stupid.

No way man. Gears came out a year after the 360 launched. Give the PS4 and to a lesser extent the xbone a year or so and I am sure they will blow our minds again.

After Crysis 1, I kinda felt this diminishing return kicking in.

I wish I can find the old topic here in SW where it was explained that budget, manpower and publishers choosing w/c to publish are the real reason behind this (what slows/hastens progression) and we will still see more leaps in graphics (more expansive, more sophisticated AI and physics, etc.).

EDIT: here

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/diminishing-returns-due-to-technological-barrier-n-29358319/

I reckon a big reason it's that way is because while graphics might be improving rapidly, things like physics and the way you interact with your environment is still lagging way behind. Developers make a big deal over subtle lighting effects, but interactions haven't improved much at all in a long time. Some games have a more physicalized environment, but they're rare.

I was blown away by ryse.

console kids always say this

Now isn't exactly a good time to whine about this. Come back in two years!

I have been playing kerbal space program. Watching the sun appear on the horizon as im orbiting kerbin in my spacestation that I made leads me to believe graphics are doin fine,maybe you just need to take a break from the AAA press x to win games for a bit as you seem to be obsessing over graphics rather than gameplay

@farrell2k: no they are not stop it with this $400 pc nonsense, just the fact that you still need to buy windows for now kills that argument, At $500 you are getting into the realm of possibility but $600 is the cheap yet upgradeable sweet spot you need to be in.

Maybe once steam OS becomes a viable alternative you may have a point but not yet

Law of diminishing returns is why most people wont be impressed with the visual jump, but that is selling them short however as we have just started a new gen and we wont see killer visuals untill like four years down the line.

You expect too much from launch software (Ryse/KZ).

Then, you go onto compare GeoW 1 which came out a full year after the 360 launched. I had two copies of GeoW reserved for LAN, and I played the hell out of that game when Gears released a year after the 360 launched.

Perhaps you should make this thread in one year when the Xbone/PS4 are a year old like the 360 was when GeoW released, your prime example. Maybe then you would have a point, as of now, you got zilch.

I'm not saying you won't have a point, I'm saying right now your approach is completely flawed as you gave the 360 a year to produce a game that impressed you and you gave the Xbone/PS4 launch titles. We'll see how the new machines fare in a year with hopefully software that wasn't scaled for PS360.

@farrell2k: yeah right mate 21 years building pcs and I dont know what im talking about...

Proclaming you know better than everyone else on a forum does not actually mean you know anything get of your high pc fanboy horse and come back to reality moron.

If you are so sure build one online and show us until then you know **** all

Also linux is not an option YET for the pc if you wnat to compete with consoles you are missing over 90% of the pc catalouge

You are only using it to try and validate your argument

hd to hd isnt much like it was sd to hd.

for me its always about the detail and the art style

The last couple of games which have impressed me have been more down to the games being visually appealing rather than graphically. Couple weeks ago I was impressed with earthworm jim on the Snes, I was impressed how beautiful the game looks and all its quirky charm. I think the last game was W101 which made me thinks eye candy but then I find all of PG beautiful from Mad World to Vanquish. Overall I dont think graphics have become stale but realism has become a big part of the industry rather than people using their imagination.

@farrell2k: lol im a pc only gamer you numpty hows that for assumptions ....

Crappy power supply , the athlon x4 is not compatible with the motheboard you listed and tje gfx card is weaker than whats in the ps4 even without considering console optimisation and stull no windows ....congrats you just owned yourself

I keep seeing these threads but they are always quick to leave out any kind of comparison pics of previous launch games. Look at a gameplay video of Shadowfall and compare it to Resistance:Fall of man, it's an incredible difference.

Glasses and LASIK have come a long way........look into them.

You kind of had a point until you claimed that graphics have become shittier.

Yes. Shadow Fall is a dramatic upgrade from Resistance: Fall of Man, but Resistance is pretty ugly. If you compare Shadow Fall to the best looking games on PS3/360, the difference is not nearly as dramatic.

That being said, PS4/X1 should be given time to produce more impressive looking games than Shadow Fall and Ryse.

7850 is not stronger than the PS4.

4GB ram is not enough for several new games.

Graphics are getting better, just slowly, obviously. BF4 maxed out looks amazing and runs really well (now that they have pretty much fixed it). I am sure by the end of this gen (in the next couple of years actually) we will see games that are a significant step up. Witcher 3 looks amazing as well. So does Infamous Second Son.

With that said, I am not tweaking out about it too much, since games are looking phenomenal, and I just want phenomenal ideas and gameplay with it.

I'm disappointed too. With the current gen consoles (X1/PS4), I remember thinking 'is that it? after 8 years... that's it?'. Graphic are such a small leap it's unbelievable,

@farrell2k: amazing! You continue to fail in your argument yet still claim ownage just like a true fanboy. And your tiny little brain cannot comprehend that we are not cows yet you continue to say we are....its because that is sall you have

Sorry. I should've said GRAPHICAL JUMPS have become shittier and shittier.

There will always be room for improvement. Higher resolutions, more objects on screen, bigger worlds, better physics, better animations, better AI, etc, etc

As for PS4 and X1, the jump was as big as before. Look at BF4, for example: It went from subHD, 30fps and 24 players, to 900p, 60fps, 64players and improved graphics. Pretty big jump, especially considering it's a multiplatform, launch, cross-generation game.

but was it as big a jump as Majora's Mask to Eternal Darkness or Super Mario World to Super Mario 64.

The jump will never be as obvious as before, especially if you look back to the transition from 2D to 3D, or plain polygons to textured ones, but that's only because the graphics are already very good. Like i said above, now we see other improvements, like particles, physics and scale, which are less visual but equally important improvements.

But will there ever be a giant revolutionary jump again?

Ryse for example looks so realistic, but still suffers from uncanny valley and years from now there will be much better stuff out there. Like when Mortal Kombat came out for the Genesis, my thoughts at the time, were "wow, those are great graphics! i doubt they'll ever get better"

Yep, you got me, I'm a massive cow.

Hence my PC and 157 games on Steam.

I would agree. pc graphics have really gone down hill. nothing but indie games. fortunately the ps4 is graphics saving grace.

@farrell2k: pc panhandler jelly confirmed. B-)

I don't know. Bf4 at max settings and 1080p is pretty impressive. The lighting in that game surprises you. At times the photorealism is scary. Thats been the game that shows what we have to look forward too. Bf4 looks better than crysis 3 imo.

Yes.

I stopped caring about graphics the day i regreat not playing Windwaker on day 1 because i thought the graphics were too kiddy and not realistic enough...nowadays i can enjoy Super Mario 3D World Graphics as well as some less "good" graphics like The Last of Us (compared to BF4 for example) and i just don't care as long as the game is good and there is a great concept in the art department.

If you arent impressed yet, then just wait for ND to put out their game

that's cuz gears 1 was revolutionary AND good looking. crysis 3, kz and ryse are all as generic and trashy as it gets. tw3 will be the first game to demonstrate good graphics with things not possible last gen, play that and come here saying your 'graphics are stale'