How about graphics AND gameplay, which is why the PS3 is beast

Graphics make the same experience feel different and even better because it provides the powerhorse to make new things. Example? Capcom's Dead Rising. The game's not the same experience in the Wii as the X360 version, with less zombies and lower graphic quality... {{{Note that I said that it was a different experience and not a worse game. If it has lower graphic quality, that's a fact, not my opinion.}}}

But yeah, it is not the same leap as 2D to 3D. That could be considered innovation. What devs are doing now is perfecting this 3D thing. As for now, I could happily live with my PS3 the entire 10 year life circle without any upgrades. Graphics right now are at a point that I do not need them to go any further to increase my enjoyment. And this is the first time I say this. Because it is true that with every gen I was impressed with the increased graphic quality but after a year or so I was completely bored of them and wanted something even better. But after 4 years of X360 and 3 of PS3 I still want more of them!

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But what about the Wii you say? It has the same graphics as a PS2.

Forget it. That's another level of interaction. I am talking about traditional gaming. But what about Wii 2? What if the Wii 2 only brings better graphic quality? Would you do the upgrade just for that? I bet a lot of people will be upgrading to Wii 2 as soon as it comes out even if the only upgrade are the graphics with a refined controller. We been doing that for years! Since the Nintendo Entertainment System and further back.

We're doing the same with the Televisions from SD to HD, black and white to color. PC's and Movies. Yep movies, have you seen how many remakes have been recently? It is the same story you now... But updated and people still pays to go and watch them in the cinema.

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Conclusion
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Yes, graphics do matter. It all depends what you do with them that makes the game timeless. Or do you think that Mario Bros 3 would have been the same legendary game with Atari graphics? Nop. I don't even think it could have been possible even if you remove the graphics... The interaction with the game was at another level than what the Atari could provide, it was a revolution. The further you go back you'll see that better graphics often provided better tools to create better gameplay.

I think gamers expect a certain standard in regards to graphics. Graphics are also slave to what the developer wants to do with the gameplay and mechanics that define that gameplay.

Though I always believed Music/Sound and Gameplay to far outweigh graphics, I would like to say that the graphics should work in harmony with the other aspects of the game to enhance the experience of the player.

Cutting edge graphics are nice, but I am perfectly happy if the developer reaches and esthetic appeal and a comfortable level of quality.

Yes, graphics do matter.

Try releasing a new PS3 or 360 game with the graphics of Mario 64.

People would laugh. Point proven.

They used 100 % of the cell with there engine, they will make the engine better and use 100% again with an even better looking uncharted 3!

I care about Physics more than Graphics :P
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PS3 guys don't tell me that PS3 has better graphics than Xbox.. Xbox win many face to face.. and bayonetta is better on Xbox and we all know that :P

Xbox wins everything, yeah it has better GPU .. :)

Good graphics are important. However, I have NEVER docked a game off for having bad graphics, I just don`t care. IMO, a beautiful environment and great art direction are more important. Amazing graphics compliment these two, just like Uncharted 2.

ha I pity those who say it doesn't matter, really,graphic add immersion where gameplay isn't enough fools. Especially at this day and age where technology is evolving around the clock,there no questioning about graphics i.e U.C 2 i bet if it had average graphics the media would go on a craze bashing it even if the rest of the gameplay was good.

when the PS3 launched and games like Resistance: Fall of Man failed to match the visuals of Gears of War.

now that PS3 games have been surpassing 360 outings since, well, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in 2007, suddenly graphics don't matter, and it's all about the game play.

in truth, graphics and gameplay go hand in hand in crafting memorable gaming experiences.

