Pixel Graphics just an Excuse?

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Chalupa Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:47pm

Seems to me that this new fad of "pixelated graphics" is just an excuse for game makers to be lazy and not have to try and make the graphics look decent. It was OK for awhile and for some games it works (Minecraft, Terraria), but come on... now every indie game has "artistic pixel graphics". Give me a break. I think people are just getting lazy. It gets old.

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Showing 1-15 of 17 comments

Naota Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:51pm

Of course it's laziness.

Bioware admitted that they would never have a game with as much content as Baldur's Gate 2 again, because it's "too much work".

Pathetic.

Satoru Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:51pm

You act as if pixel graphics is somehow 'easier'. Just like shooting in black and white, limitations can be a lot harder to convey information.

Last edited by Satoru; Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:51pm

MarsShadow Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:51pm

While some cases it helps the game's mood and tone. (Take Papers, Please) I can agree, the amount of retro NES style games is getting slightly worn out.

I want more games with hand-drawn graphics. Like Fran Bow.

Rahns Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:51pm

thats the fad nowadays that everyone is buying into, just like zombies, and voxel based games

Skyrant Kangaroomouse Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:55pm

Because it is easier and less time intensive to build something out of Lego than to create a realistic sculpture from granite. The added complexity that comes with real 3D Objects is exponentially more time intensive and complicated than using a voxel engine or a retro pixel look.

Last edited by Skyrant Kangaroomouse; Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:56pm

pew pew Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:55pm

Well good pixel art takes a lot of time and effort.

Often 3d games can take less time, cause you can use the same animations for every character. You just strap a new model up to a animation skeleton and away you guy.

Pixel artists need to redo the drawing for each frame, and depending on the size of the frames it will take a long time.

Look at fighting games like SF and KoF, the art in these games take a lot of time.

I guess really here, we need an examples of what you consider 'bad' pixelated graphics so we can really even began to discuss whether your point is valid or not.

Originally posted by Skyrant Kangaroomouse:
Because it is easier and less time intensive to build something out of Lego than to create a realistic sculpture from granite. The added complexity that comes with real 3D Objects is exponentially more time intensive and complicated than using a voxel engine.

Pixel graphics aren't the same as voxel based games.

Last edited by pew pew; Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:56pm

Sandroid Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:58pm

I'll play devils advocate here: so you're saying: a "pixelated" game with a good story is less favorable to a "high-end gfx" game with a ♥♥♥♥ story? :P

doesn't neccesarily even have to be story, you get my point :)

Last edited by Sandroid; Jan 1, 2014 @ 6:59pm

MarsShadow Jan 1, 2014 @ 7:07pm

Originally posted by SinisterDex:
I'll play devils advocate here: so you're saying: a "pixelated" game with a good story is less favorable to a "high-end gfx" game with a ♥♥♥♥ story? :P

doesn't neccesarily even have to be story, you get my point :)

The age old saying still stands

"Graphics aren't everything."

Black Blade Jan 1, 2014 @ 10:46pm

Maybe you want to look at FEZ abut that... i mean the one that make it is talking in Indie Game: The Movie... and show how not easy it can be to make a 8-bit style game... so no its not that easy then 3D type

Saintanik Jan 2, 2014 @ 12:27am

I think a lot of these games are indy titles done by one or two people only.. usually those people tend to be programmers, not artists.. even if they had the time/knowledge to do full 3d models and animations, chances are they'd look like rubbish and take the whole game down with it. I dont think it's so much 'laziness' as it is just simple lack of resources.

It is easier to make 'retro' graphics look good than it is to try and do modern graphics, so thats the road they have to take. Well, imo anyway.

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Quint the Alligator Snapper Jan 2, 2014 @ 2:00am

Seems to me that this new fad of "pixelated graphics" is just an excuse for game makers to be lazy and not have to try and make the graphics look decent.

You're slightly off.

It's not because they're lazy. It's because they lack sufficient budget for artists and animators. Pixel art is one way to apply simplicity and make everything look stylized and decent rather than trying to make everything look crisp but move strangely or look half-realistic but have the wrong proportions or stuff.

Now, whether you like pixel art is probably a matter of taste. I'm personally completely fine with it. Now there's good pixel art and there's bad pixel art. I'm not saying I like all of it the same. But I can understand why it's being used.

BTW, if you want to see good pixel art, check out Legend of Iya. The guy behind that game is a professional pixel artist. The level of detail, the shading technique, etc....it looks far better.

Last edited by Quint the Alligator Snapper; Jan 2, 2014 @ 2:01am

#11

Hølland601 Jan 2, 2014 @ 2:26am

It is a good start for the indie develepers to make simple games and then in the future work on games like skyrim. There just happends to be a growing population of people that want to make there games that they think of come true. and these people really just mainly learn how to code from youtube tutorials and some even go to collage $$. but these indie develepers are our future of gaming. Like bethesda, They started out making fairly simple games and made there way up to what now is considered a Good Game.

#12