Balancing Graphics the eSports Way

One of the centremost tenants of mainstream AAA gaming is to make graphics as impressive as possible. Yet, despite this idea, eSports titles are often middling when it comes to visuals, avoiding the cutting edge in favor of appearances that often wouldn't look out of place a generation before. Ignoring this ostensibly crucial element, eSports titles regularly go on to become the biggest in video gaming. So, what causes this change in tack, and how is it refined into something that still competes on the highest level?

Accessibility is King

The big reason that eSports titles lean into less demanding graphics ties into their need for large player bases. Esports games only last as long as their audiences do, which means developers need to cast as wide of a net as possible to hook users. Doing this requires creating systems with low requirements to push the boundaries of multiplatform availability.

While this is the basis on which modern eSports games operate, it's also worth noting that such a direction is not unique in interactive entertainment. Similar approaches are also found in online casino games like bingo slots. On these services, games like Medieval Mania and Imperial Luck have been designed from the ground up to play on a range of systems from desktops to phones, tablets, and more. With the websites themselves similarly less demanding, this approach means online casinos are rarely limited by device power. This wide pool of players builds a strong community, one which sites as Buzz Bingo prides themselves on.

Back in video games, the approach is slightly different, in that one platform will usually be the basis of eSports (usually PC), while other platforms are still shown enormous support. Perhaps the best example of this is Fortnite, an eSports game that supports crossplay over PC, consoles, and mobiles. While not all players outside of PC will get involved in the eSports side of the title, a bigger player base means a bigger audience. In turn, this means that those who do compete competitively will have many more spectators, driving up potential winnings.

Make Peace with Limitation

For decades now, mainstream developers have believed that a game requires the most cutting-edge graphical features to succeed. As eSports has shown, this is far from the case. As for why for this answer gamers should look no further than Nintendo. Despite being one of the big three console manufacturers, Nintendo consoles haven't pushed the envelope graphically since the Nintendo 64 back in 1996.

Instead of going for fidelity, Nintendo games focussed on graphical style. It's this style in games like Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild that makes them so visually striking, and this is the same concept applied by the best eSports games. Overwatch is a fantastic example of this idea in action, where the game can hit over 60 FPS on modern integrated graphics chips like Intel’s Tiger Lake line.

Even with less busy environments and characters of lower polycounts compared to more demanding games, Overwatch is still striking and, most importantly, easy to read. A good design here means everybody knows exactly what’s going on, which is incredibly important for competitive gaming.

Half a year into the new generation and we haven’t yet seen any big new eSports titles. Despite this, precedent dictates that when we do see something new, chances are it won’t be as graphically impressive as what the new machines could handle. Ultimately, that can be a good thing, bringing in more players and forcing developers to take a more stylized and unique approach to visuals. Let’s just hope that crossplay remains as important to them as it is to us.