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Forums - Gaming - Are polygon based 3D graphics today sufficiently advanced to be timeless?

Fumanchu on 11 January 2009
richardhutnik said:
Fumanchu said:
As long as technology keeps advancing graphics will always look 'dated'. I think the next big leap will be having enough computing power to render all the current post render effects dynamically real-time, such as sub-surface scattering, GI and hair and fur.

Geomerics have a real-time radiosity engine for game development so hopefully we'll see some games in the near future put that to good use.

And your take on 2D games, such as Pac Man or Tetris?  Is it possible to do a certain artistic style that would still hold up well over time?

 

The 'we were going for a timeless look' argument? Visual styling that can be produced 10 years ago on a game released today just means that the game's graphics are 10 years old...the fact it was never meant to showcase present technology's graphical prowess doesn't mean that the graphics are 'timeless'.  It just means it was never a selling feature of the game.

I think Pac Man and Tetris have a certain nostalgic value to them and it's predominantly the gameplay/fun factor that keeps people coming back for more.  People aren't playing those games commenting on how the graphics hold up by today's standards...the fun does.

 



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richardhutnik on 12 January 2009
Fumanchu said:

The 'we were going for a timeless look' argument? Visual styling that can be produced 10 years ago on a game released today just means that the game's graphics are 10 years old...the fact it was never meant to showcase present technology's graphical prowess doesn't mean that the graphics are 'timeless'.  It just means it was never a selling feature of the game.

I think Pac Man and Tetris have a certain nostalgic value to them and it's predominantly the gameplay/fun factor that keeps people coming back for more.  People aren't playing those games commenting on how the graphics hold up by today's standards...the fun does.

 

I was looking a "we were going for a timeless look" argument, but more like, is it possible that 3D graphics now will hold up the way 2D sprites appear to be.  Like, Geometry Wars, for example.  I believe 20 years from now, the game still will be able to be played and enjoyed, without people thinking the graphics are too dated.  Same with the original Super Mario Bros, and the original Legend of Zelda (provide you don't get slowdown and flicker).  It is case of having a style, while not intentionally set to be timeless, have aged well.