Why does "cartoony" have a negative connotation in the gaming industry?

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

Since as early as the late 90's the average gamer began to be conditioned to believe that anything with cartoon-like visuals is for children, and that cool people play realistic/violent games. But should this mentality exist? What makes say, Okami less mature than Elder Scrolls or Dark Souls? Why is something like Mario suddenly deemed only suitable for children?

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

Because of that stupid mentality that "cartoony" instantly means kiddy,, which instantly means bad. I've got an example of a good game with cartoony graphics and that game is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It's cartoony, but is extremely polished and has excellent music.

[Demonic Soulz 483]

Borderlands has a comic like feel to it and Okami...well just play the game you can see that it takes heavily on Japanese mythology.

 

Really anything with a cartoony graphics is still a game for anyone if you actually play it

[TenorSounds 832]

It's from the old connotation of cartoons as being for kids, mostly because they were at the time most of us were watching them.

 

That connotation has gotten weaker over the years, but it's not completely gone yet.

[Sceethe 704]

because we all know:

 

the more f***ed up the conten you enjoy, the more mature you are as a person.

 

pretty much an old western mentality, as already mentioned by users above.

times are changing though, especially the current generation seems to adapt to different mindsets already.

[Gernia 691]

Essentially, it's what the above posters said. To some, cartoony = childish, which is akin to being low-quality or inferior. This trait may also mean it should not be taken seriously, if it does, that may automatically deem it as taking itself too seriously and therefore not worthy of experiencing.

 

How such a mentality starts I'm not sure. Maybe word gets around because there were cartoony-looking games that were low in quality, or that people are told that cartoon stuff is for kids and that they do not have long-term appeal. This can cause people to form incorrect views of such games. Eventually, those people develop an elitist mentality and bash those things, probably to make themselves feel better, or to troll and cause drama.

 

Those are just theories, but this mindset some people have shouldn't really exist. If we bash certain things because of what they are, we can potentially stifle creativity. We need to have these kinds of games because there are people that like them, and they should not stop making them because some people have apparently "grown up".

[Shanks 10,816]

Part of it is the whole "cartoons are only for kids" nonsense and another part of it is that for a game to be "mature" it needs to have ultra realistic graphics and be ultra violent. I have nothing against ultra realistic graphics or violence but for people that use that as their measuring stick of a good game they are really missing out on a lot of great stuff so the joke is on them.

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

If anyone thinks that, they are just being utterly silly. Something being cartoonish doesn't make it "Kiddy" or anything of the sort. Even if something is suitable for children, that shouldn't mean adults have to stop enjoying it. Realistic games would get boring if that's all there was.

 

 Also, since when do cartoony games have to be kid-friendly anyway? My favorite Game currently is the Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, that game is incredibly cartoonish, but it's also one of the most disturbing games I've seen. It's got all the bases, blood, gore, drug use, all the "Mature" stuff these people think of so highly. Yet it's got pixel-graphics, and a very cartoonish style. Is it for kids just because of this? Heck no.

 

 This topic has made me want to go back and play some Mario. Haven't played it in a while, but it's sounding pretty fun right now.

[Megas 27,697]

Because some think they're too cool/mature for colors/cartoony visuals and think playing things that are dark/bloody/gritty/brown and gray makes them more mature

[Tao 7,824]

Yah lets add in blood and gore into a pokemon game!   Have Link die and never come back!  Lets not have adults make cartoons any more....

 

We must watch adult shows of cops and rape and such also real life problems we see and live every day and not have a escape for our mind!

 

Yah...No...

 

Call me Cartoony! I take it as a label of love! Half my games are anime looking!

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

Well its not that its kiddy, its the fact that it negates the seriousness of a situation. Take age of empires online for example, a serious ancient/medieval/reniassance rts and then they changed it to be super cartoony, i mean just look at the trailer. When i saw it i didnt like it because it seemed "childish" i didnt like it because it seemed they were making a joke out of a game i really liked. Plus, it was foreign, and its human nature to resist change, especially if theyre satisfied with the status quo.

[Banul 3,831]

I actually tend to prefer cartoon graphics. Its way easier on the eyes than the grey, brown, realistic look.

[Radiance64 7,053]

It's just a certain mindset that denounces stylized visuals really... for reasons I can't really understand. Sure, realistic visuals are nice and all, but in the end they're just another style, really hypocritical of people to denounce 'cartoony' visuals if you ask me- games are supposed to be fun, so what's wrong with looking fun too?

[Neutral 1,185]

Yeah btw cartoony looks aren't all childish we do have the walking dead which has that comic look to it.

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

I perfer cartoony visuals because more realistic, gritty ones bore me. I mostly watch cartoons and hardly watch live action. Games with colorful cartoony graphics look a lot more fun to me. I think games with cartoony graphics should be embraced more and they make me feel younger.

[galaxysquid 2,122]

To millions of people, "cartoon" means "little kids" or "babies." It kinda sucks. :/

 

I mean, cartoons were meant for all ages a long time ago, but now most of it is either Adult Swim type cartoons or Disney Junior type cartoons. There's rarely something in the middle, such as MLP! 

Edited December 15, 2014 by PrincessWubsyButt~

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

It's true, there is that connotation of cartoony meaning infantile. It's not just true in games but it encompasses other media as well, such as TV and commercials, which is why everything is being done photorealistically if it's animated at all in commercials and many movies these days.

 

There aren't really many things that are cartoony and awesome anymore, so I kind of fault the creators of "cartoony" media for not really doing anything new with it as well.

[TenorSounds 832]

It's true, there is that connotation of cartoony meaning infantile. It's not just true in games but it encompasses other media as well, such as TV and commercials, which is why everything is being done photorealistically if it's animated at all in commercials and many movies these days.

 

There aren't really many things that are cartoony and awesome anymore, so I kind of fault the creators of "cartoony" media for not really doing anything new with it as well.

 

I'd point to shows like Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, and MLP: FiM as examples of cartoons that are working on reversing that "infantile" connotation. I'm sure there are way more, those are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Like I said in my previous post, I think that sort of view on cartoons is starting to erode, it's just not completely gone yet.

[EpitomeOfTruth 243]

Whoever says this has clearly never played a LEGO game.

[ShadowPirateX 600]

Appearently many people think cartoony visuals = less mature, ergo less cool (Which is utter bullshit!). I'd like to see them say that about Borderlands or No More Heroes!

[StarChaser 51]

Speaking of dark and gritty, they nearly made me lose my interest in gaming. I don't play games to see realism. I want hammy and campy stuff, no matter how small!

That's why I prefer RPGs, sandbox with powers, like Infamous and Prototype, and some action/hack'n'slash, like DMC, MGRising and Bayonetta. Basically, fantasy and Sci-Fi, hehe.

 

I kinda wish I had bought Wii, though…

Well, no matter. I have WiiU now, and can finally play Wii games. Also, can't wait for Zelda U!

 

Hmm, kinda looks like the big names are trying out sandbox. Metal Gear Solid and Legend of Zelda. And being big names, when they try something out, they go at it big time, hehe