Recently I had a discussion with a friend about recent mobile device hardware developments. In that discussion we struck an interesting topic about 2D game development. Since recent Apple mobile devices are capable of running 3d hungry applications with great speed and amazing graphics, do you think that majority of gamers will be ignoring 2d games in the future?
IMO, a well designed and well made game will attract and engage gamers regardless if it's 2D, 3D, text based or whatever. However with that being said, teams that can push the available hardware and leverage technology such as 3D in their games for the "right reasons" can set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. The key is that they're using 3D and other "cool" technologies in tandem with a well designed game and not just crutching on 3D or cool technologies alone to prop the game. DP
In my opinion as an artist, 2D and 3D both have distinct advantages. 3D is better suited for realism, while 2D is better suited for expressing character. A great 2D artist can very emphatically covey a character's attitude or emotions with just a few lines. That may be true of 3D art someday, as well -- but 3D art is still in its infancy, relatively speaking... Games that strive to convey an epic feel will lean towards using 3D graphics, and games that are driven by cute, quirky, or mischievous characters will lean towards using 2D graphics. God of War probably wouldn't have worked as well in 2D, and Where's My Water probably wouldn't have worked as well in 3D. I think that we'll keep seeing the same trends for a few decades, at least.
I think that now there are more people that call themselves "gamers" than ever before, 2D, 2.5D, 3D and any other D's out there will always have a place. That's the awesome thing. I really like 2D, pixel art games and I have been loving all the fantastic games on iOS.
The big difference here is mobile games are not console games. A mobile game is a game that should be played on the move. A quick dip in and out. Big 3d console games are designed to be played in front of the TV for long play sessions. So I conclude that 2D games will not disappear because people will want to play something while they wait for a bus or whatever time they need to fill in. But I also conclude there will be full on 3d games on mobile where you invest more time into play. It's actually a very interesting situation for the industry to be in... But unlike that old song from years ago "Video Killed the Radio Star", well I would say mobile will save 2d games because there is a place for them.
3D games are not necessarily any more complicated than a 2D game and vice versa. It all depends on each game's mechanics. I've been saying this for the last 6 months or so, but with current mobile hardware being so much more powerful than before I think that high detail 3D could be really successful. However, that doesn't mean that 2D will be any less successful. Amazing graphics on a mobile device will simply be easier to market because in every review and preview people will see high quality art. Many game reviewers seperate their rating's into Audio, Visual, Gameplay, etc. 3D will just push that one section of the game up. 3D is simply an opportunity for developers to snag some easy sales with gorgeous preview screencaps, but they'll need a good game behind the art to be really succesful. But in saying that i know of a couple of games that have awesome art AND good gameplay but as far as im aware they haven't been tremendously successful financially yet (EPOCH by Uppercut Games and HEIST by N3V Games are examples that come to mind).
This. 2D games will always be around - whether they are developed by large, mid or small sized studios... or just three guys in a bedroom, they will always be around.
It's an outdated debat. Remember Monkey Island in 3D because it was the trend to make every game in 3D. 2D are coming back now. 3D or 2D is just an aesthetic choice. It's like the retro style game. Why so many game are using this style ? It's old, but people like it.
One of the reasons for the continued popularity of 2D is that controls can be much simpler when there is no need to move in 3D space. Accessible games are games that get played.
I don't think your average gamer really cares about 2D vs 3D. Maybe I should say average iOS gamer (as in casual...I own a phone so I may as well get some games). I don't remember ever not buying a game solely because it wasn't in 3D. Not sure.
