That's it... good... no need for you to go just yet

Welshy

Contributor
CRank: 5Score: 68780

Why graphics SHOULDN'T be the "be all and end all" of Next Gen consoles.

With all the build up and hype around how plausible "leaked" next gen tech plans, X amount of RAM, using X GPU etc. Discussions and comment sections almost always recede into resolution comparisons and how many FPS a game runs at.

Strictly speaking, "Next Gen" graphics are already here on beast gaming PC's of $1000 and above, and those specs increase at will, there are no gens in terms of PC.

Why don't we start using this new hardware we shall migrate to next gen to start pushing the boundaries of AI, environmental interaction and general use for the benefit of the overall way games are designed and played, instead of merely how shiny and hi-res you can make a game look.

Even the best looking games out there can have MAJOR flaws at a basic design level, so when it comes down to us gamers sitting and playing it, it doesn't really matter if it looks like MGS1 or true to life like LA Noire.

Crysis is always an example franchise that springs to mind when i discuss this with people. Sure, Crysis 2 maxed out on my PC looks absolutely fantastic, but when something as basic as ill designed AI creeps in, it throws the whole experience out th window as i'm not prepared to suffer design flaws that break my immersion for the sake of some 1080p wallpaper in that one room. One minute i'm walking around admiring the beautiful scenerey and looking at all my potential suit powers and think "great! this is pulling me in, looks good, plenty of depth and variation etc". Then while stalking at least 300 yards away from one soldier while crouched in a bush i decide it's safe to remove my stealth cloak. Upon the very millisecond of dropping that stealth, the guy swirls 180 degrees screaming "Intruder" and pounding me half to death with precise headshots and all of a sudden, i have half an army on top of me...

I could probably make similar examples of all different games from all platforms and point these immersion and often fun breaking fundamental flaws all day.

What's my overall point? With a fresh leaf turned over for a new generation of both hardware and software, why don't we take a step back, assess what makes us love the games we do, and what turns us off. Something as simple as the realisation that dropping a few pixels here and there to have those resources used in intelligent enemy spawns and overall AI, at the end of the day, it's really not going to be that much worse off in the aesthetics, but be worlds more enjoyable to actually sit and play.

Let's cut back to basics, start something new, and make this coming generation something to be proud of!

Valenka4877d ago

I'd like to beat with a wet noodle those who think that visuals make the game. I can think of a handful of games in which the visuals were poor in comparison to others, but excelled in brilliance in aspects that visually excellent games failed in.

imtheman20134877d ago

Basically every indie game - Super Meat Boy, Lone Survivor, Spelunky, Fez, etc. All of those are wonderful games with very little graphical power.

Hufandpuf4876d ago (Edited 4876d ago )

Little graphic power, but great graphics nonetheless.

Gamers tend to think great graphics means the best in tech. That isn't the case. There are pleasing graphics on older games and graphics that have a distinct style that can be better than technically advanced graphics.

I believe that graphics accentuate a game and are as important as the game itself. The graphics don't have to be cutting edge, but they do have to be ascetically pleasing to the eye.

imtheman20134875d ago

@Hufandpuf I get what you mean by that. Like Fez has pixel art, which isn't graphically challenging, but I can't imagine it with any other art style. It works with the game and that's part of what makes the game great.

SilentNegotiator4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

No one thinks that visuals make the game. Certain people just become angry at others that are upset when the graphics of a game are disappointing.

And you're aware that you have to LOOK at games the WHOLE time, right? Graphics are important.

And we're of course seeing more of "these" articles and blogs because of a certain new system that clearly hasn't made the expected leap. It's a good example, really.
Gamers: "We're disappointed by the graphics"
Developers: "We're disappointed by the hardware"
Fanboys: "ZOMG you guis only car aboot graffixs!!!!!!"

Valenka4877d ago

Obviously graphics are important, but they should not take precedence over gameplay. Of course I'm aware you have to look at the game the whole time--I wasn't born this morning.

Seeing as you clearly missed my point, allow me to reiterate: graphics do not make the game, and should not take precedence over gameplay. Yes, graphics are important, but they do not contribute to the fun factor or replay value as much as gameplay does.

SilentNegotiator4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

Again, no one thinks graphics take precedence over gameplay.

Fanboys just take comments about graphics and assume that is the ENTIRETY of the opinion of that game/system from that person.

NO ONE THINKS GRAPHICS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN GAMEPLAY.
It's just sensitive fanboys getting upset that someone said something about the graphics of a game.

Nicaragua4876d ago (Edited 4876d ago )

Beat with a wet noodle, so that would be hardly beat them at all.

...ok

Megaton4877d ago

I don't think they're the "be all, end all", but it's certainly a reasonable expectation to see a graphical leap with each new generation. What's the point of releasing new tech if you're going to use old graphics?

