Talk2Gaming: “Graphics are 60% of the game” Do you agree?

A recent article by Xbox360 Magazine features Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli, the man behind Crysis, and his views regarding the timeless question of do better graphics mean better gameplay or not. Cevat Yerli answers:

“People say that graphics don’t matter,” says Yerli, “but play Crysis and tell me they don’t matter. It’s always been about graphics driving gameplay.”

“In Crysis 3 it’s the grass and the vegetation, the way the physics runs the grass interact and sways them in the wind. You can read when an AI enemy is running towards you just by observing the way the grass blades.

“Graphics, whether it’s lighting or shadows, puts you in a different emotional context and drives the immersion.”

“And immersion is effectively the number one thing we can use to help you buy into the world.”

“The better the graphics, the better the physics, the better the sound design, the better the technical assets and production values are – paired with the art direction, making things look spectacular and stylistic is 60 per cent of the game.”

Cevat Yerli has never been one to sugar-coat things and his view on this matter is as expected. The immediate response from people have been mixed but the predominant sentiment of disagreement rings louder than anything else.

So as gamers, we want to know what you guys think? Games have evolved to the point that cinematics and gameplay are now one and the same and with budgets reaching Hollywood-production levels, does this focus on graphics really warrant the attention it is getting or is it just fluff that gets in the way or even hide a formulaic gameplay? Share us your thoughts!