There is so much focus placed on the "next generation" of video game systems that it's easy to overlook the element of cost. This isn't so much rooted in how much games cost at retail but rather the expenses made in order to develop the games in question. An interview with Capcom, one of the longer-standing video game companies, brought this idea into light. However, does the idea of game design have to be as costly as we have learned it to be?
Masaru Ijuin, the Senior Manager of Technology Management at Capcom, did an interview that talked specifically about development costs. It goes without saying that the last generation of video game consoles required a certain degree of effort but it seems as though the generation that we are currently in, according to Ijuin, called for "eight to ten times" more. This goes without saying, though, especially when given the levels of power tied to the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony alike. Game developers simply want to utilize as much power as possible.
When it comes to video games that are able to garner mainstream attention, most of them are rooted in more realistic styles. These are able to replicate real-life rather well, given the power behind them, and they do as much as possible in order to stand out. However, those who learn in schools which entail art can tell you about the many other art styles that can be incorporated. These, in my view, help to render gaming as that much broader of a medium that should be given more attention.
For example, most of Nintendo's standout titles are not exactly ones that can be considered "realistic." Even still, they are able to stand out, which is the most important aspect of any game; if it doesn't look as though it can hold your attention, it will not attain success. For example, "Super Mario 3D World" was impressive, to me, because of how warmer it appeared and the lighthearted atmosphere it possessed. When it comes to realism versus a lack of realism in gaming, it's a matter of apples versus oranges; it all comes down to opinion.
As I am sure many fans of the game will attest to, the PlayStation 3's swan song of sort has got to be "The Last of Us." With a moodier aesthetic along with a more mature storyline, it's clear that this game had the desire to stand out for these reasons. This does not mean that the choice is right or wrong; it was simply the best choice that could have been made given the material. If you ask me, and hopefully Capcom will agree, "next-gen" does not have to be detailed so much as simply polished.
Masaru Ijuin, the Senior Manager of Technology Management at Capcom, did an interview that talked specifically about development costs. It goes without saying that the last generation of video game consoles required a certain degree of effort but it seems as though the generation that we are currently in, according to Ijuin, called for "eight to ten times" more. This goes without saying, though, especially when given the levels of power tied to the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony alike. Game developers simply want to utilize as much power as possible.
When it comes to video games that are able to garner mainstream attention, most of them are rooted in more realistic styles. These are able to replicate real-life rather well, given the power behind them, and they do as much as possible in order to stand out. However, those who learn in schools which entail art can tell you about the many other art styles that can be incorporated. These, in my view, help to render gaming as that much broader of a medium that should be given more attention.
For example, most of Nintendo's standout titles are not exactly ones that can be considered "realistic." Even still, they are able to stand out, which is the most important aspect of any game; if it doesn't look as though it can hold your attention, it will not attain success. For example, "Super Mario 3D World" was impressive, to me, because of how warmer it appeared and the lighthearted atmosphere it possessed. When it comes to realism versus a lack of realism in gaming, it's a matter of apples versus oranges; it all comes down to opinion.
As I am sure many fans of the game will attest to, the PlayStation 3's swan song of sort has got to be "The Last of Us." With a moodier aesthetic along with a more mature storyline, it's clear that this game had the desire to stand out for these reasons. This does not mean that the choice is right or wrong; it was simply the best choice that could have been made given the material. If you ask me, and hopefully Capcom will agree, "next-gen" does not have to be detailed so much as simply polished.
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