In the current generation, many titles have selected 30fps or less, because the GPU of the current generation isn’t powerful enough. But, you can play an action game in 30 fps? Less frame rate means that you get less amount of information per second from screen. By that, many action games had to become easier, I think. For example, some games help users to modify jump behavior. When we tap a jump button around the edge of platforms in these games, it makes sure that our player character reaches to other one. When he can’t reach, he ignores that we’ve been tapping a jump button. Instead of that, these games provide beautiful graphics and good story. I love and enjoy it!
But, I want to research why some games still need 60fps. I think frame rate is a kind of resolution of information. So 30fps gives some impact to any users including core gamers who have played almost all games in 30fps.
In a fact, Japanese arcade games are basically 60fps. It’s difficult to create 60fps games in less power GPU and smaller project’s budget. But developers try to keep 60fps. Some developers prepare special hardware to keep it.
I think there are two reasons why we should do that;
One of them is that there are many action games. It needs more resolution of information per second. If the game program of these games helps a player to jump or other actions, he/she never get gameover and might play the game throughout a day with $1. We should give more amount of information which players need, instead of that we don’t support their control. It’s fair.
Another one is that arcade games are for normal people. For example, a father plays drive games with his child in an amusement center. He drives his car daily, but he may not play games often. Delay and less frame rate make him feel bad, because the real world doesn’t have delay and “frame rate”. No delay is also important for kids.
My guess is that “30fps is enough for watching movie. But, 30fps isn’t enough for normal people to interact the game world as the real world”.
And I want to know what should I do when I create 30fps games for normal people. For example, “keep speed of camera movement under [X]”. Even if I use 2.5D motion bluer post effect, it might not cover some pixels that move in screen from outside.
In the next generation, are many studios keeping 30fps? I’m interesting that.