Looking Good - The Case for Good Graphics

[Balfron]

The Wii’s flagship launch title is The Legend of Zelda – a GameCube game. As Sony promise sights never before seen in this world, Nintendo have delivered a game capable of being played on a system launched six years ago.

 

The idea is that graphics no longer matter, and that fun is the most important element of video games. This logic has become a sort of mantra for Nintendo fanboys, who now jump on each other for even daring to suggest that the Wii could have sported graphics that are more advanced. However it wasn’t that long ago that Nintendo themselves were pushing graphics for all they were worth. Indeed the name itself of the Nintendo 64 was a non-too-subtle notice of the power of the console, one that for a while, if I remember correctly, was marketed by Nintendo as “The most powerful games system in the world”.

 

I submit that graphics do matter, and that Nintendo were wrong to ‘sacrifice’ them for better gameplay.

 

Firstly, good graphics matter simply because they are new and shiny. Like iPods, new mobiles, flat screen TVs and Windows Vista, people like having new, technologically advanced stuff. For whatever reason, it makes us feel good.

 

When I first played the GameCube I was in awe at the beauty of the Death Star in Star Wars: Rebel Alliance and the face of Zinedine Zidane in FIFA 2002: Road to World Cup. I came away pleased with my (rather expensive) purchase, happy in the knowledge that I had bought some of the most advanced technology available.

 

I didn’t get quite the same impression when I first played the Wii. The majestic scene of Link riding his horse across a stone bridge was ruined by a black jagged line appearing at a join in the screen, scarring an already fuzzy and simple scene. And this remember was a cutscene, and not even actual gameplay.

 

So with the Gamecube we got cutting edge technology, and with the Wii we get pretty much the same technology, but it’s no longer cutting edge. For some reason it’s just not quite the same.

 

The second problem I have with Nintendo’s ‘fun over graphics’ policy is that the two ideas don’t have to be in conflict with each other. Just as the church, in deciding that the human mind is great, felt the need to make the human body out to be dirty, Nintendo seem to be under the mistaken impression that a fun game either cannot have or does not need good graphics.

 

Part of this idea, I think, comes from Nintendo wanting to make the console a family friendly device. For this to happen, the system needs to be cheap. Now we get what we pay for of course, and so Nintendo’s Wii is cheap and so not all that powerful. But the thing is we don’t always get what we pay for; sometimes we get more than that. Both Microsoft and Sony subsidise their consoles considerably, hoping to rely either on other arms of their companies, or on making money from games and other bits and pieces to do with the console later down the line. Nintendo, despite recently predicting a 28% rise in profits to £700million, for some reason do not do this.

 

Even without any subsidy from Nintendo, the Wii only costs about £30 less than the Xbox 360. I for one would happily pay an extra £30 to get games as beautiful as Gears of War for the Wii.

 

In short then, Nintendo has made two mistakes here: firstly thinking that it is necessary to sacrifice graphics for fun, and secondly that they cannot take some of the cost themselves and make the technology more advanced and keep the price affordable.

[Serebii]

Nintendo is also making money whereas even though the 360 is only £30 more than the Wii, Microsoft are losing money on every console sold.

 

Nintendo did the smartest thing. The wii is selling like hotcakes. The games are coming in by the truckload in the coming year. They chose the best course of action

[Charlie]

Before anyone says that the Wii isn't £100 less than the 360, which it actually is at RRP, you can get bundles on the 360 for £280 with 2 games and an extra controller. If you get 2 games and an extra controller/nunchuck for the Wii it brings you up above that price.

 

Some of the games on the Wii do actually look shocking, like they were made for the N64. Take a look at Far Cry, it is pathetic how the developers completely ignored the graphical side of it.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Some of the games on the Wii do actually look shocking, like they were made for the N64. Take a look at Far Cry, it is pathetic how the developers completely ignored the graphical side of it.

 

So then it's the developers fault for not trying. Right?

 

I can't say I have a problem with the graphical side of things. To me, Zelda looks great, as does Excite Truck. WiiSports is very clean cut and polished, so that's decent, too. I think the 3rd parties are letting us down on the graphical side of things.

[Hellfire]

Oh God another graphics thread.

[Owen]

So then it's the developers fault for not trying. Right?

 

I can't say I have a problem with the graphical side of things. To me, Zelda looks great, as does Excite Truck. WiiSports is very clean cut and polished, so that's decent, too. I think the 3rd parties are letting us down on the graphical side of things.

 

The graphics of Wii: Sports seem to work with the controller....i can't explain why but they do....

 

Good graphics don't make a good game...they just add to the atmosphere. Thats what i've learned.

 

Thats not saying i don't like good graphics though, i just think the Wii's controller is more important at this time.

[Cube]

To me, art style is more important than the detail. Look at Excite Truck and Motorstorm, I think the graphics in Excite Truck are a million times better than Motorstorm because of the graphical style.

