When prices went from 49.99 to 59.99usd I kind felt the same way. Only it was more about no longer impulse buying lesser games. They really need more price points. Most games aren't worth 60 compared to other 60 dollar games.
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Obsessing over the technical details of games is exhausting
- Thread starter JB1981
- Start date
When prices went from 49.99 to 59.99usd I kind felt the same way. Only it was more about no longer impulse buying lesser games. They really need more price points. Most games aren't worth 60 compared to other 60 dollar games.
SerTapTap
Member
This is unfortunately why I really really wish developers would pay attention to technical details. When I sit my ass down to relax I really don't want to have to deal with a PC game starting at 720p, with AMD underscanning the damn image, with jaggies everywhere, even though my PC can handle it, stuttering even though I have a >$1000 PC, locked 30FPS accentuating input lag, etc.
Technical aspects are an inherent part of the user experience whether you like it or not, and games are quite simply pure UX, it is inexcusable for a developer to cast it aside.
megabytecr
Member
Console games should start to include some basic options so the consumer can choose between graphical fidelity or framerate.
Ray Wonder
Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
I do prefer higher framerate and resolution, but that's what I built a PC for.
When it comes to console, I have no problem with 720p @ 30fps. As long as the framerate is solid, it doesn't bother me a bit.
When it comes to console, I have no problem with 720p @ 30fps. As long as the framerate is solid, it doesn't bother me a bit.
My sentiments exactly. I like my graphics, don't get me wrong, but as long as a game looks passably good I tend to forget about that shit in minutes.
And yes, the endless FPS / resolution threads are very draining. People shouldn't worry so much about things they have no control over (unless it's PC in which case you still needn't worry about it).
And yes, the endless FPS / resolution threads are very draining. People shouldn't worry so much about things they have no control over (unless it's PC in which case you still needn't worry about it).
Gipsy Danger
Member
You could certainly make a case for it. I think PCs might still come out as slightly more expensive unless you are buying more than 12 or so games a year. But to hear people say that a PC is vastly more expensive than a console is somewhat misleading. The upfront cost is there but in the long run you get out pretty cheaply.
A question to OP, if you aren't interested in technical details of games then why even buy next-gen consoles? At least at the moment since most games are coming out for both right now.
dragonelite
Member
Only thing i expect is the game to be at least 900p on the Xbox One.
diggmcbadass
Member
There are so many games that implement proper resolutions and options today, that I don't really have to bother with the ones who don't. I have been a PC gamer all my life, so I don't really miss having to skip some of the more horrible console ports because they are games I never had any expectations of in the first place. And even those are getting more rare these days. Most games do this right these days.
CadetMahoney
Member
I love seeing who won in faceoffs so these technical comparisons should stay.
LordBaztion
Member
I can't recognize resolution or framerate (though I agree 60 feels better), I just let the technical discussion to digital foundry and play my games.
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Yeah, this is true. If I'm going to be paying considerably more -- and student budgeting is no joke -- then I at least want some kind of demonstrable guarantee that I'm actually getting a better product. I have more than enough games in my last-gen backlog to fill my entertainment hours for a while, but I want quantifiably new tech for the money I've put down.
Gipsy Danger
Member
But isn't it just PC -> PS4 -> Xbone 99% of the time? If you're into the discussion aspect then fair enough but I feel that the victor of these is always pretty clear cut.
Rising_Hei
Member
There has always been an obsesion with that... it's just that in the previous generation the common folk got to know about this with these console wars 
I still find that the art does more than anything of that, but if you got awesome art already that helps a lot
I still find that the art does more than anything of that, but if you got awesome art already that helps a lot
DoktorEvil
Banned
The biggest lost is the console exclusives.
Zombie James
Banned
Does the frame tearing not bother you? It's so distracting and annoying to me.
KojiKnight
Member
Day one PC games tend to be cheaper ($50 for Shadows of Mordor versus $60 on consoles) and with Steam and GMG you can often get 20-25% off preorders (Again, Shadows of Mordor was one, bringing day one price down to less than $40 for some people).
And heck, if it's a game you don't have to play day one, you can wait until a Christmas or Summer sale and get it for $10-20 usually. If you're a rabid gamer, PC prices will justify the cost over time.
Gipsy Danger
Member
You could say the same thing about playing exclusively on a console. They aren't the only ones with exclusives you know.
Ray Wonder
Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
When the fps is around 80-120 with a 120hz monitor, I don't see tearing. I'm not sure if that's because of the refresh rate or not, but I assume so. I play with V-sync off aswell.
Gipsy Danger
Member
Borderless window, friend.
Don't want to clog up the thread so adding it here.
But you do realise there are literally thousands of PC exclusives right? Even this year alone there have been at least 100 exclusives worth playing, less so that require a modest PC. It's more than just Blizzard and Valve.
I'd only recommend that if portability is your number 1 concern as the cost/performance just is not worth it for a gaming laptop.
