Gaming Discussion here on GAF is known for a lot of things: breaking news stories, lengthy discussions on shifting trends in game development, nostalgia tripping, critiquing game critics, and other awesome activities that give gaming bloggers something to raid for their own articles. Another thing that GAF is (in)famous for is divisive issues erupting into epic debate threads. Once one of these polarizing subjects plants its seed, the debate takes on an immortal life of its own. Many times, long after the original argument has died down and the thread has receded into the dark depths of pages 5 and up, the item of contention will continue to pop up in discussions across the board.
Still not sure what the hell I mean by "recurring" GAF debates? Allow me to share my personal favorite example:
The 30fps vs 60fps Debate
- "So, you see, locked 30fps is truer to the original vision. It's more cinematic."
I first remember noticing the divisiveness on the topic of framerates when Fumito Ueda confirmed that the Ico/SotC Collection would run at a locked 30fps rather than utilizing the more powerful hardware to run it at 60fps. Now that the game has released, we can probably admit that BluePoint games wouldn't have been able to get SotC running at 60fps on the PS3 anyway, but that initial announcement sparked a rather interesting and entertaining debate here on GAF. On one side, you had those who defended the choice, arguing that 30fps lends the games a more filmic look and feel. This, they argued, was much better suited to Fumito's cinematic presentation in both games. Others cried foul, claiming that 60fps is always better in every scenario because it means smoother gameplay and presentation.
Several framerate-related tags later, the debate eventually died down, and the Ico/SotC Collection threads moved on to discussing other aspects of the upcoming game. But the debate wasn't finished. Oh no, it was merely slinking into the shadows, waiting for other opportunities to strike. More than any other debate, the 30fps vs 60fps issue seems to pop up in other completely unrelated discussions time and time again. Every time it happens it cracks me up, because it's just one of those things where you can tell that neither side will ever change its opinion on the matter. Not that I'm saying they should. It's a matter of preference, but a lot of GAFers are obviously passionate about their point-of-view on framerates.
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So I'll just start us off with that one. There are plenty of other divisive issues that never seem to fully die here in Gaming Discussion. What zombie debate is your favorite?
Still not sure what the hell I mean by "recurring" GAF debates? Allow me to share my personal favorite example:
The 30fps vs 60fps Debate
I first remember noticing the divisiveness on the topic of framerates when Fumito Ueda confirmed that the Ico/SotC Collection would run at a locked 30fps rather than utilizing the more powerful hardware to run it at 60fps. Now that the game has released, we can probably admit that BluePoint games wouldn't have been able to get SotC running at 60fps on the PS3 anyway, but that initial announcement sparked a rather interesting and entertaining debate here on GAF. On one side, you had those who defended the choice, arguing that 30fps lends the games a more filmic look and feel. This, they argued, was much better suited to Fumito's cinematic presentation in both games. Others cried foul, claiming that 60fps is always better in every scenario because it means smoother gameplay and presentation.
Several framerate-related tags later, the debate eventually died down, and the Ico/SotC Collection threads moved on to discussing other aspects of the upcoming game. But the debate wasn't finished. Oh no, it was merely slinking into the shadows, waiting for other opportunities to strike. More than any other debate, the 30fps vs 60fps issue seems to pop up in other completely unrelated discussions time and time again. Every time it happens it cracks me up, because it's just one of those things where you can tell that neither side will ever change its opinion on the matter. Not that I'm saying they should. It's a matter of preference, but a lot of GAFers are obviously passionate about their point-of-view on framerates.
------
So I'll just start us off with that one. There are plenty of other divisive issues that never seem to fully die here in Gaming Discussion. What zombie debate is your favorite?
