Video Game Graphics over Gameplay?

Written by: Olivia Grace (@oliviadgrace) | February 20, 2013 4:38 pm

24 Comments

Bethesda’s Todd Howard, director of Skyrim, spoke to PC Gamer recently about the importance of video game graphics compared to gameplay. He said that he thinks “people discount graphics”.

“They’ll say, ‘Well, the gameplay’s what really matters,’ and it does. But I do feel that graphics and your ability to present something that feels new, real, and believable puts people in that environment where they can really enjoy what they’re playing.”

So what’s your take on this, GAMEBREAKER audience?

My opinion is that, pretty much, gameplay trumps graphics every time. Gameplay is far more important than any beautiful surroundings, as gameplay is what affords games longevity. Video game graphics are something that only ever gets worse with time, look at World of Warcraft, for example, positively antiquated, but people keep coming back to it after 8 years. League of Legends is another game that definitely does not feature stunning graphics, but does feature great gameplay, and is incredibly, sensationally popular.

I’ve played several games, outside of World of Warcraft and League of Legends, that could be considered to have poor graphics, or deliberately retro graphics, and very rarely have they got in the way of my enjoyment. The only things I find tiresome are buggy graphics, ones where the client doesn’t display things quite as they really are, or graphics that have tried to be hyper-realist, but failed.

But what’s your opinion? Can video game graphics ever be as important as gameplay?

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http://twitter.com/JQD Jeffrey Dailey

Game play is far more important. When I pay $70 for a game I want to be able to play it for more then 10 hours. Skyrim is amazing in both game play and graphics and was well worth the money.
http://www.facebook.com/spankthismonkey Thomas Vu

If I had to choose one or the other. Game play all the way. A pretty game can only go so far before you get bored. Exciting and fun game play would hook me for months on end.
http://twitter.com/Nipper1184 Nipper

There is only 1 time when graphics should trump gameplay, when the graphics are clearly the best seen to date.
- Gareth Tucker
  
  And that would still be a terrible game to actually play, Perhaps the enjoyment to be found from games like this is watching other fumble around trying to make the game look like it’s actually fun instead of increadibly boring.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-Quinn/504633100 Jason Quinn

It should be a ratio of 2/3 gameplay 1/3 graphics. Granted yes, graphics can be fucking impressive, but if the game sucks you’ll look past that right quick.
arenasb

Why can’t there be both?
Kevyne_Shandris

Gameplay is important, but I doubt gamers will consider playing a command line game fun. There’s a reason the art leads have the bigger paychecks (some are paid more than the lead producers).

Downplaying the role of graphics is asking for half of a Picasso painting, then claiming the gesso and sketch are more important than the finished work.

The barebones are important, yet without the finished work a design is but a concept, a mockup.

Ideally it’s 50/50: good gameplay with visually stunning artwork and animations.

Shortchanging the graphics is shortchanging a game’s appeal.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  From your example, I would say the Picasso painting is the gameplay. Seeing it in person is great graphics, seeing a good reproduction is good graphics and seeing a bad photocopy from a art book is bad graphics. So clearly the environment (graphics) affect your enjoyment of the masterpiece (gameplay).
  - Kevyne_Shandris
    
    Gameplay is the linen used for the canvas and the composition of the gesso, and the sketch before the paint is even applied.
    
    Too many are focusing on that part of the gameplay, and forgetting if it wasn’t for the graphics, it’ll just be a canvas with a sketch on it.
    
    So a painting needs a strong foundation along with a pretty picture to be a masterpiece.
    
    I love playing the original Deus Ex for it’s game play, but I’d be in heaven if it had Deus Ex 3′s graphics. Years of looking at extremely low poly/textures, it’s time for a facelift.
    - Revanhavoc
      
      I love your art analogy.
http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr

Gameplay. While I will enjoy a good game with great graphics in the end gamplay wins.
http://twitter.com/LusitanGaming Lusitan Gaming

for me personally, it both.

good game play + bad graphics = i wont be installed on my pc for more than 5 minutes
bad gameplay + good graphics = it will prolly last a few days
good gameplay + good graphics = it will played till its end, with possible more gaming time with DLC/xpac/etc..
http://www.facebook.com/bob.richmond.5 Bob Richmond

I don’t think that graphics ever trumps gameplay. However at the point where the gameplay is good graphics make a much bigger difference than before.
Depravity

Gameplay. But: if I can crank effects up while suffering an acceptable framerate drop, fuck it, I do it without second thoughts.

