• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I returned a game because of the font size

dock

Member
Two minutes into Dishonoured, I have decided to return my copy for store credit because of the size of the on-screen text.

I haven't bought a full price 'AAA' game in a while, so I'm disappointed to be hit by a game that I simply can't read the text in. I paid £40 for the game, and it's simply uncomfortable to play. My eyesight is totally fine, and I don''t have eyesight difficulties with any other task or part of my life.

My TV is 32", my game is running in 720p through HDMI, and my head is about 12 feet from the screen.

dishonoured-textsize1.jpg

dishonoured-textsize2.jpg


It's disappointing that developers seem to be making games designed for a 24" monitor at 18", or a 6 foot living room, or a 46"+ TV. It's bad enough that HD is now a requirement, but requiring needlessly oversized TVs is really disappointing.

[mods : please change thread title to 'I returned a game because of the font size']
 

darkside31337

Tomodachi wa Mahou
Playing the PS3 version of Sleeping Dogs right now. The subtitles are just completely unreadable because of how ridiculously tiny they are. The menus as well are really way, way too small. It's really driving me insane. I can't believe people actually tested this game and didn't think it was an issue.
 

Wilsongt

Member
Yep... Hate tiny font in games. I can't sit on my couch and play games about 10ft away from the TV because I can barely read shit. Have to sit right in front of the TV.
 

dock

Member
Even if it were white text against black I wouldn't be able to read it. I'm not in a position to rearrange my furniture for this particular problem in games, and I didn't have plans to get a giant TV any time soon either.
 
I hate the small text in alot of the games nowadays as well. Hard as hell to read. I haven't returned a game because of it though, heh.
 

erpg

GAF parliamentarian
Think that's bad? Try New Little King's Story.

New-Little-Kings-Story_screens_1_0001.jpg


That font is no more than 4 millimeters on the Vita's screen.
 

quaere

Member
If you think that's bad try playing PC games in comfy couch mode. A lot of developers haven't realized PC games aren't only played on a desktop anymore.
 

sakipon

Member
I'm with you, I hate this issue. Isn't it possible to give options for adjusting the size of the text?
 
Recently played a bit of inFamous 2 on a 32" TV and the text was pretty hard to read. I don't have subtitles on so no worries there, but on-screen popups and stuff were pretty difficult. Nothing that I would return the game over though (not that I could; free from PS+ lol).

Dishonored doesn't look too bad there though, except for the subtitles being difficult to read due to contrast.
 

G-Fex

Member
Oh my god this shit is bad.

I remember streaming this and since I watch everything I stream or play through Xsplit I couldn't read anything.
 

dock

Member
It's your right and everything but damn that's some gamerfueled overreaction right there.
How is it an over-reaction? I can't read any of the text in the game or menus without leaning forward and squinting. I'll just pick up the game when I buy an enormous TV in a few years.
 
What the hell are you talking about? The problem isn't with the game it is with you sitting 12 feet away from a 32" screen and your eyes not being able to see it. Get a bigger screen, move closer, or have your eyes checked. It is not the developers fault that you are playing in a less than ideal space.
 

Recall

Member
My chair is 6 foot from the TV and I see it all fine. 12 feet might as well be a mile, seriously a genuine 12 foot distance is quite a way away.
 
Next gen consoles need to have universal font options or something. Will it happen? No. :\

I would welcome this greatly. Won't happen though :(

Seems it would easy, but idk, it's probably hard to program or something. And it messes with loc translations.

And it's true, I never have problems reading blu-ray subtitles.
 
Honestly, I have no idea how you cope with any game? This doesn't seem any worse than normal and in fact I've seen a lot worse, as mentioned Sleeping dogs' font size is at least half of Dishonored's.
 

LuchaShaq

Banned
I have no problem with the font size in the OP.

Not the games fault you sit far away from a small tv.

That said for people with poor eyesight I don't see why you can't change font size in most games.
 
Why aren't subtitles for Blu-rays done with tiny text, if this is 'ideal' ?

It isn't Tiny, it is only tiny to you because of your tiny screen and distance from the screen.

My chair is 6 foot from the TV and I see it all fine. 12 feet might as well be a mile, seriously a genuine 12 foot distance is quite a way away.

This too. Even with my 55" I still stil around 7-8 feet away at most when playing games.
 

dock

Member
Why aren't subtitles for Blu-rays done with #Game Size# text, if this is 'ideal' ?

Question adjusted for pedants.

It wasn't until the last few years that games would require you to be sat within 6ft of the screen. Personally I like my living room arrangement and nothing except games (and mostly western games at that) expect such a specific setup.
 
My TV is 32", my game is running in 720p through HDMI, and my head is about 12 feet from the screen.
Holy shit. It must look like a postage stamp to you, no wonder you're having problems. You're way outside the optimal viewing distance for a screen that size.

I'm not saying this to be an ass or to be mean or anything. I think you ought to look into either getting a bigger tv or moving your couch or chair closer.
 

MisterHero

Super Member
Resolution issue aside, that's an awful font choice.

Screw Capcom's HD game text too. Dead Rising was an early gen mistake so it could be forgiven. Later on, their fighting games had command lists that were nearly impossible to read.

It's kind of mindblowing that The Last Story does the same thing despite being an SD game. I still love it though. :p

There are games that let you move parts of the HUD around but not change the size of the text. Devs will get their text crap together next-gen. Hopefully.

Nintendo's somewhat covered. If a game doesn't acknowledge your TV options, it might be more legible on the Wii U pad.
 

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
You're sitting way too far from the TV of that size. That text seems relatively fine IMO, if you'd sit where you should be sitting.
 

Cronox

Banned
How is it an over-reaction? I can't read any of the text in the game or menus without leaning forward and squinting. I'll just pick up the game when I buy an enormous TV in a few years.

Whoa, whoa, if squinting is making it actually look better, you really should get yourself checked out for glasses. Many people who don't think they need them actually do.
 
Why aren't subtitles for Blu-rays done with #Game Size# text, if this is 'ideal' ?

Question adjusted for pedants.

It wasn't until the last few years that games would require you to be sat within 6ft of the screen. Personally I like my living room arrangement and nothing except games (and mostly western games at that) expect such a specific setup.

You are sitting too far away. You have no other options than to buy a new TV, or move closer. This is not going to change as resolutions go higher and higher so get used to it.
 
That's considered small? I wouldn't want it any bigger. Pigger problem is the text in the 2nd pic doesn't have some type of border.
 

dock

Member
You are sitting too far away. You have no other options than to buy a new TV, or move closer. This is not going to change as resolutions go higher and higher so get used to it.
By this frame of logic, are you suggesting that TVs will get larger and larger to accommodate the extra pixels, and font sizes will remain the same?

I will probably just exercise the third choice, which is to avoid games like this until I have a different living room set-up. I can play all other games just fine.
 
Top Bottom