California Polytechnic State University
The Role of Graphics
The Immersion Capabilities of Great Graphic Quality
Jennifer Bilek
HUM 240, Special Effects
Professor Ayers
6-10-15

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The argument of whether artistically looking graphic quality or narrative makes
for a better video game has been around for many years. Many believe that the brilliant
visual arts of graphics are needed to fully immerse the player, while others believe it is
the story of the game that does all the work. I argue that better graphic quality calls for a
fuller immersion into a video game, while the narrative comes as a close second.
Graphics offer many things for the immersion experience. Graphics connect the player to
the character, keep the artistic style interesting and the gameplay smooth, and leads the
gamer through the narrative with help from the visuals. As Hideo Kojima, the creator of
the iconic Mario graphics, puts it, “Stories in which the player doesn’t inhabit the main
character are difficult for games to handle.”1 It is important for the gamer and the
graphics to relate to each other quickly. By taking a look at the history of graphics, how
they create notable characters, and their ability to toss a gamer into any fantasy world, we
can determine how visual effects are the key to a spectacular, immersible video game.
Without the attraction and creativity of graphics, video games can become extremely
monotonous very quickly.
Some of the very first console graphics were designed through Atari using 8-bits.
8-bit means the processor ran 8 bits of data at a time per pixel. This limited the amount of
data the game could hold, such as colors and commands. Atari is famed for creating the
earliest video games, such as the simplistic Pong2 in 1972 and the more colorful Pac-
Man3 in 1980. The 1982 game, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,4 led to the downfall of Atari
due to its unsuccessful sales and lacked the ability to immerse the player into E.T.’s
1
Hideo Kojima, “Hideo KojimaQuotes”, BrainyQuote, Web, 2.
2
Allen Alcorn,Atari, Pong,Atari 1972, Arcade game.
3
ToruIwatani, Pac-Man, Atari & Namco1980, arcade game & Atari 2600.
4
HowardWarshaw, Atari, E.T.the ExtraTerrestrial, Atari 1982,Atari 2600.

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shoes. However, E.T. was one of the first games to showcase hidden graphic Easter eggs5
and advanced character imagery. E.T. not only had terrible graphics, but also terrible
gameplay making the graphics not the entire fault for its failure. E.T. also paved the path
for more video games to incorporate Easter eggs in future games. Another graphical
advancement Atari made was with its first 3D 1980 arcade game, Battlezone6. Battlezone
uses a bit-slice processor to give the appearance of a 3D background. Because it relies on
simple graphics, red cellophane is added behind the glass of the arcade games to give it
more color. 7 Atari was so successful with their 3D graphics in Battlezone that even the
US Army had them create an infantry vehicle training game for them to practice with.
Also, Battlezone references appeared in the 1982 movie Tron, showcasing Battlezone’s
simplistic style.8 However, even with so much success, Atari failed due to their
overestimate of sales combined with few buyers for their E.T. game and not their inability
to create the first, most visually elaborate video games.
To understand the evolution of graphics, it is important to know their history. The
growth of graphics is fundamental for the continuing success of video games. As
graphical capabilities continue to grow, so does their influence in the video game market.
The graphics in the Atari games are mainly pixel, solid color shapes shooting other pixel,
solid color shapes on a bright, solid color background. Each character in an 8-bit video
game is sectioned into an 8x8 pixel range.9 After Atari ended in 1983, the growth of
graphics started to expand rapidly. Games running with 8 and 16-bit could be
programmed fairly inexpensive and quickly. As Atari ran 8-bit, the Nintendo64 ran 64-
5
Easter eggs in video games are references totheiroriginor other videogames. The software engineers wouldplace the hidden eggs
aroundthe game forthe playertofind. The programmers placedtheirsecret code in their softwareandonce activated, the code would
sendout for a special graphicor action to occur.
6
EdRotberg& Owen Rubin, Atari, Battlezone, Atari 1980, arcade game & Atari 2600.
7
“The Arcade Video Game” by Atari, Inc.,GamingHistory, Arcade-History,2014.
8
Ibid.
9
Steven Collins, “Game Graphics Duringthe 8-bit Computer Era.” Computer Gaming. Vol. 32, No.2: (1998) p 49.