For example: In Planetside 2 I know people with good gaming machines play with low settings just to get the framerate (and other) advantage, but personally I couldn’t do that for ass. If it’s still playable, I’d rather immerse myself more than raising my K/D ratio (for example). Same applies for other games. If there’s an option, keeping gameplay fluidity intact, I go for graphics.
http://www.facebook.com/jerred.squires Jerred Squires

Gameplay no doubt…If a games first impression is “Oooh this game looks very pretty but what the hell am i supposed to do” I can guarantee that game won’t last 2 minutes because I’ve already got a bad impression because the game sucks balls no matter how pretty it is, graphics can’t compensate enough to fix bad gameplay. Stellar graphics plus bad gameplay is like saying your shit smells like roses, its still shit. Although like other people are saying stellar graphics plus stellar gameplay you will have an amazing game.
Jado Cast

What makes people want to play games is the “Fun Factor” that Gary often talks about. Gameplay is directly linked to the Fun Factor. Graphics is just the cosmetics that makes the game better or cool, but really doesn’t make it Fun, so yeah, Gameplay over Graphics.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Bergevin-Jr/1393526370 Jim Bergevin Jr

Gameplay is the most important. I still play my favorite games from the last 30 years. I certainly like the combination of today’s graphics mixed with good gameplay (and would like to see many of my old favs ported to a better graphics environment if the gameplay remains untouched). But without a doubt, I give more kudos to games that offer compelling gameplay, even if they are not the most shiniest out today.
DoctorOverlord

Graphics are the spices of games. Gameplay is the meat (or potato if you’re vegan)

A main dish certainly tastes a lot better when it’s skillfully spiced and a true chef can make a brilliant meal with the right spices. But spices don’t make a meal and I’d rather eat a plain potato than a plateful of salt, pepper, paprika and thyme.
Zumime

This is a false choice. There is no such thing as one being more important than the other. It takes both of them to make a good game. Besides, why does it matter which is more important to any one person? If they are playing the game and enjoying themselves, it shouldn’t matter what ratio of graphics-to-gameplay is keeping them playing. They are just playing because its simply fun.
Revanhavoc

One important point: I will forgive a game with tedious gameplay if it looks absolutely beautiful. However, I will toss a decent game with fun gameplay into the bin if it looks like crap.

I am a slave to graphics. Immersion is my escape, and graphics are my portal to another world.
EmeraldHen

I’ll pick a game with dated graphics with better thought out gameplay over it’s shiny but terribly boring sequel any day (I’m looking at you, Skyrim, sorry, but you just can’t match your grandpa Morrowind in my book). This isn’t to say I despise good graphics, rather than that I despise the gameplay of today. For a better argument on this than I could have made if I put my whole two brain cells together to ponder the issue, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JweTAhyR4o0.
Gary Woodruff

It is 2013. I want graphics AND gameplay.

Good gameplay with weak graphics is as big a sin as great graphics and weak gameplay. I am not one of these nostalgic players that play indie games with dated graphics because it reminds them of the old ZX Spectrum and C64 days and because “it’s all about the gameplay man”.

Sorry I was bored of that by 1990. I need constant improvements in graphics to maintain the immersion/illusion. It is a one way trip and each time a game raises the bar I cannot go back.
Key Foster

game play. I still love graphics (im a graphic hoa…I mean junkie), but I still have to say game play is more important. I mean look at WOW, if many can still play that just because its fun (9 to 10 million for about 8 years), then that’s saying something.
http://twitter.com/aG_Deilwynna Johan Bärtzner

if they gamestudio cant afford to develop a graphical monster game, why not release the game with a modding tool that makes the community able to make the high detail graphic mods like the static mesh improvement mod for skyrim that almost quadruples the polygon count on many items such as shelves and chests and barrels, then we also have all the high res texture mods for skyrim too which increases the texture sizes in skyrim from the standard 1024×1024 textures (i think thats the highest texture sizes in original skyrim without bethesdas hd mod), there is one skyrim mod that increases most textures in Whiterun to 4096×4096.

you cant just do graphical mods in the creation kit for skyrim, you can also improve the gameplay even further by changing the way combat works, change the talent system and all

but as for the gameplay-graphics balance goes for me:
graphics doesnt mean anything, if the gameplay is good, i will continue play the game, i’m even playing some games on lowest just to be able to play it better, im actually focusing more on the gameplay if i dont have a graphical intense games like Crysis and BF3

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