Topic: Do you think the generation of HD games is going to screw Nintendo?

I mean before one of the incentives to play new Nintendo games was to play them on the next piece of hardware, playing super mario 64, and metroid prime for the first time were amazing because of the graphical leaps.

but now that we have hit the HD era aren't their games doom to look forever the same now? i mean when Mario Kart 9 comes out....how is it going to look any different from Mario Kart 8? while most other developers can constantly improve because they go for a more realistic look how is nintendo going to keep their games looking fresh?

the only series that drastically changes it's artstyle is zelda, but all their other series have been coasting on just improving the graphics for years now.

While the jump from SD to HD was visually pleasing when we went to Wii U, the large graphical difference between Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8 was not solely due to the HD. I believe Nintendo will continue to make their games looking fresh.

If that does not reassure you, then don't forget about 4K HD, which will become mainstream in due time.

4k doesn't impress me and doesn't impress many other people, most journalists report your screen needs to be above 60 inches to actually notice the difference.

Like I said, in due time. 60 inch screens will be more common soon enough.

You're speaking as of visuals have reached their peak, and that it could only improve through screen resolution. Visuals have not, and will not reach their peak.

Here's an example: have you ever seen the fake Majora's Mask HD trailer? It's visually magnificent and has an incredible level of detail. Gaming visuals will eventually reach that point and surpass it.

Visuals will always improve through time.

Yep. Pixel quality =/= details/models/enviroments

Visuals have never been the end all be all in Nintendo games anyway. Now if I was Microsoft or Sony I might be more worried about this, especially since development costs have gotten astronomical and the payoff is dwindling.

Obviously Nintendo won't be able to make massive graphical leaps like was once possible, but who cares?! Graphics are way less important than gameplay. Even if Nintendo will never be able to say "Hey look! We made a Mario game that looks like real life!", they will be able to say "Hey look! We made a new mario game with more awesome gameplay!", and that's what people should care more about.

Considering the fact we're pretty much at the point where next-gen graphics are getting a bit too expensive to make. I wouldn't worry about it too much since Nintendo is all about gameplay and the Wii U has nice graphics so that isn't too much of a concern.

Nintendo of all companies won't be affected by the "sameness" of hitting that graphical plateau. Reason being is that Nintendo has always prioritized art design over realism. You said it yourself that Zelda is a great example of that.

I was afraid I was going to have to waste energy on this thread but you covered it nicely

The claim that we've hit some kind of asymtote with graphics is just ridiculous. You're saying that the graphical quality is largely down to resolution. That's just complete nonsense. Resolution only accounts for a small part of it. Look at some of the earliest PS3 games and compare them to the Last of Us. Or compare Oblivion to Skyrim.

The graphical techniques that are developed over time account for much more of the graphical quality than the resolution does. Something like normal mapping pushed computer graphics a lot further than any jump in resolution ever has (and are the proximate explanation for why something Resident Evil Revelations could be run on the 3DS, an incredibly well orchestrated use of normal mapping)

More graphical effects, improved resolution, better textures etc. etc.

The usual stuff.

Widescreen HD monitors became fairly commonplace for PCs starting in around 2006 yeah. So if resolution was everything you'd think this was the pinnacle of gaming visuals

They'll do the same old thing. They'll give you bigger environments, more detail, higher resolution textures, better character models and so on. They'll push the AA off the charts and maintain a solid 60fps. Maybe not so much of a big deal for a game like Mario Kart. But Zelda? Even if it's the same non-realistic style Zelda we've gotten use to? You can do a lot with that. The appeal of Zelda since forever has been the sense of space and freedom. What does that more than pushing the draw distance as hard as you can?

They'll be fine. I mean graphics aren't what make a game. Mario Kart 8 is nice example, same racing formula we've come to know and love, with a nice polish to its graphics.

Indeed, Nintendo is gameplay first, then the art style and only at the end the graphics.
I find it really pathetic that the PS4 and Xbone are fighting over pixels ("I'm 1080p and you are only 900p") where they struggle to even maintain 30 FPS and Nintendo releases nearly every game at a fluid 60 FPS with a stunning art direction even at the cost of pixels (like Tropical Freeze at 720p).

Nintendo's games can always look better. It doesn't matter if it's stylized or photorealism but games can always look and (more importantly) run better. So no, i dont think HD is gonna screw Nintendo. The small but beautiful glimpse we saw of Zelda Wii U proves it!

Nintendo seems to already take good advantage of photorealism in games like "Yoshi's Wooly World" and "Kirby and the Rainbow curse", but in a creative way.

And then there are other companies who will use the Wii U hardware in a more traditional way for their 1080p/60fps games:
http://www.shinen.com/files/FastRacingNeo3.jpg
http://www.shinen.com/files/FastRacingNeo1.jpg

It would have been better if they had made the Gamepad 720p.

Crysis was 2007 and still looks pretty good running properly even now.

Forget High Resolution, I want Virtual Reality! Actually, if VR gets popular, graphical improvements will only get more important.