Photorealistic games

[Margrethe]

There was a big report on console games in my local newspaper today. It also mentioned that some new consoles are likely to be released in early 2006. I especially noticed that Electronic Arts are said to promise photorealistic games for the new Playstation 3.

Can anyone even imagine that? Photorealistic games sound just too good to be true (Since EA makes the best sports games, and since I'm a big fan of such games, this sounds like great news to me).

So, what do you think? Do you think it's even possible to make something like that?

 

[the Colonel]

I think it's more than possible. Certainly, the technology is already available as seen by computer animation advances such as in Star Wars episode 2. The trick is to make at an affordable cost.

Sonyplaystatin 3 is supposed to use a new processor, called the "Cell", designed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba.

Here is an example of the projected comparison of graphics between Playstation 1,2, and 3:

Find more pictures at ps3land.

 

[RazorX]

Droooool.....

 

[Ryder]

They need to make a photorealistic Lord of the Rings game!

 

[TwilightSky]

Woooow...photorealistic games...that would be totally AWESOME! I hope that it's possible! Now I'm all excited!

 

[Margrethe]

Colonel - thanks for the picture and links. I'll go there almost right after writing this post

Now I'm all excited about playing games with such great graphics, though!

 

[Heiroglyph]

Theyve been using catch phrases like that for years to describe games that don't live up to it. No its not possible to have full photo realistic games although I am sure that granturismo will be the leader in the area for all games on all platforms just as it is now.
The designers seem to be very extremely adept at creating the illusion of photo realism on whatever limits they have to work with better than anyone else. That is the trick to it. If they can make a texture look like a real 3d background then that is what they do rather than trying to make the background really 3d. If more game designers approached their games this way theyd all look alot better. Its alot easier to do this in a racing game though where the players cant really get near the facades. Eventually there will be enough highly detailed realistic models that game designers can just buy the ones they want and not have to spend alot of time designing them. There are already many 3d model sellers. I expect in the future most items will have been made already and there will not be much need for game companies to have to redo them.

 

[Kripost]

Although photorealistic graphics are a good thing, I believe gameplay design is a more important factor. The 'wow' factor from photorealism tends to fade over time, while an addictive game does not need to have good graphics.

 

[MJ_Avalanche]

As you'll notice, there's not much of a jump between the Current Gen graphics and Next Gen. Just basically some more polish.

As for my opinion on "Photorealistic" games. I could care less if it's photorealistic. I've been gaming since before it was cool to game and for a short while I was concerned with graphics, but not anymore. If the game is great and it looks great too, that's just a bonus.

 

[Lithium Hobo]

It is, or soon will be, possible. I know the Xbox 2 will have graphics like that. Maybe even the Nintendo Revolution (Gamecube 2) can have graphics like that. Not sure about the PS3...

But, we can only get better and better graphics in the near future.

 

[the Colonel]

As you'll notice, there's not much of a jump between the Current Gen graphics and Next Gen. Just basically some more polish.

As for my opinion on "Photorealistic" games. I could care less if it's photorealistic. I've been gaming since before it was cool to game and for a short while I was concerned with graphics, but not anymore. If the game is great and it looks great too, that's just a bonus.

With the power of current and future gaming systems, there is no excuse for a game not to be both. A game can look great and be great, as it now should be. There is no excuse for a game to be great without looking great with today's technology.

 

[Lithium Hobo]

As you'll notice, there's not much of a jump between the Current Gen graphics and Next Gen. Just basically some more polish.

As for my opinion on "Photorealistic" games. I could care less if it's photorealistic. I've been gaming since before it was cool to game and for a short while I was concerned with graphics, but not anymore. If the game is great and it looks great too, that's just a bonus.

Yes, but when games first came out, the graphics weren't exactly that great by today's standards, so no one thought twice about them. In fact, you see games like Super Mario Bros., and back then, people were stunned by the greatness of those graphics.

Today, with our technology, there is no reason why a game shouldn't have great graphics. Graphics do not affect the fun factor of a game, at least not to any veteran gamer, however, impectable graphics make it more enjoyable, to be honest, and terrible graphics when they should be good can make the player feel deprived and left out of a good deal with the graphics they see.

Photorealism will not make games better, but they can, and hopefully will, make them more exciting.