Godmars2904877d ago

Not it not. Not when high-end PCs are considered the standard.

I mean Crytek is asking for a console with 8GB of RAM when that's still not standard for PCs. If the PS4 and NextBox have over 3GB I'll be surprised.

Bladesfist4877d ago

8GB is standard minimum for a gaming PC. Most people I know have between 8 and 16.

2pacalypsenow4876d ago (Edited 4876d ago )

Pc's need more ram because they have more programs running at the same time. as im writing this my Computer is using 2.26 gb of my 8gb with chrome,origin,steam
and the game Rage in the background consoles DONT need 8gb ,3-4 max.

TheFirstClassic4877d ago

I would say art style is more important than textures or just how powerful the system is. What's the point of all that power in a system if the games art is boring? That's part of the thing that annoys me about this gen, too much realism.

What kinda wierds me out is when some people act like games are automatically outdated and worthless if they aren't current gen. It's ridiculous, some of the best games you can experience are still from the nes-n64 days.

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

"Strictly speaking, "Next Gen" graphics are already here on beast gaming PC's of $1000 and above"

Funny this next gen demo is running on a 2 year old laptop(geforce 555M)

"Turns out it was running on a two year old laptop with a mobile GeForce 555M"

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

ProGrasTiNation4877d ago

I remember playing C&C red alert on the ps1 & loving it to bits,then when the ps2 came round my bro & i had a long discussion about how the next one would be now that they had the power to make it bigger.
We were hoping for bigger maps more weapons & maybe a branching story(failed mission continues you down a different path),instead we got nothing.
Well my main point is that we were happy with the graphics,it was the gameplay we hoped they improved 1st & it still should be this way today but unfortunately big publishers couldn't give a dam about gameplay aslong the ads look good!

Welshy4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

You hit the nail on the head =)

I don't just want to play the same games, with the same flaws and setbacks i played for the past 6 years with prettier and more realistic skins.

Of course i want to see an aesthetic jump, but my main thing is how games as whole, and how games are designed changes.

The Metal Gear Solid franchise is a great example of how both graphical improvements and innovative idea's and game play can go hand in hand and define the industry and raise the bar with each generation of hardware.

ProGrasTiNation4873d ago

Ye thanks & i do agree with you about MGS(love that series), but even kojima had to add trophy support to 4 even do the game had a perfectly good score system built into the game.
It might not be graphics related but its the same mind set that causes the decline in gameplay.
If the game had trophies to begin with & not their own system i probably wouldn't have been replaying it to get my big boss rating(I FUCKING HATE TROPHIES).
Minecraft spoke to all of us that wanted gameplay over graphics & i make sure my kid plays games that dont dumb the experience with flashy visuals over gameplay.
I think its up to parents to make sure their kids no what is good & bad in the industry because that's who those console makers & devs target the most.

Show all comments (24)
30°

Gang of Dragon Studio Reportedly Removes YouTube Channel Amid Funding Uncertainty

Nagoshi Studio’s YouTube channel with the Gang of Dragon trailers appears to have been removed following reports that NetEase will stop funding.

Read Full Story >>
twistedvoxel.com
240°

We Are Xbox

Dear team,

Xbox has always been different.

We started with a simple idea. Games should bring people together through shared experiences. That led to the first Xbox in 2001, Xbox Live in 2002, and new ways to connect, from friends lists and achievements to parties and play across devices. Today, Xbox reaches over 500 million players around the world, with some of the most important franchises in entertainment.

Read Full Story >>
news.xbox.com
Itveds11h ago

re-evaluating exclusivity 💀

PS players will need to go back to pretending to dislike Xbox games

pwnmaster300010h ago(Edited 10h ago)

Or meaning since it’s doing so good they might just do everything day 1.

They didnt say re-evaluating their multiplatform approach.
🤣🤣🤣 Xbox is so dead. I know you scared🤣🫵ӿ 97;

10h ago
Eonjay7h ago

Even when the topic is strictly Xbox he can't stop talking about PlayStation. Xbox has basically become the hate of PlayStation... and not much else.

peppeaccardo19m ago

This whole mess is the result of bad decisions and strategy from those who have "the vision" inside the company.

pwnmaster300010h ago

Hurt over video games 🤣🤣

Lmao we all grew and got jobs but apparently you stayed home broke 🤣🤣.
Man I love loyal dogs like you. MS kicked Spit and slapped you around but you still come back on all 4s.

Good little boy 🤣🤣

10h ago
GhostScholar8h ago

My only question is what games are PlayStation gamers gonna play now? They don’t really come out with new games anymore. I’m looking forward to wolverine, but after that then what?

