How has graphics impacted your gaming?

[retro junkie]

I have a fellow worker, who, after experiencing the next generation of consoles, can never go back. Right now he is into the PS4 and cannot go back to the PS3. Older games just don't do it for him anymore. He loves the realism in the graphics.
Has graphics effected your choice in gaming? Has it changed your perspective? Your taste in the kind of games you play? Or do you enjoy gaming for the gameplay alone?

I feel Graphics become more of an ingredient in a game adding to the experience. Complementing the game itself and therefore can be totally different depending on the subject matter.

But I have found myself preferring more realistic graphics in a racing game. I can still play the Lotus games for the Genesis. I have followed the Ridge Racer games since the PS1 days, love the N64 version. I really played outrun 2006 coast to coast psp to death. Need to get that out again. And I enjoy burnout paradise, or any of the burnout games. When I am in the mood, I find myself gravitating and spending more time with the games containing lush realistic graphics. 

[CreepinDeth]

I would say for me, it really depends on the game. Games with a bit more serious tone have more impact if they're depicted more realistically. Games where just the gameplay is the focal point, graphics are not that important to me.

Realistic graphics don't influence what I play. If something looks interesting then I will play it regardless of what platform or game type it is.

[targetrasp]

I'm with Creepin on this one for the most part.

I will say as graphics improve some games' luster fades. I keep references the SNES Classic Edition but I will say every game on it was a game I poured hundreds of hours into during their release. Games like Mario Kart aren't nearly as fun because more recent iterations have improved so much that the earlier hashes just aren't as fun for me.

[BLUEVOODU]

I get what your co-worker is saying.  It has impacted me more in recent times.  Not for graphics sake... but they are FINALLY more interactive to the point where it is important to see what's on screen.  However, this doesn't mean all retro games "have bad graphics"... that's not what I'm saying.  If you have grainy graphics in the games of today... you will miss certain objectives.   Graphics where physics are involved (environment effects... even down to rain drops) impact the mood of the games. 

Graphics for graphics sake are punished by the gamers of today though.  From what I've seen, you can have a classic 2D or Classic 3D style game do well.  The Indie market thrives on Steam.  Many gamers look towards these games... but Graphics for graphics sake are really left behind.   Gamers are more fickle too.. if the game doesn't have EVERYTHING THEY WANT... they will not spend time (waste time in their eyes) on it.   That's not necessarily a bad place to be though... why? we only have so much time on Earth.

There are games I used to love... but it's hard to go back.  I will say it's due to gameplay more-so than graphics though. Your co-worker not going back to PS3 games is very extreme.  Ps3 games (visually and gameplay wise) HAVE NOT deprecated that much.  It's not like the N64 to Gamecube... or Saturn / PS1 to Ps2 jump we saw.  Playstation 3 still looks pretty good.

[Kinikko]

There was a point in time (somewhere between pixel graphics and when they started really looking real) where you look back at some games and are like...  wtf? 

I do think him not going back to PS3 is a bit odd.  The PS3 doesn't look bad at all.  I'm talking about someone from this newest gen of gaming going back and trying to play FFVII for instance.  I still play the shit out of the game when I want to, but I can see how off-putting graphics can be sometimes. 

[BLUEVOODU]

yeah - I Won't lie... it's hard to go back to PS1 style games for me at times.  I'll still do it - but it's a bit harder for me.  I consider myself a retro gamer as well.  BUT to be fair, I never thought it looked good when it was new either.   The N64 looked ok... but man... there some games where the fog ruined it.  Other games such as Winback... I thought it added a bit of cool atmosphere.

It's crazy to say the PS3 is / looks "too outdated."  It still looks good.

[Mai Valentine]

It's so hard to go back to retro stuff. I'm currently trying to play through FFVIII because I never played it and I want to learn about Squall, but between the graphics and the clunky battle system I'm just barely past the first dungeon.

[Kinikko]

It's so hard to go back to retro stuff. I'm currently trying to play through FFVIII because I never played it and I want to learn about Squall, but between the graphics and the clunky battle system I'm just barely past the first dungeon.

Yeah VIII is a bit rough, but if you're willing to draw grind a bit you can really super break the whole game if you junction properly. lol  Probably why they really never went back to that style of gameplay.