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- A former Naughty Dog developer agrees that realism is harming gaming.
- He states that simple animations require multiple iterations when developers aim to make everything as realistic as possible.
- The developer also believes that tools like Unreal Engine will help alleviate some of these problems moving forward.
Gaming visuals have reached a point of diminishing returns over the last few years, with AAA games requiring an increasing amount of time to make. At the same time, these titles cost more and produce visuals that are only marginally better than games from six to seven years ago.
Discussing the subject, social media users recently claimed that the pursuit of ‘ultra realism’ in gaming visuals has ruined the medium. A former Naughty Dog developer also joined the discussion and agreed with the statement.
Why it matters: The industry’s budget problem has led to rising game prices, more monetization schemes, and more. Many believe the costs associated with modern AAA productions are the root of the problem.
Gamers recently shared their controversial opinions on Twitter, and user Davidvinc noted that ‘ultra realism’ and ‘AAA budgets’ ruined gaming.
He pointed to the risks associated with innovating in games today due to longer development times and higher budgets that come as a result of the pursuit of ultra-realistic visuals.
Former Naughty Dog developer Del Walker then joined the discussion and agreed with the tweet. He stated that aiming for ultra realism requires a ton of work, potentially increasing development time nearly tenfold for something as simple as a walk, run, and jump animation.
He’s right (on ultra realism ruining gaming). Ultra realism slows everything down.
-Del Walker
The developer later noted that the future will likely favor smaller teams with higher efficiency. He also praised Unreal Engine, stating that it should serve as an important tool for cost-cutting in the future.
A similar approach has been observed in games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which were made by much smaller teams on a tight budget.
Such games also have more room to take risks and experiment with new ideas. As noted by the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director himself, such a game would have been very challenging to make at a major studio like Ubisoft.
What do you think about the former Naughty Dog developer’s thoughts? Do you agree? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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