Opinion: Video Games And The Graphics Plateau

[In this editorial, originally printed in Game Developer magazine and already causing much debate on online messageboards, editor-in-chief Brandon Sheffield questions whether oft-theorized “graphics plateau” has already occurred, as supported by the continued success of graphically modest systems such as Wii and PlayStation 2.]
Developers and journalists alike have talked about the inevitable point past which graphics do not matter, and the focus turns to gameplay. The question I pose to you is — has that already happened? Were we just not listening?
I was considering this when confronted with a few facts from Japan, firstly. The most popular “modern” consoles there are the DS, the Wii, and the PSP. None of these consoles have the graphics push of the big boys, as we know.
Further, Koei recently released Dynasty Warriors 6, “exclusively” for PS3, but due to fan reaction, subsequently ported it to PS2. Atlus is still releasing its […]

Original Post By Google News editors@gamesetwatch.com (Simon Carless)