-Foxtrot10h ago

Lmao

There’s no way after everything it’s going back, the damage is done

What you are seeing now is the new management telling what the core fanbase (aka…you) want to hear so they are pumped full of hope and are more likely to invest in the next Xbox console

When Phil took over after the awful Xbox One reveal he did the same thing, he told people what they wanted to hear for damage control.

It’s crazy people are getting suckered into this again.

GhostScholar8h ago

I mean I always buy both systems, so none of this affects me.

darthv722h ago

FWIW..... wasn't the new management speaking to the other staff.... not so much us (regular folk)?

CrashMania10h ago

And you'll now go back to again thinking exclusives suddenly matter, that multiplatform is no longer the future, or that revenue from multiplatforms doesn't matter, like all you flop flopping xbox grifters lol.

The whole post just sounds like the previous phil corpo slop talk to me, whole thing reads like a nothing burger lol.

Jin_Sakai8h ago

“re-evaluating exclusivity”

She also said this.

“The model that got us here won’t be the one that takes us forward.”

Profchaos6h ago

I don't know if they have a model anymore it's flipped so many times since the xbox one reveal

TriniOutsider8h ago

It must be miserable being someone like you.

Aloymetal8h ago

There's a bunch just like him but that's what happens when some rely on dreams, hope and wishful thinking. lol

isarai_lee8h ago

"pretending"? Bro gears hasnt broke 1mil on ps5, and starfield hasn't passed 200k, Hellblade 2 was even stated to be a financial disappointment in sales on its own console, let alone ps5. Im not saying people don't like them, but they certainly aren't setting the community on fire, Forza may be different tho

Neonridr7h ago

Forza broke 5 million on PlayStation. So yes. And there's a new one coming soon.

Aloymetal8h ago

Xbawx is ''re-evaluating exclusivity''... Translation: After throwing all sort of crap to the wall to see if something sticks but clearly nothing worked, we, including our lord ''in charge'' Phil came to the conclusion that exclusives indeed do matter so please forget if we ever said otherwise.
Yup, I feel it in my gut, next gen belongs to xbox, PS6 is cooked...

7h ago
1Victor6h ago

Someone can’t sleep after those 5 million forza games PURCHASED by PlayStation owners🤣 🧌 💥

6h ago
Extermin8or3_4h ago

Well with the decreased price of gamespass even with cod off it there is no way it is profitable given the cost of making their 1st party games (not if you actually include that cost in gamespass costs which they typically dont but should) they will just make a loss without the sales on

Xx_Pistol_xX3h ago

They don't hate the games. They hate the box.

DazaMc1h ago

Forza just sold five million copies on PS5, they have a taste for it now.

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 19m ago
Outside_ofthe_Box10h ago(Edited 10h ago)

If they go back to exclusive games it at least shows that they are finally getting it. They would be turning down immediate money for something that will potentially workout in the long term.

Only issue is they've already opened Pandora's box. A lot of their base has moved to PC or jumped to PS. So will be a long road to get back on track.

We have been saying this from day one exclusives are a must if you are going to be selling hardware look at Nintendo and Sony before Jim Ryan. That's the proven formula. You had some that were deluded and blinded by loyalty accepting that multiplat was the future and that MS was merely getting ahead of where the industry was headed, but at least they can finally see the light and agree with what everyone has been saying for a decade+

pwnmaster300010h ago

True, blame it on the rabid fanboys. MS can do no wrong and spinner this multiplatform move. While the actual fans moved on.

I feel like with the new Xbox coming they are hoping to bring back those old fans and then if it goes well. Bring back exclusives.

If the new console is performing like series x and one. Naw they staying multiplatform.

darthv722h ago

Actual fans dont move on... they can add to their hobby while waiting for the next new release. If you believe what you typed then I guess PS fans moved on too.... you know, since its been a Sahara for 1st party games this gen.

Itveds10h ago

Gonna be a funny world where Xbox games are exclusive and Sony games are not lol

Outside_ofthe_Box8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

Funny world where Sony is pro consumer and Xbox is not? At least according to what you loyalists have been saying all this time 🤭

VenomUK8h ago

@itveds For how many years have you been doing this sad stuff? For how many years have you been creating fake accounts to troll? For how many years have you always been cl vnn

fr0sty6h ago

Pathetic incels with nothing better to do than argue over a box... Because they don't have any good games to play on theirs, obviously. If your precious box is so special, why don't you shut the fuck up and go play it?

Elda24m ago

Sony exclusives will always be better than anything XB puts out.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 24m ago
CrashMania10h ago

I think it's too late, xbox sales were diving even before ABK, they got even worse since then even long before the full multiplatform push. I'd be surprised if they even went back to timed exclusivity at this point, Helix is basically a PC and is going to be expensive, they already struggle to sell cheaper xbox consoles, it will be low volume and they'll have a very small 'console' base to sell to, which has already been conditioned to just play via gamepass anyway.

