What will happen when video game graphics get to the point where they can't get any better?

[Deleted User]

I don't play games for realism (in fact, I play games for the exact opposite), so I don't see myself stopping, if the case you described were to ever happen.

That said, I doubt that the video game market is going to stagnate because we've reach the peak of graphics technology. It's like saying that art has stagnated because the canvases and supplies have become so perfected, plentiful, and easy to come by. Heck, modern-day computers are already capable of expressing a wide range of styles and emotions; you only have to look around to see the variety in the gaming market today.

And, like others before me have said, it's not just graphics. Think of all the calculations a computer has to do 60 times per second in order to present us with a realistic game world, which has to do more with the CPU than anything else AFAIK. There's still a lot of work to be done, as far as that's concerned.

 

[tomx86]

VR MMO or something like the MATRIX, but if you die you just lose everything and need to start the game from scratch.

 

[ThoD]

Even if graphics reach a peak point that can't be surpassed, there will still be better hardware, as instead of focusing on graphics, the focus will shift to the engine and physics instead, requiring more and more processing power, until we reach a point where we can simulate an entire planet sized map to perfect real-life degree and we are FAR from it considering Minecraft is still a thing that's getting new releases

 

[Flame]

the day graphics card reach they peak is the day the world will have big economy problems. playing games will be least of our problems.

 

[ATofix]

Nintindo will rule the world.

 

[Taleweaver]

Well when games look so much like real life and can't get any better we will be able to use the same hardware forever with out upgrading and gaming will get much cheaper. since the hardware will no longer need to be upgraded it will get cheaper and cheaper hence making gaming cheaper since theres no need for better hardware since the graphics cannot look any better.

In addition to what has been said already: graphics aren't the same as aesthetics. Many games (mostly indie's but quite some AAA titles as well) just go for a style that fits the mood of the theme rather than try to be the most realistic possible. It's sort of how some movies and about aa gazzilion photos are still in black and white, even though color movies/photos aren't exactly new.

The prediction is certainly true, but i don't really see how large studios are still struggling with inferior graphics. Or where the audience still want better graphics, for that matter.
*takes a look at titles like portal, ori and the blind forest or cuphead*

 

[Depravo]

Well when games look so much like real life and can't get any better we will be able to use the same hardware forever with out upgrading and gaming will get much cheaper. since the hardware will no longer need to be upgraded it will get cheaper and cheaper hence making gaming cheaper since theres no need for better hardware since the graphics cannot look any better.

Did artists stop painting when cameras were invented?

 

[SoslanVanWieren]

I do like better technology but i also hate it because i fear it will take over every thing.

 

[Deleted User]

I do like better technology but i also hate it because i fear it will take over every thing.

People have literally been saying this for centuries.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

People will try to make games look realistically life like i guess, but then others will try too do something new like skull girls & cup head, or whatever. Personally, pixel graphics is still my favorite even if games could look much better or impressive with hand drawn graphics or even 3D renders. But the gameplay is what matters to people more when they play a game rather than it's look.

 

[GeorgeKuwanay]

I don't think it will come into that but who knows if it happens. Video cards is also being used to more complex calculations rather than only on gaming.

 

[Deleted User]

In all seriousness, once the graphics issue gets solved, the next thing will be determining what the true max framerate the human eye can perceive is. Once that is figured out, then monitors and games will strive to hit that as frequently as possible. Then, game design should get better, and "pretty but empty" games will cease to exist.

Then, we might start focusing on bringing this all into a VR world. From there, we turn into Ready Player One.

 

[Taleweaver]

People have literally been saying this for centuries.

Yes... And the critics were right then as well. What they fail to mention,however, is that "everything" just contains what they know as work. New work gets created as well.

On the games front, the really isn't a problem aside the luxurious "too many games" problem (shovelware, in other words)

 

[ThoD]

In all seriousness, once the graphics issue gets solved, the next thing will be determining what the true max framerate the human eye can perceive is. Once that is figured out, then monitors and games will strive to hit that as frequently as possible. Then, game design should get better, and "pretty but empty" games will cease to exist.

Then, we might start focusing on bringing this all into a VR world. From there, we turn into Ready Player One.

It HAS been figured out since the 1970s, the human eye in theory can perceive up to 3000 frames, but in reality it's about 700-1000. The 3000 was proven and is in actual medical books. But as long as you got retards believing that they can only see 30 frames, then the day framerates get up to 500+ won't come anytime soon... Also, "pretty but empty" will always be there for as long as people buy AAA games like that (eg: Assassin's Creed or generally "open world" games with nothing to do because collectibles are NOT real content).

 

[Deleted User]

It HAS been figured out since the 1970s, the human eye in theory can perceive up to 3000 frames, but in reality it's about 700-1000. The 3000 was proven and is in actual medical books. But as long as you got retards believing that they can only see 30 frames, then the day framerates get up to 500+ won't come anytime soon... Also, "pretty but empty" will always be there for as long as people buy AAA games like that (eg: Assassin's Creed or generally "open world" games with nothing to do because collectibles are NOT real content).

About the PBE always existing, I personally believe you are wrong. When it gets to the point that everybody is creating games with the same level of graphics, then the only deciding factor will be content.

 

[raystriker]

We'll probably try to make it like Westworld. But a VR experience like in SAO will probably be more feasible.

 

[ThoD]

About the PBE always existing, I personally believe you are wrong. When it gets to the point that everybody is creating games with the same level of graphics, then the only deciding factor will be content.

Not really, the deciding factor will be effort, because those graphics aren't gonna make themselves, so others will put everything only in graphics and game size, while others will focus on content too.

 

[CMDreamer]

I think gaming industry will still be creating an "enhanced/remastered/whatever" editions of the very same games over and over between console editions, because buyers keep believeing that good graphics define good games. Which is totally wrong.

As long as consumers buy that crap called "new editions", gaming industry will keep selling the same crap over and over.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Ultimately even beyond graphics I can imagine a hardware/software AI that creates the games interactively based on user input.

I think eventually (eventually possibly hundreds of years from now) we will have AI advanced enough you could say something like "I want an adventure like Simon Belmont in Castlevania!!!" and the AI will create an entire world and NPC's with realistic reactions and an entire adventure for you to explore.

At this point in time I think premade games as we know them would be more along the lines of "I wrote this script for this wild RPG, I created a bunch of personality profiles and AI assisted world generation based on my creative input!"

Basically I see no reason why given enough storage and CPU and GPU power why AI could not create infinite worlds for us to explore like a holodeck on Star Trek. Even if we never develop 3D solid holograms and all that the tech would still work great for 2D displays or 3D VR goggles.

 

[XXXTORTELLINI]

You have to think about better resolutions, bigger screens, and bigger worlds. These will all have an effect on older hardware.