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开发者不可重游戏玩法而轻图像设计

发布时间:2011-09-13 13:57:11 Tags:,,

作者:Nadia Oxford

我们总是说,好的游戏玩法比优秀的图像更加重要。这种说法绝大部分是正确的,比如简单的《俄罗斯方块》受到全球玩家的喜爱,但某些有着绝妙角色模型的游戏却无法成为主流游戏。

尽管我们能够理解可玩性比图像更为重要,但是我们还是会关注游戏预告片中的视觉效果,包括游戏杂志中的图片和上传到网络上的视频。我们甚至会通过这种直觉和感官判断游戏或一款新主机的价值。从人类的本性而言,我们喜欢精美的图像。

漂亮的游戏更能够吸引我们的注意力,因而毫无疑问,图像确实能够产生影响力。但是,对不同种类的玩家而言,图像有着不同的含义。这不是“我要将游戏做得多漂亮?”这个简单的问题能够解决的。开发者还应该自问:游戏的视觉效果是否符合游戏风格和受众的需求?某些情况下,“我要如何将这个受人钟爱的2D角色在无需大量改变的前提下展现在3D世界中?”这个问题也是值得考虑的。

zynga games characters(from zynga.com)

zynga games characters(from zynga.com)

以Zynga为例,该公司的“Ville”系列游戏已经使其拥有大眼睛的可爱卡通角色成了公司的标志。这种艺术风格不仅使得Zynga游戏从Facebook社交游戏群中脱颖而出,而且图像的简单化也是Zynga在美国社交游戏市场获得成功的重要因素。

当马里奥向3D方向转变时,宫本茂及其团队需要解决的问题是,将马里奥中色彩丰富的环境融入到单调的多边形世界中。他们显然获得了成功,而且期间还考虑到了怪物死亡的呈现方法。

我们通过游戏的图像来识别游戏。如果下款马里奥系列游戏使用棕褐色调(游戏邦注:而且没有让蘑菇王国恢复鲜艳颜色的故事剧情)又会如何呢?人们会觉得自己受到了欺骗,马里奥应当有着鲜明和愉悦的视觉效果,能够激发人们的想象力。那么,假如下款《孤岛危机》系列游戏不使用现实手法而采用卡通图像呢?人们也会产生与上述相同的感觉。任天堂在2001年发布的《塞尔达传说:风之杖》正属此例。

塞尔达传说:风之杖(from walkingwithspoons.blogspot)

塞尔达传说:风之杖(from walkingwithspoons.blogspot)

我们确实喜欢那些精美的视觉效果,但我们不寄希望于极出众的视觉效果。图像确实具有一定的影响力,但是,游戏设计的核心准则(游戏邦注:即游戏的趣味性)每次都能够凌驾于图像之上。毕竟,我们更愿意接受那些图像较差但却十分有趣的游戏。

在理想状况下,每款游戏都应该有着绝妙的可玩性和精美的图像。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Do Graphics Still Matter?

Nadia Oxford

“Good gameplay matters more than good graphics.” We keep saying it, and it’s true, for the most part: The simple, angular shapes that build Tetris are universally recognized and loved, whereas even the most wonderfully built character model probably wouldn’t garner a second look from the mainstream.

But while in our heart of hearts we understand that gameplay matters more than graphics, we can’t help but steal a very intense look at the earliest visuals that accompany a game preview, including still pictures in a magazine, and/or videos uploaded to the internet. We’re even apt to judge a game or the worthiness of a new console via these early glances. For shame. Still, human nature can’t be helped: We like pretty graphics, and we cannot look away, nor can we resist chattering about them. Similarly, even though the Bible says “Don’t be a jerk to your neighbor,” and we say “That’s a good idea” in our sane moments, excitability has a way of driving us to run our keys down the side of our neighbor’s car.

A good-looking game is far more apt to draw us towards it, and there’s no doubt that graphics matter. However, graphics also mean different things to different kinds of gamers. It’s not simply a question of, “How pretty can I make my game look?” Developers also have to ask, “Do my visuals suit my game? My audience?” And, in some cases, “How do I bring this beloved 2D retro character into a 3D world without totally massacring his/her personality?”

Zynga, for instance, utilizes big-headed, doe-eyed cartoon characters that have become iconic thanks to the company’s “Ville” series of games. Not only does that art style make it easy to pick out a Zynga game from the heaving sea of Facebook-based social games, but the simplicity of the graphics makes it possible for Zynga’s social games to run on the perpetually low-powered rigs that line every office wall in the United States.

When Mario made the jump to 3D, Shigeru Miyamoto and his team had to solve the problem of bringing Mario’s colorful environments to a flat, sparse world of polygons. They succeeded enormously, and to underscore what a big deal that is, consider all the beloved 16-bit mascots who sickened or died during the transition to the third dimension.

In the same vein, we identify a game according to its surroundings. What if the next Mario game was drenched in brown and grey (and devoid of a bizarre plot that involved restoring color to the Mushroom Kingdom)? People would become justifiably upset: Mario is a series we retreat to when we want bright, happy visuals bursting with imagination. What if the next Crysis game forsakes realistic visuals in favor of cartoon visuals with bright colors normally reserved for a clown’s undergarments? Again, people would become confused and irritated, and rightly so. A change in visuals can be jarring, too: Consider the Mass Internet Freak-Out of 2001, when Nintendo unveiled the cel-shaded visuals for The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

We definitely like visuals that are pleasing to the eye, and we’re not very fond of big surprises when it comes to graphics. Graphics will always matter–though modern visual design is far more than a race over which company can map the best pores and slickest sweat (do we really want to watch Mario drip?) Nevertheless, the core rule of game design–“It’s Gotta Be Fun”–trumps graphics every time. We’re far more likely to give a pass to a dull-looking game that’s fun than we are to a great-looking game that’s boring.

Ideally, every game should play brilliantly and look simply dazzling. (Source: Game Theory)


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