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bits, and today’s PlayStation 4 and Xbox 1 run 512-bits. From 1995 to 2002, the top 32
and 64-bit consoles were the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo N64.10 The
larger the bits, the more data the console can hold to run games with extensive graphics
and data. This holds the same with the consoles memory. Today graphics can be drawn
on tablets and rendered for lighting and movement. The once primitive coded graphics
have developed into a handcrafted art. Games with a large amount of data take years to
compile, but once finished, the results are usually notable and outstanding.
Graphics bring even the most abstract characters to life. One of the most famous
graphic characters is Nintendo’s Mario. Mario has traveled from the Nintendo
Entertainment System, NES, all the way to today’s Wii U. The iconic blue overalls with
the red shirt and unique mustache have created a recognizable character graphic for
Nintendo. Nintendo’s Zelda character has gone down the same timeline as Mario with
just as much success. Nintendo has done a prodigious job creating memorable character
graphics that have survived the video game world for many decades. Even though Atari
is long gone, the graphic character of Pac-Man11 is still very much alive and recognizable
today. The idea for Pac-Man’s image derived from when its creator, Iwatani, ate a slice
out of a piece of pizza. Incorporating food graphics, they could easily relate Pac-Man’s
quest to eat all the dots, ghosts, and cherries to every human’s basic need to eat.12
Graphics help relate the player to the character and give them something, such as eating,
to bond over. Mario, Zelda, and Pac-Man are important character graphics because they
are the first style of graphics for their time. Pac-Man is the first character based around
food, Mario is cartoonish, and Zelda is more top-down fantasy. They all more
10
Pradeep K. Chintagunta, et al., “MeasuringMarketing-MixEffects in the 32/64 Bit Video-Game Console Market”, Journal of
Applied Econometrics, Vol. 24, No. 3, (2009),p 421.
11
ToruIwatani, Pac-Man.
12
Alexa Ray Corriea,“Pac-ManDev OnSeries’ Long-RunningSuccess: ‘People Love Eating’”, Polygon, October, 2013.

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importantly created a brand for their developer. When games have worthy graphics, their
characters are able to withstand the struggles of competing games. Relatable, creative
graphic characters help immerse the player because they feel that with that character, they
have full control in the game. Video game graphic characters don’t only live in their
games, but they are all around us in today’s pop culture.
Graphics immerse the players into even the oddest of worlds. Bethesda’s role-
playing console game, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim13, was a widely anticipated game in 2011
due to its insanely beautiful graphics for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game has a
vast variety of landscapes, from snowy mountains to dry deserts, with the green forests in
between. Skyrim uses more realistic graphics to provide a more in depth immersion.
There are locations in the game to explore that may hold nothing for you to gain except
an exceptional view of the land around you. To immerse the players even more into
Skyrim’s world, Bethesda creates astonishing creatures with exquisite detailing. Even the
dragons in the game look so detailed and as realistic as one can get to a dragon. There is
no question to how the graphics in Skyrim helped Bethesda take home the Best Game of
the Year award from the Video Game Awards, Game Developer Choice Awards,
Interactive Achievement Awards, and many more.14
Nintendo’s Mario Kart15 series is an example of a console game that uses its
graphics to carryout the immersion. The game uses a more cartoon styled graphic effect
that plays to its benefit. The player is immersed into the racing world through the racing
maps that use crazy, amusing graphics to try and interact with the racer. In an Internet
Gaming Network, IGN, review of Mario Kart 8 on the WiiU, Jose Otero states, “Mario
13
Bethesda Game Studios, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Bethesda Softworks 2011, PS3 & Xbox 360.
14
Brendan Sinclair, “SkyrimTakes TopHonors at GDC Awards”, Gamespot, CBSInteractive Inc.,March7, 2012.
15
NintendoEntertainment Analysis & Development, Mario Kart, Nintendo 2014, Wii U.