DoktorEvil
Banned
That's true, but with games like Diablo 3 or Half life 1-2 ported over to console, PC Exclusivity is falling by the wayside.
Having said that, those game ports sucks and don't compare to using a keyboard and mouse.
Huh. I might get a gaming laptop if that's the case.
Cave Johnson
Member
You must be living in some fantasy world where we have reached the zeitgeist of game design. Last I checked games in general are mediocre, saturated and unpolished.
I don't think you understand that we're dealing with an industry that is more concerned of console politics and profit than making games fun. People like you do not see the effect anti-gamer strategies have with an already questionable state of the market sector.
I don't get the logic of company white knighting. What's the point? What's the stake? You say we don't get the point of our hobby? I'm sorry, but you do know our hobby comes from a source - and that source has been tainted with poison. Not so sure how you even see an optimistic future with this.
Unbound By Death
Member
I care about animations, correct proportions ( i hate huge heads or very long arms and stuff like that in some games) and how everything in the world reacts , more than graphics.
I don't have to obsess over tech details. I have a PC.
If a game isn't available on PC, then I have no option and I'll play it at whatever resolution/fps I'm forced to on console.
If a developer forces parity on a console, then I'll just avoid the game since I refuse to support that practice. There are tons of games to play.
Easy peasy.
If a game isn't available on PC, then I have no option and I'll play it at whatever resolution/fps I'm forced to on console.
If a developer forces parity on a console, then I'll just avoid the game since I refuse to support that practice. There are tons of games to play.
Easy peasy.
I do at times. I think back to last gen with the PS3 and 360. PS3 was my favorite console. Liked the games on it the most. I didnt learn about the technical difference with the games last gen until joining this site...lol. And I joined right before the PS4 and XBO launched....(Also joined eurogamer right around the same time...)
I will eventually get a PS4 and XBO....because the gamer in me wants it all. Resolutions be damned.
ShinMaruku
Member
People should have standards and hold developers to those standards when they started the whole 1080p thing years ago. You can't put something up and then run from it with shit excuses.
Fattony12000
Member
Nah, it can be fun/interesting if you want it to be/find it fun to do.
Zelda: Wind Waker tech and texture analysis
Gears - a look inside the Final Fantasy VII game engine
Zelda: Wind Waker tech and texture analysis
Gears - a look inside the Final Fantasy VII game engine
I'd like dynamic options. let me set a framerate target and a graphics target, and a priority.
Eg 1080p, 60Hz, everything on high, prioritise framerate.
Game runs mostly fine at 1080p/60/high. But in some areas with lots going on it can't make 60fps, so it drops a couple of effects to medium to maintain that framerate.
Eg 1080p, 60Hz, everything on high, prioritise framerate.
Game runs mostly fine at 1080p/60/high. But in some areas with lots going on it can't make 60fps, so it drops a couple of effects to medium to maintain that framerate.
JudgmentJay
Member
Nah, I love it. Tweaking settings, installing mods, and taking the game beyond what the developers intended is part of the fun for me.
Lockjaw333
Member
This is how I feel about display calibration. I wish I was ignorant to picture standards like brightness levels, color temperature, gamma, etc. I would like to just use a TV or monitor and enjoy the default picture without obsessing over calibration.
However since I'm not ignorant I find myself constantly tweaking settings, rechecking black level, gamma. All of this ends up in me just seeing the flaws in the displays I own, especially my PC monitor. Or if I'm at a friend's house, I can't help but think how ugly their TV looks on default torch mode settings. Ugh..
I feel this way sometimes about games, but honestly for consoles my only standard really is that its native resolution, which this day and age is 1080p. I won't not play sub 1080 games, but it does bother me.
I used to be really into all of the graphical options in games, being a PC gamer first and foremost, and I used to scrutinize the hell out of games with poor shadow resolution, poor AA methods, etc etc. I've sorta turned my brain off to that part of it.
I wish I could wipe my memory of any and all TV/display calibration knowledge, haha.
However since I'm not ignorant I find myself constantly tweaking settings, rechecking black level, gamma. All of this ends up in me just seeing the flaws in the displays I own, especially my PC monitor. Or if I'm at a friend's house, I can't help but think how ugly their TV looks on default torch mode settings. Ugh..
I feel this way sometimes about games, but honestly for consoles my only standard really is that its native resolution, which this day and age is 1080p. I won't not play sub 1080 games, but it does bother me.
I used to be really into all of the graphical options in games, being a PC gamer first and foremost, and I used to scrutinize the hell out of games with poor shadow resolution, poor AA methods, etc etc. I've sorta turned my brain off to that part of it.
I wish I could wipe my memory of any and all TV/display calibration knowledge, haha.
No, I love technical stuff and it takes all of 30 seconds to set my game settings, only more when I'm given the beautiful option to customize in-depth and enjoy it (take Serious Sam 3 for example). Native resolution and refresh rate are a must, at the moment those are 2560x1440 and 60 Hz for me. When you have hardware that actually handles it and the knowledge to really appreciate the differences, you never ignore the quality of your direct window and control fluidity in interacting with a game's virtual world.
