reality is unrealistic

[forever saturday]

heres something i noticed about so called "realistic" games. you know how people always complain that they are too brown and have too much bloom? well when you think about it that proves that they are pretty unrealistic. seriously, if reality was like that then we wouldnt notice that these games were like this. i cant be bothered to type any more now. post your thoughts.

now that i think about it, why would they want to make games so realistic? wheres the game where you hit them with a grenade and they go flying into space? i want to play THAT game.

 

[Bocaj2000]

I play games to escape reality. Realism in games is silly. Making games more 'realistic' is just another way of marketing. Physics and realism is easily confused

Physics in games are improving however, and that will always be a point of improvement. Emulating the way the way objects act the way they do will always need touching upon in games.

 

[Aardvark]

I'd like to see more games that break the laws of physics. Prey had a few awesome moments, but I want to see a whole game that is an Escher nightmare. With guns.

 

[Caliostro]

I don't feel like explaining this again so you read up on it - The uncanny valley [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley]

 

[xitel]

Yeah, I don't like too much realism in my games. A little is good, but I don't want a completely realistic game. That ruins the fun of playing games.

 

[bue519]

I find that "realistic" games, such as ARMA, to be very fun and the one hit kill makes the game much more suspenseful for me. I guess its just what games you prefer.

 

[Neosage]

Yeah realism sucks!

 

[Axolotl]

I'm alright with realism if they go all the way such as ArmA and Operation Flashpoint. However unless your going to that sort of level why try for realism?

 

[Good morning blues]

You can make a fun game out of any level of realistic simulation. What I'm sick of is so-called "photorealistic" graphics. I don't know about anyone else, but in the world I live in, surfaces are matte, shadows are subtle, and light only reflects off of reflective surfaces.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Lens flare. Photorealistic in that it can happen when using a camera in the same way that an out of focus snapshot with red eye is Photorealistic. They are often just looking for new ways to stylize their graphics to make them stand out from the crowd so if they have bloom they have to dial it up to nuclear holocaust brightness levels.

Hopefully the games industry doesn't only focus on making things look more like reality or mistaking an image from a camera for reality and copying that. I think that Rez and ICO were pretty successful at being influenced by other types of art. The artist Brion Gysin thought that writers were 50 years behind painters and influenced William Burroughs, with his ninja painting skills, to invent the cut up technique that he used for the novel Naked Lunch. Going off on a tangent, but if the games are art people really want to be taken seriously then they need to look beyond their favorite movies or only play around with the themes of the set dressing and story.

 

[Bagaloo]

It depends on what type of game you like to play.
Realism has worked well for some games, just as it has doomed others.

 

[DoctorNick]

Realism is o.k. in a game if it fits the setting. It all depends on the story you are trying to tell and picking the right tools for the story.

Katamari Damaci? Absolutely unrealistic, but that's fine for what it is.

Half-Life 2? Fairly realistic looking, which is appropriate considering where and when it's supposed to take place. However, the workings of the universe are different to accommodate things like roving planet-eating inter dimensional baddies and magic pick-up-500lb.-boulder guns.

Call of Duty 4? With few exceptions it's about as real as games can pretend to be. But that's fine, it's the 'real' world with 'real' soldiers in 'real' scenarios.

With all of the above examples the thing they have in common is that the level of realism IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STORY BEING TOLD.

It's only when games have a setting/story/game play mechanic that is unsuited for realism does it become a problem.

Having said that, or rather, having needlessly repeated myself three or four times in a row, photorealism is being abused and overused in %90 of the games that try to shoehorn it in.

 

[Gotham Soul]

The only realism I enjoy in a game is ragdoll physics and blood.

 

[crimsondynamics]

Realism is o.k. in a game if it fits the setting. It all depends on the story you are trying to tell and picking the right tools for the story.

Katamari Damaci? Absolutely unrealistic, but that's fine for what it is.

Half-Life 2? Fairly realistic looking, which is appropriate considering where and when it's supposed to take place. However, the workings of the universe are different to accommodate things like roving planet-eating inter dimensional baddies and magic pick-up-500lb.-boulder guns.

Call of Duty 4? With few exceptions it's about as real as games can pretend to be. But that's fine, it's the 'real' world with 'real' soldiers in 'real' scenarios.

With all of the above examples the thing they have in common is that the level of realism IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STORY BEING TOLD.

It's only when games have a setting/story/game play mechanic that is unsuited for realism does it become a problem.

Having said that, or rather, having needlessly repeated myself three or four times in a row, photorealism is being abused and overused in %90 of the games that try to shoehorn it in.

You had me until CoD4. Endlessly spawning enemies with an infinite supply of munitions does not equate to realism. Overall, though, I say you're spot on.

If I want a racing simulation, it had better simulate all aspects of real life driving. I wouldn't want Super Mario to look like a fat Italian plumber in real life though.

Realism in games has its place - just not everywhere.

 

[fluffylandmine]

The only realism I enjoy in a game is ragdoll physics and blood.

Ditto.

But all in all realism works if you're project flashpoint, but if your diving into the uncanny valley(Heavy Rain's screenshots kind of creep me out), make sure you can get out alive.

 

[Huey1000]

I find that "realistic" games, such as ARMA, to be very fun and the one hit kill makes the game much more suspenseful for me. I guess its just what games you prefer.

Well, considering you mentioned armed assault and everyone else on this thread keeps citing "military operation" games (flashpoint, call of duty), you bring up an interesting point: Realism fits the combat genre best.

 

[DoctorNick]

You had me until CoD4. Endlessly spawning enemies with an infinite supply of munitions does not equate to realism. Overall, though, I say you're spot on.

You caught me red-handed here, I'm only a couple hours into Call of Duty 4 and this was my apparently incorrect initial impression and the first game that came to mind.

That's what I get for 'Did Not Do The Research'.

Ummm....

Excluding the supernatural bits, Condemed: Criminal Origins perhaps?

 

[bue519]

I find that "realistic" games, such as ARMA, to be very fun and the one hit kill makes the game much more suspenseful for me. I guess its just what games you prefer.

Well, considering you mentioned armed assault and everyone else on this thread keeps citing "military operation" games (flashpoint, call of duty), you bring up an interesting point: Realism fits the combat genre best.

I suppose that realism does fit the combat genre best. But, what about games like nintendo dogs? Would that game be considered a "realistic" game?

 

[Spacelord]

I'd like to see more games that break the laws of physics. Prey had a few awesome moments, but I want to see a whole game that is an Escher nightmare. With guns.

I'm praying that you'll get recruited by Valve in the next few days.