Hello Boomers,

I noticed I beginning to buy games because they have great screenshots.. The first thing I look to see if I want to get the game is the screenshots, if there are fantastic I right away want the game.. After that I read the story...

So my question is,"Do you look at the screenshots first then the story? or the story first to make your decision on buying the game.

For me is the screenshots, I love the graphics of the game, I want to jump right into the game and let the story become a surprise..

Liz

I'm gonna have to say that I read the story first, and that is what will make me buy the game. The screenshots are secondary, and if they are fantastic, well then that is the icing on the cake. Nowadays, I think that awesome screenshots are a given, and the fact that they are great doesn't always mean that the game will be equally great. Think of it this way--look at some of the really beautiful people out there that you see, but once you get past that and look inside the person, you realize they are a total dud--shallow or just plain ugly inside. The same thing can always be true with a preview of a game--beautiful screenshots but no plot, or a bad story. Looks aren't always everything. Think of the many games you might miss out on if the screenshots are lousy and because of that you decide not to buy the game.

Dawn <img border="0" alt="[kiss]" title="" src="graemlins/kiss.gif" />

Hi,

I have always looked at the screenshots and then I read what is on the box to help me decide if this sounds like my type of game.

Great question ! I've a different slant on it though.

I will, from now on, look at as few screenshots as possible before deciding on a game, and always as little of the story as possible.

Recommendations from fellow players whom I've found have similar tastes to me and selected reviews are going to be enough. I've decided this because, I'm sometimes finding that discovering too much is detracting from my game experience. Just as this can happen with an 'over-previewed' and 'over-hyped' movie this can happen for me with adventure games. I don't mean going blindly to buy a game, but just getting the tiniest taster of it's quality will suffice.

I think I would have enjoyed 'Syberia', for instance, twice as much as I did if I hadn't read all the previews, seen all the screenshots, and heard the music. It's a difficult thing to resist but I have to do it. It'll probably astonish some people but I've not read a single word about 'The Omega Stone', since I made this decision, nor 'Syberia 2', nor 'Haunted Carousel', nor 'Dark Fall 2', nor . . . . . There's reason enough to be confident that they're gonna be right on the money ! Why peek ? That's the way I'm going to approach games from now anyway.

Does anyone feel the same ?

If a game hasn't had a 'first outing', i.e.; it's not a sequel, or similar, like 'Runaway' or 'The Black Mirror', I'll take a look at the early snippets and maybeeeee the demo (which, to me, reveals less forthcoming wonders about a game than multiple location-revealing screenshots), but from then on rely on the level of reliable fellow gamers' enthusiasm for the game. Poaching information I suppose !

I think my feeling this way about AG's is testament to the fact that these games we love are different to ALL other genres in one crucial aspect . . structured storyline. One thing is for sure, it makes me 100 times more excited about it's release.

Luv and smooches !

I WISH I could do what Gelert does. That is how I would LIKE to approach games. And I do...partially...I don't read about the story. I want the story to be a surprise, BUT...the first thing I look at is screenshots. If a game doesn't have appealing screenshots...I'm not interested. I know it sounds shallow, but I love graphics. Now, I want a good story too...don't get me wrong. However, graphics are what intrigues me into hearing the story.

I'm sure I've missed some "good" games this way. I just have to have something decent to look at if I'm going to be playing for hours on end.

I do consider good screenshots and good graphics within a WIDE range of "goodness!" In other words...Anachronox is a little blocky, but those are great 3D graphics. Syberia is almost perfection in the graphics department, though mostly 2D. I only mention those two because of the extreme differences. The only thing I really DON'T like is PIXELATED graphics....for instance, the CD version of Schizm. I cannot tolerate (for ANY story) graphics that look like that. YUCK.
I played that for all of 15 minutes and said "forget it."

I know....I'll probably get the GB version of "flamed" for this, but hey....just one opinion!

My approach is very similar to Gelert's. I get interested in games from the buzz at GB, and from reading reviews. I rarely go to the game web site to check out a game in production, and I've never downloaded a demo. I'm like that with movies too. If there is someting I really am looking forward too, I make an effort not to look at spoilers or trailers.

Hi.

Graphics don't come first for me - so I don't often bother with screenshots - although good graphics are a bonus of course

I mainly want to know whether a game has a good story, whether it's pure adventure (or some action has got sneaked in

Cheers.

Mad

To me, screen shots are like movie trailers. They pick out the best scenec to entice you to buy the game. These shots may be the only good ones in the game. I think I go more for the reputation of the developer/publisher. Like the Myst or Journeyman series, you probably can't go wrong.

Screen shots give me a good sense of what the game will look like - but it doesn't make me decide to buy it. Then again with the shortage of adventure titles - I would probably eventually get any adventure based title.

What makes me eager to get a game is usually the strength of the series or other titles from that developer. Also trailers are something I first look at to decide if it's a game that I will start looking out for seriously. I don't usually play demos as they often are extracted from the game itself and I would have a part of the game ruined by playing the demo.

Yep I would say trailers, the site itself, interviews and my prior exposure to that developer or the series: change a game from one I'll get eventually to one I have to have yesterday!.

Laura

The graphics are the first thing I look at when deciding which game to buy, unless it's a sequel or continuation of another game--no question as to if I'll buy the game, just when. Then I look at the story, well, I look at the story as I'm looking at the graphics. As in choosing which sci-fi book to buy, if the story isn't interesting to me, despite how stunning the graphics, I don't buy.

Hi all,
Screenshots, screenshots, screenshots, as well as trailers! It has to work for me visually for me to buy it. Occasionally, I will buy (and like) a game even if I'm not crazy about the screenshots (Full Moon in San Francisco is one of them) but that doesn't happen very often for me.

I also read everything I can about the games I want to buy, and I download a demo if it's available. This does not "spoil" the game for me; I work better with more info, rather than less info, about stuff I'm getting into. I also don't play as many games as you all, so, for the ones I play, I want to make sure I'll really like them.

I also read book reviews, movie reviews, that sort of thing, and if there are trailers for movies I want to see, I'll watch them.

This also means that I'm rarely disappointed in a game when I play it. Oh, it happens sometimes, but not very often.

I'm thinking of subscribing to Computer Games magazine. The magazine comes with a hefty demo every month. I'd like to experience different kinds of games, but I really want to sample. Quite often I want to see what a game is like, but I don't want to play the whole game.

I go more by reviews (from reliable sources) than anything else. Advertising blurbs on the game box can be misleading. They won't tell you if the game is buggy or if the interface is clumsy or if the puzzles are a royal pain in the tushie.

Beautiful screenshots are only one factor to consider when I decide if I want a game or not. If a game doesn't have a great story, it can still be enjoyable if the gameworld is a beautiful and fascinating place to explore.

So if a game has beautiful screenshots, it will certainly get my attention as one to watch out for a review of.

I like to read the previews of games coming out, but I almost never read the reviews before I buy the game. The previews tell me if it is probably going to be the sort of thing I like. As far as screenshots, yes, I do to some extent rely on them that I see in the previews. For instance, I was wowed by the Zanzarah screenshots, and had to have it. I didn't like the screenshots for Divine Divinity, and didn't like the box art at all, but still felt like the previews had indicated a game that I would enjoy. Loved both of them. And sure, I've made mistakes on getting some.