Of course, said realization comes from realizing you actually have a choice. It's up to you if you wish to ignore technical details and it's fine if you wish to do so, but that is a wholly different thing from actually caring and just getting frustrated over not being able to change things. Perhaps it involves fatigue from online arguments about the subject, which would annoy me as well. But I play my stuff at 1440p and 60 FPS regardless of what any developer or other game-player thinks, no need to argue about it or justify it to anyone. I can also change what I want whenever I wish. My hardware, my system, my rules.
Of course, said realization comes from realizing you actually have a choice. It's up to you if you wish to ignore technical details and it's fine if you wish to do so, but that is a wholly different thing from actually caring and just getting frustrated over not being able to change things. Perhaps it involves fatigue from online arguments about the subject, which would annoy me as well. But I play my stuff at 1440p and 60 FPS regardless of what any developer or other game-player thinks, no need to argue about it or justify it to anyone. I can also change what I want whenever I wish. My hardware, my system, my rules.
TheTurboFD
Member
Ya I'll laugh while you're playing crappy console ports too.
BruiserBear
Banned
I never get tired of tech talk and Digital Foundry articles. What I do get tired of is people who view that stuff as merely a weapon to wage war with for their platform of choice. That's gotten really old.
lol
lol
CyanideFuse
Member
It depends what mood I am in. Sometimes it is quite satisfying and other times I just want to play and it irritates me no end.
The first hour of playing Shadow of Mordor was ballsed up because I was fiddling with settings which in the end were being skewed because a program was messing with my graphics card.
It is satisfying to get a game working to a level of performance that you want including fixes to things that cannot be done in-game e.g. FOV, antialiasing etc. It just takes a some reading that, again, depends on my mood at the time.
SerTapTap
Member
I fucking wish. The FFXIII problems make me terrified I'll buy some shit like accident. Anyone who hasn't had technical issues on PC is incredibly lucky or has played incredibly few games. Shit drives me nuts. Just last night Borderlands TPS was set to "autodetect settings", still managed to default to 720p on a 1080p display with a 6950.
Also features of the new consoles.
I mean with any new consoles vs the old ones, the most thing ppl look for is improved graphics. All the technical differences can equal improved graphics, but for many as long as the new console looks better than the older one graphically....thats all that matters.
All the comparisons with consoles on the same level can get tiresome at times. At the same time...I feel like an informed consumer is the best consumer. And I will get all multi platform games on the console that it looks n plays the best on.....now that I know.... I just think back to last gen and remember I didnt really care, my fav controller was more important..lol. In time I grew to like the 360 controller more...but controller preference also played a part in which consoles I got more games for.
bennywhatever
Member
This right here. Just enjoy the flippin game.
JudgmentJay
Member
Some people enjoy tweaking settings and installing mods as well as "enjoying the flippin game."
I enjoy and am impressed by the technical side of games and always will be, I think it is great to have some understanding of it all and it (i feel) allows you to appreciate the games and effort more when playing.
But the trick is to enjoy them, like I enjoyed WD on PS4 and even though 1080 or 60 would be better I would not have enjoyed the game more.
We have too many warriors out that use it as ammo, with alot of insecure PC gamers being very aggressive on the only threat the PS4 and I think this is what gets me down, it just always turns into a "ha, filthy <other owner> playing a game with no AF" etc etc boring.
Infact here we go already..
But the trick is to enjoy them, like I enjoyed WD on PS4 and even though 1080 or 60 would be better I would not have enjoyed the game more.
We have too many warriors out that use it as ammo, with alot of insecure PC gamers being very aggressive on the only threat the PS4 and I think this is what gets me down, it just always turns into a "ha, filthy <other owner> playing a game with no AF" etc etc boring.
Infact here we go already..
Aces&Eights
Member
As long as I have fun playing the game, I don't really care, either. I am aware of what the technical stuff is, so obviously I am in the know on what each game is going to have but I won't boycott a game if one version has a few more pixels than the other. If the game is just flat out ugly and broken, then sure, I would pass on it.
Honestly, watching the meltdowns in the DF threads is a great way to spend my lunch at work. I used to watch something on Netflix but I have found there is way more drama on Gaf after Digital Foundry releases their results or a developer says something that rhymes with barity. I use way less bandwidth and it goes from comedy to horror about every 34 seconds.
Honestly, watching the meltdowns in the DF threads is a great way to spend my lunch at work. I used to watch something on Netflix but I have found there is way more drama on Gaf after Digital Foundry releases their results or a developer says something that rhymes with barity. I use way less bandwidth and it goes from comedy to horror about every 34 seconds.
What's the point of playing cross gen games on the ps4/x1 over the ps3/360 then? Or paying extra to access HD channels for your HDTV?