There is so much focus placed on the "next generation" of video game systems that it's easy to overlook the element of cost. This isn't so much rooted in how much games cost at retail but rather the expenses made in order to develop the games in question. An interview with Capcom, one of the longer-standing video game companies, brought this idea into light. However, does the idea of game design have to be as costly as we have learned it to be?
Masaru Ijuin, the Senior Manager of Technology Management at Capcom, did an interview that talked specifically about development costs. It goes without saying that the last generation of video game consoles required a certain degree of effort but it seems as though the generation that we are currently in, according to Ijuin, called for "eight to ten times" more. This goes without saying, though, especially when given the levels of power tied to the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony alike. Game developers simply want to utilize as much power as possible.
When it comes to video games that are able to garner mainstream attention, most of them are rooted in more realistic styles. These are able to replicate real-life rather well, given the power behind them, and they do as much as possible in order to stand out. However, those who learn in schools which entail art can tell you about the many other art styles that can be incorporated. These, in my view, help to render gaming as that much broader of a medium that should be given more attention.
It would be easy to argue that the titles developed and published by Nintendo aren't exactly realistic from a visual perspective. That being said, they are unique enough to stand out. Typically, the company does away with grittier atmospheres and replaces them with warmer, more colorful appearances; such was with the case of Super Mario 3D World, which came out during last November for Wii U. In a case of apples versus oranges, you will have groups that prefer realism, fantasy, or healthy doses of both.
Arguably Sony's swan song for PlayStation 3 is "The Last of Us," which possesses a far darker story to tell. As a result, an environment with less color and moodier lighting makes sense; both of these qualities compliment the narrative. However, if a design choice is made simply because it can be made, it's for the wrong reason. While Capcom is under the impression that "next-gen" hardware entails higher costs, sometimes a simple, clean look is all that is needed for the overall experience.
Masaru Ijuin, the Senior Manager of Technology Management at Capcom, did an interview that talked specifically about development costs. It goes without saying that the last generation of video game consoles required a certain degree of effort but it seems as though the generation that we are currently in, according to Ijuin, called for "eight to ten times" more. This goes without saying, though, especially when given the levels of power tied to the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony alike. Game developers simply want to utilize as much power as possible.
When it comes to video games that are able to garner mainstream attention, most of them are rooted in more realistic styles. These are able to replicate real-life rather well, given the power behind them, and they do as much as possible in order to stand out. However, those who learn in schools which entail art can tell you about the many other art styles that can be incorporated. These, in my view, help to render gaming as that much broader of a medium that should be given more attention.
It would be easy to argue that the titles developed and published by Nintendo aren't exactly realistic from a visual perspective. That being said, they are unique enough to stand out. Typically, the company does away with grittier atmospheres and replaces them with warmer, more colorful appearances; such was with the case of Super Mario 3D World, which came out during last November for Wii U. In a case of apples versus oranges, you will have groups that prefer realism, fantasy, or healthy doses of both.
Arguably Sony's swan song for PlayStation 3 is "The Last of Us," which possesses a far darker story to tell. As a result, an environment with less color and moodier lighting makes sense; both of these qualities compliment the narrative. However, if a design choice is made simply because it can be made, it's for the wrong reason. While Capcom is under the impression that "next-gen" hardware entails higher costs, sometimes a simple, clean look is all that is needed for the overall experience.
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