Author Topic: Does primitive graphics cause our brain to engage more into a game? (Read 4774 times)

ToxicAdam · « **on:** May 06, 2009, 06:42:13 AM »

I finally played through Bioshock for the first time over the weekend and was really floored by the graphics and art design. Although I was visually wowed, I never really felt any kind of connection to the story. It was like watching a movie that I had limited control over. I couldn't explain why, because (as far as video game stories are concerned) it was as good as any other story I had enjoyed.

When I play games with limited or minimalistic graphics (as long as the controls are fluid) my brain automatically "fills in the gaps" of what is missing. That blocky, monochromatic protagonist suddenly becomes a more lifelike human being (in my mind). That pixelated, garish blob suddenly becomes a living monster. Instead of just passively watching a screen, my brain is actively recreating the game inside my head. By creating these "mental lesions" to the game, it ultimately provides for a more rewarding experience. It also makes you acutely focus (and maybe embellish) on the story because there is no visuals to distract you.

It's akin to reading a book versus watching a movie. Reading the book is ultimately a better and more rewarding experience 9 times out of 10. We develop more of an attachment to the characters and hyper focus on the story.

I'm not sure how I really feel about this epiphany. I still crave state-of-the-art graphics in my games. I've played through some shitty games just to see the ending (which usually rewards you with a nice cutscene for your troubles). It's a pleasure center that trumps all when it comes down to it.

Cyanista · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2009, 04:58:31 PM »

You're just old. If SMB was one of your first video games, you're going to feel like that. I get that way too, sometimes. Current generation games with all their spit and polish sort of overwhelm me at first. Gears of War, for instance....I had NO idea what was going on on-screen.

Beezy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2009, 05:14:42 PM »

Quote from: Cyanista on May 06, 2009, 04:58:31 PM

You're just old.

cool breeze · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2009, 05:21:49 PM »

Quote

there is no visuals to distract you

I think that is the reason.

It's kinda similar to how in Team Fortress 2 you can distinguish classes based on their silhouette.

I could just be missing the point entirely here.

Crushed · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2009, 05:59:45 PM »

I can totally relate to the "filling in the gaps" part of that. Playing NES games as a kid, I never really thought of them as imperfect representations of a more detailed "vision" (like playing a blurry low-poly 3D game); my brain always instead interpreted the pixelated graphics as a perfect representation of a blocky world with only a few colors, if that makes sense.

Smooth Groove · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:07:09 PM »

Not really. If anything, the lack of visual fidelity reminds me that I'm just playing a game and pulls me out of that fantasty world.

brawndolicious · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:09:21 PM »

It's also a stylistic choice. Mirror's Edge looked perfectly real to me in some spots because of the way the artists used the purposely unrealistic color scheme and lighting effects. It seems to me that a lot of people have exaggerations in their minds on how certain things should look so that could be why old-school games that have a lot of exaggerated 2D art can be so visually engaging.

Draft · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:41:08 PM »

Expanding imagery from an old 8-bit or 16-bit game definitely helps engage the gamer.

However, I think that immersive art direction backed up by tech that can support lots of details and effects is equally engaging.

Playing Metroid on the NES, my imagination is engaged creating the world that's barely represented with simple blocks and colors. Playing Metroid Prime on the Gamecube, my imagination is engaged with processing the incredibly realized alien environment I'm exploring.

I don't believe one extreme is demonstrably superior or more engaging than the other. I think that player engagement is much more a result of cohesion of art, music and gameplay. A genius level 8-bit game will gut stomp a piece of shit X360 title, and a genius level 360 title will gut stomp an 8-bit game.

Van Cruncheon · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:46:11 PM »

i disagree. i hate shitty 8- and 16-bit graphics and DEMAND NEW AND SHINY. DEMAND. the only downside to modern graphics is that interfaces have become slow and cumbersome, and i often hafta wait for elaborate animations to complete.

Van Cruncheon · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:48:18 PM »

also there is NOTHING worse than psone/saturn/ds 3d. it's completely intolerable. i will even take shitty useless 8-bit graphics over primitive 3d.

demi · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:49:44 PM »

this is what happens when you play pc games.

Oblivion · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:55:49 PM »

Quote from: Professor Prole on May 06, 2009, 06:46:11 PM

i disagree. i hate shitty 8- and 16-bit graphics and DEMAND NEW AND SHINY. DEMAND. the only downside to modern graphics is that interfaces have become slow and cumbersome, and i often hafta wait for elaborate animations to complete.

