Why the notion that games need photoreal graphics to tell better stories is backward nonsense, whatever 2K's boss says

Apparently we only have lots of shooters because graphics aren't good enough for anything else

Words: David Houghton on August 2, 2012

Back to Article

35 comments

View as:
Newest first
Oldest first

Divine Paladin - August 2, 2012 9:55 a.m.

You goofed on one aspect. 2K didn't publish RDR. 2K's parent Take-Two did.
- Reply
- Report
KnowYourPokemon - August 3, 2012 7:13 a.m.

Well considering 2K never published Arkham City, WB and Square Enix(in japan) did. And Portal 2 was obviously published by Valve I think he was just giving examples of games that create emotion without photorealism on top of the games 2K themselves have released.
- Reply
- Report
Divine Paladin - August 3, 2012 9 a.m.

It was an issue with wording, is all. He mentions 2K games and then mentions a game published by 2K's brother, Rockstar. Switching that title with Portal 2 would've fixed the problem.
- Reply
- Report
SentientSquidMachine - August 2, 2012 9:23 a.m.

All of you are wrong, just look at the fact that FF:The Spirits Within and Beowulf won Oscars. .....what's that? oh.....really? But their graphics...I see.
- Reply
- Report
into the sound - August 2, 2012 8:56 a.m.

David Cage's Kara demo was contrived melodrama with nice graphics. I don't want games to be movies (see Battleship. Or rather, don't.) I also don't want movies to games (I can't come up with any examples. I may very well have repressed the memories.)
- Reply
- Report
Eliath - August 2, 2012 3:20 p.m.

I assume you are referring to movie tie in games? Otherwise, Batman: Arkham City needs to talk to you. If you did mean movie tie in games, then I agree for the most part.
- Reply
- Report
xx_CaPTiiN_SpAiiN_zz - August 2, 2012 8:35 a.m.

that is a lot of rubbish. i definately agree with the pixar bit too as a bugs life had me crying when it came out as did the first pokemon movie. dont these stupid bosses get it?? i know ea and activison have crap bosses but companies like this one too?? god help us if they start effecting the work of their employees with this nonsense.
- Reply
- Report
space_cakes - August 2, 2012 11:35 a.m.

Oh wow, totally remember being the only teen in a theater full of little kids and bawling through the first Pokemon movie. It was real.
- Reply
- Report
ncurry2 - August 2, 2012 8:33 a.m.

Brilliant
- Reply
- Report
ChristopherDalley - August 2, 2012 8:18 a.m.

The argument was won before it started. The 'Pixar' thing was just icing on the cake.
- Reply
- Report
clearlight20 - August 2, 2012 8:07 a.m.

It has become a staple of game developers to say, 'this needs more photo-realism'. They believe that by making a game more realistic that it would make more of an impact in our hearts; make us remember that game. Yet, all it does is test their skills as animators. In this attempt to become better animators, they lack the necessary story line and originality. Let's face, guys... If I watch Rebecca Black's "Friday" in 240p it is still going to be awful in 1080p.
- Reply
- Report
Lurkero - August 2, 2012 7:55 a.m.

That is a horrible argument by Mr. Hartman. By that reasoning Final Fantasy 13 should automatically be better than Final Fantasy 9 because of graphics, and don't even think about reading books because their graphics haven't improved for centuries.
- Reply
- Report
into the sound - August 2, 2012 7:37 a.m.

what's the saying? it's a poor artist that blames his/her tools.
- Reply
- Report
xx_CaPTiiN_SpAiiN_zz - August 2, 2012 8:36 a.m.

carpenter that blames his tools.
- Reply
- Report
Shnubby - August 2, 2012 7:18 a.m.

great article, your argument makes perfect sense and I 100% agree with you. I didn't expect such a stupid quote to come from the creator of such great games. Video games can trigger emotions from me just as much as a movie, if not more so! I've played many games where I've become emotionally upset when another character that I've grown to know dies. In fact I would say that video games are the most emotion triggering forms of media (as long as they are actually good games of course) but you get good games and bad games just like you get good movies and bad movies.
- Reply
- Report
into the sound - August 2, 2012 7:42 a.m.

i think so too. games can elicit a stronger emotional reaction than movies in many cases, but i also think games don't need to try and be like movies. i feel like we need to sit Games down--like troubled teenager, haunted by the shadow older, more successful Cinema--and just be like, "Hey, be yourself. You're awesome. ;)"
- Reply
- Report