Are long time gamers less impressed with graphics than newer gamers?

[Hawk]

naznatips said:

Legend11 said:
I'm always impressed when there's a game that surprises you by how good looking it is compared to other games in it's genre in the past.

What I do find annoying though is that I remember during the SNES days seeing many Nintendo fans putting down the Genesis because of it's graphics and now with the Wii suddenly some are trying to convince everyone that "graphics don't really matter". Bull... And it's not just graphics that the more powerful machines have, it's the ability to have better AI and Physics as well as better graphics.

I have no doubts that if the Wii was as powerful as the 360 and PS3 that some of it's fans would be posting comparison pictures, gushing over graphics, etc, just like people do on other systems.

Yes, I love the AI and Physics argument.  We get that one a lot.  Show me a major AI leap made this generation.  Show me a time this generation that better physics has made a game better.

See, Crysis had incredible graphics (far superior to the consoles) and Physics, but I still think it's a shitty game.  IMO great graphics are causing a lot of people to lower their standards for the rest of the game structure, and people are getting away with some really bare bones crap on high graphics.

Very well said Naz.  And I completely agree.

I've personally been a gamer for 26 years, since I was 7.  I love seeing what can be accomplished in graphics today.  I find it amazing.  But that just one piece of the whole in the experience of a game.  And, one I don't even notice too much past the first 10 minutes of a game most of the time.   Too many times I bought a game because of how awesome the graphics were, that I ended up trading in a week later because that game itself was crap.

And a lot of time I see the whole "better graphics give a better sense of immersion".  I don't personally agree with that.  I feel just as immersed in a good book, or an old text based adventure game, or in Duke Nukem 3d, as I do in Mass Effect or Bioshock.  But, maybe I have a better imagination than some.

I enjoy a good game for being a good game.  Because I liked the games, I played the Infocom Zork text game recently and King's Quest I before that.  I don't think that because newer, bigger, better looking games come along, that the older games are any less 'good'.  So, I obviously don't think that graphics make a good game.  Other than skips point of graphics affecting gameplay if you can't makeout whats going on (when the gameplay depends on it), I don't think graphics even contribute to a game being a good game.

A direct answer you your question.  I actually think I'm more impressed by graphics than younger players, because it amazes me how far technology has come, and continues to grow.  I think I appreciate graphics more than someone younger, because I come from the Atari 2600 days. 

But.......if you are wondering if as an older gamer (33yo), I value graphics in a game as much as younger players do.  The answer is absolutely not.  Graphics don't factor when determining if a game is good and enjoyable or not.  They are a nice addition to a good game.  If the game is crap, then good graphics is like the expression goes "It's like polishing a turd".