Hey, 16 bit grafix ain't so bad. Don't hate, appreciate.

But yeah, I don't agree that primitive graphics actively encourage the imagination.

Van Cruncheon · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2009, 07:34:56 PM »

Quote from: demi on May 06, 2009, 06:49:44 PM

this is what happens when you play pc games.

evolved gamers

EmCeeGrammar · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2009, 07:37:49 PM »

I disagree on presentation, but games with minimalistic stories cause me to fill in the gaps are interesting as a result. One reason why RPGs suuuuuck is because of the scenario writer. I was playing ffta2 and my "story" was a personal accumalation of what happened on missions and how my characters progressed. I didn't care for the intended plot.
To throw in a ninthing comparison regarding graphical abstraction, the first dragon in zelda 1 doesn't evoke any fear or suspense. When I see bongo bongo in OOT, or Molgera in Wind Waker, I'm genuinely worried about what are the capabilities of these giant monsters to fuck me up .

recursivelyenumerable · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2009, 09:08:02 PM »

prole is wrong as usual. primitive 3d rox*. in five years it will be held in the same esteem in which low-res/limited-color-set pixel art is now held. there is already this awesome thread at select button: http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=15229&start=0

* unless it's blurry overfiltered N64 3d

pilonv1 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2009, 09:23:10 PM »

i dont think it's got to do with "filling in gaps", it's the fact you dont have to pay attention to it and can focus more on the game mechanics than what it looks like

AdmiralViscen · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2009, 11:55:34 PM »

klungo saves the world

Dickie Dee · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:18:28 AM »

I'm like that with movies, 1080p crisp clear plasmas with 7.1 surround sound distract me from the experience, they don't enhance it.

I think that's why I will still watch a movie when it comes on tv even if I have the DVD sitting on my shelf.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:21:54 AM »

Thank you to everyone that replied in my thread.

demi · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:05:59 AM »

Quote from: Professor Prole on May 06, 2009, 07:34:56 PM

Quote from: demi on May 06, 2009, 06:49:44 PM
this is what happens when you play pc games.

evolved gamers

Cyanista · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:46:04 AM »

Quote from: Professor Prole on May 06, 2009, 07:34:56 PM

Quote from: demi on May 06, 2009, 06:49:44 PM
this is what happens when you play pc games.

evolved gamers

Aren't we, though? /cigar and brandy

tiesto · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:56:15 AM »

Disagree with Prole about 8/16 bit graphics being bad but I will agree with him that nothing is worse than DS/Saturn/PSX/N64 3D. Seeing all those polygon warps and glitchy textures and clipping, ugh.

MrSingh · « **Reply #22 on:** May 07, 2009, 10:12:18 AM »

Maybe you should go back to text adventures old man!

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2009, 11:54:33 AM »

Quote from: Cyanista on May 06, 2009, 04:58:31 PM

You're just old.

:'(

Anyways, right before I saw this thread I saw a teeshirt that said "gameplay > polygons" and holy shit that's what I am talking about. That sums up what I was going to say much lovelier than any rant I was going to type.

Tauntaun · « **Reply #24 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:13:48 PM »

I don't know, I think it all depends on the story of the game and the imagination of the gamer. I think that better graphics help you delve into a game more because it feels more real. idk.

PC Gaming!

duckman2000 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:36:10 PM »

This may or may not be relevant to the discussion at hand, but me and a friend were sort of working on a UT map pack that had very basic architecture and used only flat, sparsely detailed surfaces with primary colors. It was actually a reaction to UT3 media, and the idea was to force a focus on the immediate gameplay by offering well designed battlegrounds without any of the background noise. We never got anywhere with it, but I still like the idea.

I'm starting to get real tired of clutter in general. Infamous is an upcoming game that looks absolutely awesome in terms of gameplay and overall content, but the cluttered look of it is pretty unappealing, especially after having played so many "texturezillas," and games that seem to pride themselves on coming up with new (exciting, supposedly) ways of simulating obscured vision.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #26 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:40:45 PM »

duckman, what did you think of the DLC for Mirror's Edge?

duckman2000 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:42:46 PM »

I haven't played ME yet.

I played the demo, and for the first time ever I actually declared a game unplayable due to poor image quality. I'll pick it up on PC once I get hold of a good gamepad.

That said, I've seen that DLC and it looks a lot like what we had in mind for our map pack. Very cool, and smart.

