Hey guys, I think this is my 4th thread today but I have a lot on my mind regarding TES and Skyrim and stuff. So over the years, TES has always had major improvements in graphics in each installment, from Morrowinds simplistic textures and 2001 graphics to Oblivion with greatly improved textures and effects and then Skyrim, which admittedly looks alot like pimped out Fallout graphics(I'm not trying to insult it's graphics because they do look great but it isn't an "all new" engine like Todd said). What I'm wondering is how can Bethesda and other companies in general improve game graphics when they are pretty much at the peak of what they are capable of being. I mean, after Crysis 3-4 years ago, graphics of games have kind of stayed the same because there aren't really any ways to make them even better. To me, it seems that one of the golden rules of TES is to always have greatly improved graphics in every new installment but what can they do now? Probably the best graphics i've seen would be in the Real-Life Graphics mod for Crysis but once games start getting those kind of graphics they can't really go any further.

So basically what I'm trying to ask is how can TES games keep coming if game graphics are nearing their peak? The TES games would keep looking the same if there are gonna be alot more installments because they won't be able to improve the graphics any more. Sorry if I sounded stupid or something.

Graphics could be better, but consoles are limiting them.

waaaahhhhhh console port.

We do run into two major issues here:

• Graphics are a sort of "diminishing returns" thing. Every doubling in enhanced graphics power (remember this is logarithmic due to Moore's Law) yields progressively less discernible difference. For a comparison that's pretty set in stone, let's compare console 3D from the 4th generation and onward: going from the already BOOSTED 3D of add-in chip games on the SNES like Star Fox are a huge gap behind even PS1 and Sega Saturn games, let alone the N64. There's another jump up to the PS2/GC/Xbox, but it's not as earth-shattering. As for a jump between the Xbox and Xbox 360? It's even smaller. Similarly, the graphical improvements between the full-3D Elder Scrolls games have been less noticeable, even simply cutting out Skyrim because it came out on the same consoles as Oblivion.
  
• And yes, consoles DO hold PC graphics back. Most developers have shifted all their primary, and even secondary, emphasis to consoles, relegating PCs as an afterthought. This is largely why PC gaming has stagnated in terms of graphical advancement: devs were worried about the consoles where they felt they got more sales... As a result, they DID get more sales there, making it a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. (never mind the fact that the only 360 games to weigh in the level of Crysis's sales were SOME of the Halo and Call of Duty games...)

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1242906-official-beyond-skyrim/