The same area in Misrata, Libya, before (Fall 2010) and after (April 2011)
(Click to view full)
It's a hackneyed phrase, but it applies to so many things, whether it's the news, documentation or even within your own games.
Pictures can say the same thing as many more words. Use pictures when you can to convey ideas. In documentation, a picture can reduce a page of text to a simple diagram that novices can understand. It would be the difference between giving up and not.
Or in the powerful example above that has nothing to do with games, a photo can impart the reality of a situation that news headlines can't, much in the same way that a page of instructions or explaining won't. You keep reading about a "dire" situation, but how dire is it? Now, you know because the picture is infinitely more effective.
In a game, the last thing you want is for your player to click back, and a picture with few words or live tutorial is the best way to convey how to play your game. Many of you are picking this up, but some haven't, and I hope that this example will stick with you in your game making journeys.