Uncharted 2 would have no doubt been an awesome game regardless of the visuals, but the fact that it features such astounding graphics helps to immerse the players in the world, as well as form a more meaningful connection between Nathan Drake and the player. if he didn't look, animate, and behave as realistically as he did, the effect would be lessened.

if developers are able to pull off amazing visuals without sacrificing quality game play, i'm all for it. so far, Sony's first and second party developers have been doing just that.

if anything, i see third parties resting on their laurels more often, hoping that their pretty Unreal Engine 3 game will distract the gamer from their game's mediocre game play.

most of the console exclusives these days tend to have both, and i don't see a reason why they shouldn't just so that the fanboys of console(s) not capable of such visuals will sleep better at night.

never before have a seen a generation where developers have been so willing to compromise their vision so that all platforms had the same exact game.

didn't stop them when SNES multi-plats were looking better than the Genesis counterparts, or when Xbox multi-plats looked better than their PS2 counterparts.

but NOW, all of a sudden, developers want to be fair and "equal" instead of playing to the strengths of either console. and believe me, now that just about all of the developers are out there working with their second and third generation gaming engines, there is no excuse why they aren't optimizing their code to work within the strengths of the PS3 and 360. the hard work was crafting their engine. now that that's done, the cost of developing games will lower. just like last generation (at the start, the PS2, for example, was expensive and difficult to develop for. by mid-lifecycle, around year 3, developers that didn't write off the PS2 had working engines that could be used to create further games, thus lowering the overall development costs of developing for the PS2).

this generation has been a sea of dirty pool. from the developers, to the media, to the fanboys. i'm REALLY disappointed in that aspect of the media, but fortunately, there are SOME developers that still have a love for the craft (ie, all PS3 exclusive developers, and companies like Bioware, 2K Games, Bungie, etc), and are at least creating enjoyable game experiences to the best of their abilities.

i can't say i'm disappointed in the games (this has been a rather impressive console generation so far software wise), but the PEOPLE this time around are behaving absolutely APPALLINGLY.

Shadow of Colossus is one game if played by any PC gamer or Xbox fanboy will suck them to become a Sony fanboy like me! I'm not kidding that game is got no voice acting,no story... But the game does the talking.I haven't finished it yet. But i need a HD remake! Still wondering how to kill the flying Colossus!

Graphics are very important. I hear people say all the time its about the gameplay. They are right but only in a small way. Its both great gameplay with crap graphics suck. But crap gameplay with great graphics suck. Graphics are why we update systems each generation. If gameplay only mattered we would still be playing ps2. It has way more games then any next gen console. The console and games are cheap. But I do think a game with amazing gameplay and descent graphics can out shine the competition. Because at the heart of games its about fun. I beat uncharted 2 last week. I my opinion it's the best experience I have had this gen. It's amazing gameplay and graphics. But know I have moved on to trine. A old school 2 d platformer. That doesn't have UC2 graphucs but has great gameplay. People also forget it's about story. Thousands are replaying ff7 now for that reason.

but more important is a unique art style. And gameplay. And story, and music.

Its a key ingredient to any great game.

Uncharted 2 uses 100% of the current cell power, which is still at 50% of the PS3s capabilities. Plus the engine of uncharted can aleas improve. The ps3 had a lot of growth in it.

But most 360 owners don't own a nice TV, so they don't understand what HD looks like, or just jealous of those who have it

Killzone 2 is a prime example on how graphics isn't everything.

I'm guessing all the people saying graphics are the most important part of a game are the same people that just started gaming this generation. How good a game looks is important and good graphics could really change how a game is experienced, but I still play Atari games every now and then and it really doesn't bother me that they don't look anywhere as good as current gen games. If people care how good something looks in a game then try walking outside and seeing how good something looks in real life for a change.

Call me a hypocrite if you want, but I will say that when it comes to PC gaming and testing out your rig graphics can be considered far more important than usual.

A well told, immersive, story/game doesn't necessarily need good graphics.

However, good graphics (or more accurately, good art direction and level design) can massively add to the immersion, and help story telling.

Would you rather sleep with a pretty girl or a butt ugly girl? Of course the experience is better if the visuals look great.

Graphics mattered every time you ever bought a new console or upgraded your PC.

When you got graphics as good as this, that's when you realize why graphics sometimes is more important than gameplay.

Vision is the means by which we take the majority of the information from the world around us, then surely this would confirm the importance of the LOOK of any game. A book relies upon the quality of the written word to convey an idea or a mental image so obviously a VIDEO game should utilise its graphical qualities .

Hopefully this will be achieved ALONGSIDE a decent story, script, voice acting, controls etc etc....Result - a game like Uncharted2.

