bdshort

After seeing some recent movies and screenshots of some of the latest FPSes coming out (Doom 3, Half Life 2, Far Cry, and especially S.T.A.L.K.E.R), it's apparent these games are vergining on being completely photorealistic. It seems to me that it wont be more than a few more years before you could make a game with a level of detail close to what you would see in something like the Final Fantasy movie.
How long do you think it will be before you developers really can't push graphics technology any more, and have to focus on other things?

Brian

PixyJunket

Like gameplay? Jesus, I hope it's soon..

flashburn

Honestly, I think we are about 15 years away from perfectly realistic graphics.

Groucho

It seems like lately the push has been towards better interactivity (push/pull/blow up anything) and more realistic physics (the popular Havok engine).

spainlinx0

Until I have a holodeck I will not be satisfied.

Groucho

You could just bite the bullet and get a real-life girlfriend in the meantime.

Homer Simpson

a holodeck would be cheaper

cheapskate

What's that? Like a Nintendo Power Glove?!?

The funny thing about this is, we always think that the current generation of graphics are incredible...until of course, the next generation comes along. I remember thinking how a game like Need for Speed on the PSOne couldn't really look much better. I guess my standards changed... that game looks terrible now!

We will never be satisfied dammit! NEVER!

*slams fists on table*

Giantrobo

Can you imagine playing RESIDENT EVIL on a Holodeck

I would pee me kilt

spainlinx0

They have all those seizure warnings on games now that I can't even imagine the warnings they would have to put on a game in that situation. Although then people would actually have to be in some sort of shape to play games which could pose a problem.

Groucho, normally I laugh at your posts, but that one hurt.

TheMadMonk

vergining?

young

well, my standards are tough... i don't think the graphics are all that great or even close to realism. even final fantasy the movie looked fake no matter how many hairs per square centimeter were drawn.

part of the problem is the movement. either it's fake or canned. an example of this would be any sports game.

in any case, i don't think realism should be the goal of improving graphics. rather, it should be a style that helps the gameplay. for example, JSRF's style or Viewtiful Joe.

Young Vito

there will ALWAYS and FOREVER be improvements in the graphics department..no matter what happens.

sdcrym

I wonder if someday, instead of using shortcuts like polygons, textures, and physics engines, game (or other simulated) environments will be programmed based on the core laws of physics, like complex equations from quantum mechanics instead of a physics engine and individual atoms and molecules replacing polygons and textures.

That seems a long way off

illennium

I agree. I don't think most graphics are even okay, let alone great.

Trigger

There will always be room for improvement. Always. Graphics won't change too much in a 2 to 3 year time period, but in a 5 to 10 year period, yes. I imagine they will have pushed graphics to their final limit once you can have a computer generated 3D image of a person standing next to a real person and you will be unable to tell which is which when they are right in front of your face and you can walk around them and poke at them with your finger.

cheapskate

Thankfully, we will all be dead by then...

Trigger

Speak for yourself, I plan on living well into my 300s.

jw2299

I totally agree here. I don't really care if graphics are photorealistic. Graphics improvements are there to sell video cards, not necessarily make games better (I didn't say they don't ever make them better, so stay your attacks).

I mean, come on, who here didn't jump out of their seat or yell "OH SH1T" when one of those pixelated monsters jumped out at you from behind a corner in Doom? I know I did.

Style and gameplay make the game.

Chaos

Virtual Reality - the final step

(VR boy doesn't count )

Outlaw

Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero on Gamecube have the most photorealistic graphics I've seen. Granted they have pre-rendered backgrounds but even knowing that it still looks really impressive especially in the character modeling, motion capture and art direction, and is something that developers who are interested in photorealism are working towards. It looks like they're really close to it too with RE4 as well as the other games mentioned on PC:

Resident Evil

Resident Evil boss

Puzznic

Regardless of how powerful the hardware gets it will be the man hours that will be required to create such detailed graphics that will prove the most limiting

funkyryno

I agree, but they will continue improving graphics tools that ease the jobs of the developers and artists.

I'm not really sure if I want photorealistic graphics in my games. Sure, I would love graphics as good as the Final Fantasy movie, but I don't want my action games to look like I'm killing a real live person. I've got to draw the line somewhere on video game violence, and I guess it might as well be there.

Flight simulators and driving games wouldn't bother me, though, if they were photorealistic.

shadowhawk2020

Sig for me

Feneant

Personnally, I couldn't care less about graphics as long as the game is fun.