Neonridr7h ago

I don't see them removing PC from the equation. Considering MS has a heavy enough investment in the PC market, it would be foolish to abandon them. I could see them taking away games from PlayStation or ensuring they are timed exclusives at the very least. Say what you will but if Call of Duty ends up becoming a timed exclusive to Xbox machines, that would hurt PlayStation, don't pretend like those games don't sell millions.

Outside_ofthe_Box4h ago

They would lose out on a lot of CoD sales tho. Doesn't PS make up most of the sales?

Pyrofire955h ago

Their lifeline of solely the Xbox consoles is dry. Good-Great games on a 1st party scale can't be made at a loss so willingly - sent to the Xbox to only sell limited copies.
They invested billions scooping up studios and need to start making returns.
Sucks that nearly every company is publicly traded and have to be so shareholder biased but that's how it is.
Their words are strong but it'll take time to see what their actions accomplish. Lowering the cost of Game Pass and taking CoD off of it was a good clear start.

darthv722h ago

More like, allot of their base just played game pass. So now they need to encourage them to start buying again.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 24m ago
maximusprime_10h ago

Despite all of that, it's clear that Microsoft's Xbox division is broken beyond repair.

9h ago
BeHunted8h ago

PlayStation is currently draining money on flop after flop. It's Sony that needs to re-evaluate their strategy

8h ago
CrashMania5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

Wonder how much money was lost on perfect dark, hellbalde 2, 300 million lost revenue
by putting cod on gamepass. The recent Jason schrier news that Xbox has cancelled dozens of projects, spent 70 billion just to see Xbox sales further collapse and gamepass see little growth.

The fact is this has been PlayStation's most profitable generation and they are making loads of money and selling plenty of consoles and games. While MS won't give you any sales figures or profit numbers for Xbox, says it all really.

shadowT10h ago

"Our presence on PC isn’t strong enough."

Fishy Fingers9h ago

It isnt. But I dont think they mean in 'games', rather, footprint.

They own the OS but as far as gaming is concerned, Steam dominate. I imagine the VAST majority of people who use the Xbox app/launcher are PC gamepass subs. No ones buying their 3rd party PC games through Xbox PC.

Show all comments (70)
90°

Marathon Was One Of The Best-Selling Games In March 2026

Insider Gaming writes: "Marathon was one of the best-selling video games in March 2026 in the United States. On Wednesday, Circna released the best-selling games of the month, and it featured six new releases along with two games returning to the top 20 after previously falling out."

Read Full Story >>
insider-gaming.com
92nar1d 14h ago (Edited 1d 14h ago )

Is it April fools day again?

The game is dead.

EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”

italiangamer1d 13h ago

🖕🖕🖕 29313;🤡🤡

92nar1d 10h ago

How’s concord 2, sorry I mean marathon doing? 🤣🤣

Neonridr16h ago

well it's not on Switch / Switch 2.. so their number would be zero.

The game had a decent launch however the userbase numbers are dwindling on Steam.

1Victor16h ago(Edited 16h ago)

“ Is it April fools day again?

The game is dead.

EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”

Does it hurt you to hear a SONY game was BEST selling ?
You gotta let go of those OBCURED feelings 🤷🏿

Neonridr16h ago

I mean the only reason MLB was the best selling title was because it was multi-platform. Likewise with Marathon. Will ring true for MS games. Only Nintendo titles are truly flexing their muscles when they chart as they are only to be found there.

S2Killinit5h ago

So that means we are going to act like it wasn’t best selling?

ChunkyMonk5h ago

It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol

Does Phil also live there?

1Victor3h ago

It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol

Does Phil also live there?
I’m sorry did you wrote something smart ?
Or are you trying to to be funny because you failed at both
Now kid run to mommy legs the grown ups are talking.
Don’t bother writing anything I will not respond to a bratty child like you

Outside_ofthe_Box15h ago

Can't wait to see how this is spun negatively. 😜

-Foxtrot10h ago

Yeah sure, yet the player count is no where near what they want for a AAA game with so much money behind it

Why people are trying to spin this game like it’s done overly amazing is baffling to me.

It won’t even be a blip on peoples radars by the end of the year .

S2Killinit5h ago

I really doubt that. I see it getting more and more traction.

ChunkyMonk5h ago

You must me typically wrong cuz those Steam chart numbers (AKA where the game sold the MOST) is less than what Hunt has, and Hunt didn't cost $500 million to make lol

Soy7h ago

So........doing better than most expected, but not enough to make back what it cost.

Show all comments (20)