Besides, isnt it human nature to strive to 'build a better wheel'; to im prove and better on what has gone before? Dont people generally PREFER to look at people and objects that have that certain WOW factor? Its not necessarily always a good thing, but true nontheless.

Give a talented Dev the right tools and hardware, apply a rich sprinkling of imagination and hey presto!
My jaw dropping moment was courtesy of Guerrilla Games and the lighting effects seen in the Stahl warehouse level. Not seen ANYTHING even close yet - but guess what - I know I will do someday.

Yes graphics do matter...

For me graphics for me, matter up to a certain point. Maybe it has something to do with growing up during the NES days.

If the graphics are good, but the game bad..lose. If the game is good, and graphics only fair..win.

It's called "progression"....... ...

Since I still think FF7 is the best game ever made. And i enjoyed it the most out of every game i've played, I'd say no.

I've played games that have pretty crappy graphics but have excellent gameplay. Meh, I'm a graphics whore but I can appreciate great gameplay no matter what the graphic quality is.

I've posted this b4, imho, we as gamers that share this HOBBY, are looking for the ultimate experience! i.e. total immersion in a world that isn't reality. Virtual reality is the key word! Until smell-o-vision and feel-o-vision come to fruition, we have to rely on the most modern venues to get to where we want to be! And on this date in time GRAPHICS are the number one way to do this! So, in my opinion, yes, graphics matter a helluva lot in gaming!

16.1 -
imagine if the good girl doesnt know how to please you
and the less good girl know all ur fantasy

That is called a last call chick, booty call.

Grpahics don't make a game enjoyable, but it's a nice addition, i think it sucks that aloty of developers think that they can just do a weak graphics game and get away with it though. The bar has been raised and some people just aren't willing to put the effort in to keep up, infinity ward for example, they did the hard yards back in the day, and now they think they've earned our money for anything they put out, regardless of how little effort they put in.

1080p needs to be standard. I personally don't see the point in upgrading from a 1680*1050 monitor but if i had to choose again it would be 1080p for sure

thief! system shock 2! doom! half life! duke nukem!

play any of thoes now and youll say damn these graphics look like a 5 year old drew them with cheap knockoff crayola crayons.

but the gameplay, storytelling, and sound is amazing.
so no, i personally dont think graphics matter

Graphics are the main reason for the fast evolution of pc and consoles. Ive been a gamer for 30 years and in all those years eye candy was one of the main reasons for me upgrading my pc's. Let's face it, men generally are stimulated visually and i cant find myself playing the games i started out with years ago.

Graphics should not matter if gameplay is great.
Bu graphics only matter to fanboys.
Xbox fanboys last generation talked about graphics...this gen Sony fanboys talk about graphics.

Yes it matters and it's almost as important as gameplay. So don't be hypocrites.

As long as it doesn't look like pixelated squares.

Playing Borderlands and its maybe the best game I've played all year and its cel shaded.

Graphics matter.

But to think that people are missing out on something because you played a game with better graphics is retarded.

I can see 2D from 3D but not polygon for polygon when the difference is only minute.

it's a visual medium so yes graphics matter

Thanks for all the replies guys and gals, seems its really sparked a few arguments and theories. Anything to get you talking eh!

buy an atari 2600 if you think graphics doesnt matter

Graphics are just another part of the immersion in a game, I tend to find that the more immersed I am in the game then the more I enjoy it – however graphics are not the be all and end all of gaming, just a cherry that goes on the gaming cake.

2 of my favourite games of all time (Elite, Deus EX) would be considered horrible to look at by today’s standards but the overall experience was top notch due to the immersion. Same goes with stuff like FF7 and the original Metal Gears which is why I guess everyone is always clamouring for remakes.

Recently I just purchased Demons Souls for the PS3 and sold Resident Evil 5. Resi 5 is much better graphically than Demons Souls but as a game it stank, Demons Souls is just a better experience despite its lack of graphical polish.

I went on the g4 HD channel to see what they had 4 uncharted 2- NOTHING!
But they had like 5 0r 6 clips 4 odst, so I watched 2 or 3 of em. Not being a fanboy, just observing that the game looks very ps2 ish. music was boring, visuals looked almost 2d, gun and explosion sounds were very good. But if this was a ps3 exclusive i'd guess maybe sales would be around 250k lifetime! sorry, just really graphically last gen imho.
<edit> BTW, why no uc2 footage at all on g4 comcast on-demand!