 

I think Nintendo themselves are doing a great job graphics-wise - beauty over detail. Zelda, Excite Truck, Super Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy. Because of art style over polygons, some GameCube games (like StarFox Adventures and Super Mario Sunshine) still look lovely today.

 

And the PS3...well, it may just be me, but it seems that most character models look like plastic action figures...

[Goron_3]

its weird...

 

Nintendo went for graphics with the n64 and power/graphics with Cube...and tell me, who won?

 

Give the Wii a year, and then judge its graphics, because then developers will be trying to push the systems graphics.

[Dante]

Really gameplay is more important than graphics. Did you see everyone stop buying PS2 because Xbox & GC came out or buying GameGear over Gameboys?

[Kirkatronics]

IMO graphcs dont make the game playable, but it does help.. it wouldnt have hurt for better graphics

[DCK]

Don't you think it's a bit superficial to say that the Wii has done a bad job to make things look new and shiny like your iPod? Isn't it superficial to say that its horsepower gives you the feeling value for money (e-penis enlargement) rather than the fun you have with it?

 

I'm getting the idea that you don't play games for the fun, and that's a sad thing.

[Gizmo]

Oh God another graphics thread.

 

Quoted for truth. This is a horse which has been well and truly beaten over and over, and will continue to be for years. Debating it is a fruitless cause: everyone has their own opinion on it and that will always remain. Why waste time debating when we could be enjoying the games?

[Zechs Merquise]

I agree, Wii is a let down when it comes to graphics. It's sad that we won;t be seeing the heroes we grew up with in HD or even in any better detail. I'm annoyed, especially about games like Metroid and Zelda. Metroid Prime's graphics blew me away, and I want games on the Wii to blow me away in the same manner.

[blender]

Graphics are important and the wii will suffer as a result.

 

The graphics on the wii seem crapper than gamecube. I think interpreting gestures uses more horse power than people think... its not a 1:1 detection but some kind of statistical analysis. Anyway, it will get better. Games will always be limited and so will stifle the realisation of a designer's vision.

 

There is no compensation for trading off graphics. If the games were truely cheaper e.g. £25 at launch, I'd be happy. But 360 seems better value all round. The wii24 connect standby is a complete gimmick. The same functionality could be done by remote servers that the wii connects too.

[Domstercool]

It's true that graphics don't matter. Just look at awesome games like Disgaea on the PS2, 2D to hell, but beautiful artwork makes up for it.

 

On the other hand though, is it really bad that a game can have better graphics? Like people buy the 360 versions of the game that is on Xbox/PS2 mainly because it has better graphics.

 

I'm sure some people wouldn't say no to having the ability of playing with the Wii controller on something that looked like this.

 

[LazyBoy]

You claim that Nintendo were wrong to dump graphics for gameplay?

 

The 360 and the PS3 are fighting for the same market....us basically. Very few on this board are planning to get a 360 and PS3, am I right? They cost a lot of money, and they pretty much getting the same games, and so picking between them is the answer. What if Nintendo entered that same market?

 

This was pretty much the situation last generation. You had three consoles that had the same games (bar an exclusive here and there), and Nintendo lost. Granted it made the most money, but it had the smallest market share. You think Nintendo should have played the same game again?

 

The Wii is seliing, a lot. Since release it has almost halved the sales of the 360, a machine which has been out a lot longer, at a prophit. The differentiation, this 'blue ocean' policy, is working. Sorry mate, you're wrong.

[Domstercool]

Nintendo could of put more Power into the system though. They are making a profit, and they made profit before, so it's not like they are short of money. The thing is though, just how much are they making? Could they of cut some of that profit down a little so they could pump up the system.

[blender]

mario galaxy, metroid prime should demonstrate some better graphics. Also ubisoft were good (in the gamecube). I expect POP and TMNT to have nice visuals. Nothing on par with next gen.

 

But then again look at God of War and Okami and then you dont care as much. But I think the next gen machines will be pushed a lot further in the future. The wii is 'like' a gamecube. People know how to develop for it and so they wont be many surprises in terms graphical improvements throughout the lifecycle. e.g. compare PS2 lauch games to recent releases.

[scubahood]

Graphics really don't matter. Nintendo have proven that with the Wii. What do matter though are games and this is where I am concerned there just doesn't seem to be a lot coming out. The last game I got was Wario Ware and the next game i'm after is Trauma Center but after that I don't know of anything I want thats coming out anytime soon. We were told there would be plenty of games unlike with previous consoles but I think we were lied to.

[Teppo Holmqvist]

We were told there would be plenty of games unlike with previous consoles but I think we were lied to.

 

"Lied" is so strong word. I did little bit checking, and Xbox 360 got around 25 games during its first three months, and Wii has around 35. And If we want to compare to earlier launches, Gamecube got only 15 games during its first three months. It doesn't help at all, of course, that general Nintendard attitude is that 3rd party title isn't worth anything if it isn't Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid or Grand Theft Auto.