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Kart 8's graphics are some of the best I've seen in a game made by Nintendo. Each racer,
kart combination, and track showcased expert art direction right down to the tiny treads
on the tires.”16 Otero is noting how the developers really took the time to provide extra
attention to the detail of the games graphics. Without the colorful, interactive graphics,
the game would just be a plain, boring racing game. The latest Mario Kart 8 lets you race
upside down around tracks, but without the graphics to guide you along, this could
become confusing to players. The cartoonish graphics allow the player to race through
Princess Peach’s Castle, down the Rainbow Road, and across MooMoo Meadows. The
small narrative uses the graphics to allow for players to ink out the other players screen to
through them off course, electrify them to a smaller size, or swivel for driving over a
banana peel. Throughout Mario Kart’s history, the graphics have gotten brighter,
smoother, and better looking, but the games have always been artistically strong carrying
out their limited narrative. Mario Kart and Skyrim may have very different artistic styles,
but their games rely heavily upon their unique graphics to carry out their narrative.
Games such as Dark Souls17 and Bloodborne18 also rely heavily on their graphics
because they are known for their hidden and extremely difficult narrative. Bloodborne’s
Yharnam is a gothic, Victorian style kingdom filled with plagued infected monsters and
demons. As you run around Yharnam, the character’s clothing becomes more soaked in
blood with each enemy slayed. At the beginning of the game, you are given extremely
limited to zero information and have to rely on the graphics and environments around you
to help solve your purpose. Dark Souls and Bloodborne are examples of games using
their picturesque graphics to lead you along the unknown narrative. Furthermore, running
16
Jose Otero, “MarioKart 8 Review: Kingof Kart”, IGN,2014.
17
FromSoftwares, Dark Souls, Bandai & FromSoftware2011, PS3 & Xbox360.
18
FromSoftware, Bloodborne, SonyComputer Entertainment 2015,PS4.

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around the ghostly, dark environment of Middle-earth has been made possible in the
latest Lord of the Rings video game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.19 Shadow of
Mordor is a unique illustration of graphics due to its mixing of a ghost world and Middle-
earth. The player is immersed into the game by having the ability of choosing where and
when they want to change worlds in the space of time during gameplay. With so many
location options created with graphics, wherever you want to go, graphics are bound to
take you there.
It has become a common trend these days to develop indie video games20 that
have basic narrative and are brought to life by using the older style of 8 and 16-bit
graphics. Minecraft21 has been given a lot of attention because of this new craze. The
graphics in Minecraft follow the 16-bit look with blocked tools and environment and use
of limited colors. The advantage of developing the game in 16-bit allows for unlimited
map space on the newer consoles. Minecraft is an easy game that beginners to experts can
play with ease because of its simplistic narrative. Players can map out and create
anything they want within a forest, using the 16-bits of data. Replicas of the entire Game
of Thrones map have been created along with 16-bit versions of all 150 original
Pokemon. Other indie games such as Axiom Verge22 and Fez23 also go for the 16-bit look
to successfully carryout their game over their simple narrative. Fez is unique platform
videogame because it is 2 dimensional gameplay in a 3 dimensional world. With the use
of older looking graphics combined with an interactive scenery, Fez has won many
awards for its exquisiteness and creativity. Both games are fairly recent and were
19
Monolith Productions, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, WarnerBros. Interactive Entertainment 2014, PS4 & Xbox 1.
20
As Senior Editor of IGN, ColinMoriarty,puts it, “[Indie games are]a developeror teamof developers withno affiliationtoor
relationshipwith a publisher”.Colin Moriarty, “WhyDo So ManyPeople Hate Indie Games?” IGN, July 2014.
21
Jens Bergensten & Markus Persson, Mojang, Minecraft,Sony 2009, PlayStation,Xbox,& PC.
22
Tom Happ,Axiom Verge, Sony Computer Entertainment 2015, PS4.
23
Phil Fish, Fez, Polytron Corporations 2012, multiple consolegame.