To add one more game to mix here, Wipeout HD. I've seen people argue that it lacks detail, but I think it looks essentially perfect. Beautiful framerate image quality, smooth framerate and and an overall well balanced, simple but sophisticated look. I'd hate to see it cluttered for the sake of having more detail.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #28 on:** May 07, 2009, 12:59:02 PM »

I still think that Half Life 2 is one of the best looking and most immersive FPSs on the market.

The sound work, the detail, and minimal, smartly-used bumpmapping, it just all works so well.

Cyanista · « **Reply #29 on:** May 07, 2009, 03:31:00 PM »

hl2 is fuck amazing

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #30 on:** May 07, 2009, 03:34:28 PM »

It's no Phantom Dust.

cool breeze · « **Reply #31 on:** May 07, 2009, 04:01:00 PM »

Quote from: Great Rumbler on May 07, 2009, 12:59:02 PM

I still think that Half Life 2 is one of the best looking and most immersive FPSs on the market.

The sound work, the detail, and minimal, smartly-used bumpmapping, it just all works so well.

the only part that I think is so-so about HL2 is the animations. Everything is either too stiff or completely loose.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #32 on:** May 07, 2009, 04:45:24 PM »

Quote from: swaggaz on May 07, 2009, 04:01:00 PM

Quote from: Great Rumbler on May 07, 2009, 12:59:02 PM
I still think that Half Life 2 is one of the best looking and most immersive FPSs on the market.

The sound work, the detail, and minimal, smartly-used bumpmapping, it just all works so well.

the only part that I think is so-so about HL2 is the animations. Everything is either too stiff or completely loose.

I agree with that, although the facial animations in the game are top-notch.

dark1x · « **Reply #33 on:** May 07, 2009, 04:48:00 PM »

Quote from: swaggaz on May 07, 2009, 04:01:00 PM

Quote from: Great Rumbler on May 07, 2009, 12:59:02 PM
I still think that Half Life 2 is one of the best looking and most immersive FPSs on the market.

The sound work, the detail, and minimal, smartly-used bumpmapping, it just all works so well.

the only part that I think is so-so about HL2 is the animations. Everything is either too stiff or completely loose.

The individually loaded levels are also annoying. I think it really breaks the immersion. On a modern PC, HL2 loads very quickly, but it still takes you out of the experience a bit. I didn't expect it to be present in 2004, but I would have thought more modern Source engine titles would be designed to take advantage of advanced data streaming. I was surprised that Episode 2 did not use such a feature.

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #34 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:03:00 PM »

Does anyone remember a game on the Sega Genesis with a blonde crew-cut guy in a brown overcoat (and a whip, I think). It was an action sidecroller that I was really into as a kid but I can't remember what its called.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #35 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:04:08 PM »

If it's Castlevania or Indiana Jones, I'm ending my life

tiesto · « **Reply #36 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:10:18 PM »

Quote from: InfectedGib on May 07, 2009, 05:03:00 PM

Does anyone remember a game on the Sega Genesis with a blonde crew-cut guy in a brown overcoat (and a whip, I think). It was an action sidecroller that I was really into as a kid but I can't remember what its called.

Earnest Evans?

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #37 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:11:36 PM »

No, I'm pretty sure it was neither of those. I just have this distinct image of a guy in a crewcut and a brown overcoat killing things in a fiery pit.

Imagine this kind of setting withought the sword guy, goblin and hud. And with more fire I think.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #38 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:12:43 PM »

Quote from: tiesto on May 07, 2009, 05:10:18 PM

Earnest Evans?

Seems so?

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #39 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:15:27 PM »

No I'm positive it's not Earnest Evans.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #40 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:20:14 PM »

Boogerman?

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #41 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:26:42 PM »

lol how did you get 'Boogerman' from my description of an army guy in a trench coat?

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #42 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:47:09 PM »

TECHNOCOP?

THUMP THUMP THUMP

BUSTED

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #43 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:50:52 PM »

After endless googling and wikipedia searching I've found it:

EX-MUTANTS

[youtube=560,345]gi-tVkWp_OU[/youtube]

oh shit my childhood has been restored!

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #44 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:51:46 PM »

so awesome

this is the mental image I was trying to describe to you guys lol:

demi · « **Reply #45 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:02:22 PM »

thats a nice whip hes holding.

Herr Mafflard · « **Reply #46 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:10:08 PM »

I played this game like 14 years ago - I was still pretty close though. Except for the axe that is.

Funny thing is, I can't remember shit else about my life back then.

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Author Topic: Does primitive graphics cause our brain to engage more into a game? (Read 4774 times)