[King_Mushroom]

Yea Nintendo NEVER said good graphics RUIN a game.

 

They simply prefer that the resources involved in creating a game have a more even balance between gameplay and graphics. To make a game 'sell' on the Wii it HAS to have good gameplay.

 

Plus if you really care just pick up a 360.

[Dante]

From Adage: The Wii is less powerful but more popular than PlayStation. Why? Because it created and currently owns a new product category.

 

"Customers rarely buy a product or service because it offers something unique," say authors Patrick Barwise and Sean Meehan. Consumers want products that are "simply better" in terms of quality, reliability and value.

 

Different products

Not true. Too many companies focus on trying to make better products when the real advantage is making different products. The video-game dogfight between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo illustrates this point.

 

Both Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 are the result of a better-product approach. Compared to previous iterations, the new PlayStation and Xbox machines are faster and more powerful.

 

Nintendo did it differently. The Wii is perhaps one-tenth as powerful as its two rivals, yet its motion-sensitive wireless controller allows you to produce action on the screen by tilting and waving your hand. You don't just sit on the couch and move your thumbs.

 

Wii winning the battle

Wii has been winning the battle in the marketplace. In November and December of last year, Nintendo sold 1.1 million Wii consoles, while Sony sold only 687,000 PS3s. Wii has also been winning the battle in the media:

 

"Nintendo's Wii, radiating fun, is eclipsing Sony," wrote the The New York Times.

 

"We found the more modest Wii to be the more exciting, fun and satisfying of the two new game machines," said Walter S. Mossberg in The Wall Street Journal.

 

My prediction: Nintendo's Wii will wind up outselling Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 combined.

 

Game Boy example

It wouldn't be the first time Nintendo won big with a "different" strategy. In 1989, the company introduced Game Boy, the first portable video-game player. Since then, Game Boy has sold more than 70 million units.

 

Two years ago, Sony struck back with the PlayStation Portable, a portable machine with a "better" approach. With the bigger, more powerful PSP, consumers could also play movies and music.

 

But instead of introducing a bigger, more powerful Game Boy, Nintendo introduced the DS, a dual-screen portable player. One screen is a regular LCD, and the other screen is touch-sensitive, allowing for a new breed of games. So far, Nintendo DS has sold 26.8 million units vs. 22.9 million for Sony's PSP. No surprise.

 

Marketing is a battle of categories. The brand is only a marker for the category itself. If you want an energy drink, you reach for a Red Bull. If you want soy milk, you buy Silk. Rental DVDs by mail? Netflix.

 

Creating a category

Creating a category and then branding that category in such a way that your brand is perceived as the innovator and leader is the essence of marketing today.

 

To create a category, however, you have to think differently, not better. Pepsi-Cola tastes better than Coca-Cola, but it's not different and therefore can never become a market leader.

 

There are some categories where the better product does win. These are categories with few or no brands. Notice, for example, how consumers will take their time to pick and choose the better apple in the produce section.

 

The number of these categories keeps declining because these are the best categories in which to launch brands. In the supermarket produce section, a company called Fresh Express introduced the first brand of packaged salad, a typical think-different approach.

 

Naturally, Dole and a number of other produce players jumped into the market. Who became the market leader? Fresh Express, with a 40% share. Two years ago, Fresh Express was bought by Chiquita Brands for $855 million, a nice stack of greens.

 

Think different and get rich.

 

~ ~ ~

Al Ries is chairman of Ries & Ries, an Atlanta-based marketing-strategy firm.

[Fierce_LiNk]

"Lied" is so strong word. I did little bit checking, and Xbox 360 got around 25 games during its first three months, and Wii has around 35. And If we want to compare to earlier launches, Gamecube got only 15 games during its first three months. It doesn't of course help at all, that general Nintendard attitude is that 3rd party title isn't worth anything, if it isn't Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid or Grand Theft Auto.

 

I think you can never have too many games. There's a lot of PS2-to-Wii ports in the works, and a lot of people complaining, and these are the same people complaining that there isn't enough games.

 

Sorry to say this, but not EVERY game released on the Wii or 360 or even the PS3 for that matter is going to be a triple A title and an instant purchase. It doesn't work that way. Exactly why every movie that you see in the cinema isn't the greatest movie of all time.

 

Wii NEEDS more filler titles. I think games like Wario Ware work on a few levels. They're Nintendo games, so they're high quality. But, they're also filler. If you're looking for some fun, you can look into games like these. That's what Nintendo needs, just something to expand the library. If we can get more platform games, more racing and shooters onto the system, then it'll be great.

[Caris]

If we were in Last gen i say Graphics dont matter, but now that were into the HD era they do, Exshite trucks look terrible on LCD Tv's.

 

Like utter terrible...

[Eddage]

If we were in Last gen i say Graphics dont matter, but now that were into the HD era they do, Exshite trucks look terrible on LCD Tv's.

 

Like utter terrible...

 

It looks great on my LCD TV...