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developed in the older style not only to save on costs, but because when done right, the
graphics initially sell the video game. Finally, Super Meat Boy24 has such a basic
narrative of running and jumping that even its 8-bit design does wonders for making it an
award winning video game. Daemon Hatfield notes in an Internet Gaming Network, IGN,
review of Super Meat Boy, “Find a warp zone and the visuals will shift to a more
pixilated, 8-bit style emulating the NES, Game Boy, or Atari 2600. Super Meat Boy pays
tribute to classic platformers while simultaneously claiming its place on the throne with
the best of them.”25 The evolution of graphics is constantly changing. As they change,
they continually get better, however, the older styles of graphics still possess an internal
coherence of artistic style for gaming.
Graphics provide many ways to expand upon the immersion experience. They
generate notable and relatable characters, set up many of the vast arrays of environments,
and provide a greater feeling of immersion to help lead the way through narrative with
visuals. Graphics are a unique visual art that help the immersion process of the player
through beauty and creativity. Designer Kojima states, “I think games really do have a
place as a kind of collaborative art or a synthesis of all these various aspects into a whole,
and that, in itself, can be perceived as art.”26 Even today, there is an option of using the
older looking graphics to tribute how far the visual art of graphics has come. Graphics
carry the art and feel of the video game and are one of the main reasons for the games
success. Console graphics are a technological art form, and when combined with
videogames, they create masterpieces.
24
EdmundMcMillen & Tommy Refenes, Super MeatBoy,TeamMeat & Microsoft Studios 2010, Xbox360.
25
Daemon Hatfield, “SuperMeat BoyReview: A PlatformerThat Pays Tribute tothe Classics While ClaimingIts Place Alongside
Them”,IGN, 2010.
26
Hideo Kokima,BrainyQuote, 2.

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Bibliography
Chintagunta, Pradeep K, Harikesh S Nair, and R Sukumar.. “Measuring Marketing-mix
Effects in the 32-64 Bit Video Game Console Market”. Journal of Applied
Econometrics. 24, no. 3: (2009) 421-445.
Collins, Steven. “Game Graphics During the 8-bit Computer Era.” Computer Gaming.
Vol. 32, No. 2: (1998) P 47-53.
Corriea, Alexa Ray. “Pac-Man Dev On Series’ Long-Running Success: ‘People Love
Eating’”. Polygon, October 2013.
Hatfield, Daemon. “Super Meat Boy Review: A Platformer That Pays Tribute to the
Classics While Claiming Its Place Alongside Them”. IGN, December 1st, 2010.
Kojima, Hideo. “Hideo Kojima Quotes”. BrainyQuote, Web.
Moriarty, Colin. “Why Do So Many People Hate Indie Games?” IGN, July 2014.
Otero, Jose. “Mario Kart 8 Review: King of Kart”. IGN, May 15th, 2014.
Sinclair, Brendan. “Skyrim Takes Top Honors at GDC Awards.” Gamespot. CBS
Interactive Inc. March 7, 2012
“The Arcade Video Game,” Atari, Inc. Gaming History. Arcade-History 2014 .
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Alcorn, Allen. Atari, Pong, Atari 1972, Arcade game.
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Fish, Phil. Fez. Polytron. Corporations 2012. Multiple console game.
FromSoftware. Bloodborne. Sony Computer Entertainment 2015. PS4.
FromSoftwares. Dark Souls. Bandai, FromSoftware 2011. PS3, Xbox 360.

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Happ, Tom. Axiom Verge. Sony Computer Entertainment 2015, PS4.
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McMillen, Edmund and Tommy Refenes. Super Meat Boy. Team Meat, Microsoft
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