If a game sucks, it sucks, no amount of polish is going to make it better, Resident Evil 5.

Meanwhile, a good game, with a good amount of polish, just enhances the experience that much more, Uncharted 2.

Wii is judged differently, but it still has good games with good amounts of polish and it comes out looking like Super Mario Galaxy.

If we are in the so called next gen then they should matter and if graphic don't matter to some people then they should buy a ps1, ps2 or a wii or maybe even an xbox.

well, if you recall that was the way MS entered this next generation of consoles, touting HD gamming.

Let me answer that by explaining something I noticed the other day while playing God of War 2. It was fighting against the boss with the spear who made ice pillars and Minatours appear, Theseus I think. As I fought him in the background the sun was setting and I noticed that when I moved the shadows lengthed and shifted according to were I and the Boss stood. As looked at the whole scene I realized that this scene was beautiful. People always jump to say graphics don't matter (usually Nintendo Wii owners defending ugly games like Conduit and House of the Dead). But I realized that if God of War had ugly graphics, it would have completely taken me out of the experience. Nothing worse then playing a game to to see a big ugly glitch staring you in the face(cough!!!.....Conduit). So talk all you like. If graphic don't matter so much way don't most people still own a SNES or Sega System instead of a PS3 or Xbox?

But only when the gameplay is good enough can you not care about gfx. Example, I could still play the Wind Waker and enjoy it both because of gameplay and the cell shaded gfx is a bonus.

The sum of all aspects in a video game added up togther is what makes the difference between a great game or lame game. As long as other aspects of the game are great, the graphics don't have to be. But no one likes poor graphics these days. There is no reason for that with today's hardware, so it just looks like a half-assed game if the graphics are on the poorer end of the scale.

Is it better to watch a movie on HD or SD...or black and white or color?

Who the hell uses a light blue text on a blue background? The person who design that web site is an idiot.

graphics do matter no matter what people say if they don't to you then don't buy any new consoles. also good graphics don't mean realistic ratchet an clank, nauto ultimate ninja storm, lbp and heavenly sword is aren't realistic good graphics can look like anything . graphics even add to gameplay alan wake wouldn't be as interesting if the lighting didn't look good and uncharted wouldn't be as cinematic and immersive without the amazing graphics. graphics do matter it only doesn't matter to the people who don't have games with good graphics on their console.

A game can still be enjoyable w/o great grapics

Graphics matter alot. Would you wan't to play GT5 or Uncharted 2 if the grapics looked PS2ish, or if everything looked like Unreal Engine? No. Even if it had the best gameplay, no one would care about it if it had bad graphics.

Graphics do matter. I'm sure the Xbox is capable of producing amazing graphics. The probem there I believe is the storage media. Where are you going to store all the resources for that visual beauty... 4 DVDs?

"can the Xbox 360 contend with such a powerful display of power?"

sure, no, even uncharted the first is impossible.

Year head start, easier to program for, where's the uncharted one graphics!.... waiting..... goes to play uncharted TWO!

Tell me again how the multiplatform strategy was supposed to fix everything. Look at your results and compare them to Nintendo, which keeps thriving with exclusives. Your loyal fans are gone. And let’s not forget the pile of IPs you purchased only to let them rot.

The worst thing is this is down from last years numbers/expectations which was down from the previous years numbers/expectations. You think about how long “down” has been a consistent part of the communication and you realize those subscriptions are what’s holding that boat together. The price cut of gamespass is still a price raise in a string of price raises. They are trying to use players to offset the missing revenue. Now call of duty is out of gamespass, which is literally WHY they bought the company. To draw people to the subscription. They realized they missed a boatload of money and that wasn’t sustainable. Now you pay for it like you would have if they never bought the company… so why buy the company? Mind you those billions still need to be paid back. Yeah it gives you a chance to say we make the biggest FPS… but the internal conversations must be brutal at high level on topics that really matter. Like revenue. Profitability. And ROI for the shopping spree.

Is this like the 10th quarter in a row they're down 33% on hardware how is that even mathematically possible. You would think their mediocrity would Plateau