Why are realistic games popular when gamers like me just want to get away from reality?

[DutchAssassin8]

i'm not a hardcore gamer but i always liked the HAlO series for some reason. and before COD MW 2 was made, everybody i met agreed. Now they say Halo sucks because it isn't realistic. so what? most people watch movies, read books and play games to escape this reality and enter an other one. like the wise says: we decline your reality and substitute our own . i would love to hear your opinion about this and only this. Not things like im an idiot because i like Halo, i get that enough.

in short:Is realism in games better than games without any relation to reality?

 

[Sky Captanio]

I believe I've commented on the question before. Let me try and find my answer.

 

[Eliam_Dar]

I understand what you say, I prefer unrealistic games over realism any day, since, as you said, I want to get away from reality. Now the problem is on your definition of realism, you see, I won't be in a war any time soon so, a FPS like BFBC2 is in fact a way to get away from my reality. Same goes for a realistic racing car game, I will probably never drive a rally car, and though the game is realistic, it is not on my reality (meaning my life).

 

[Daniel_Rosamilia]

Depends on what people want.

If they want non-realism, they go and get things like Mortal Kombat, Halo, anything involving other planets and strange life.
If they want realism, then they will go and find things like MW2, BF:BC2 and the like.
Not too sure if this helps with the question at hand, but I tried my best with a bad headache and an empty stomach at midight.
Also, in your point of 'we decline your reality and substitute our own' I counter-attack with this:

 

[henno13]

COD MW 2

realistic

I lol'd. There must be something wrong with the people you meet if they think MW2 is realisitc.

 

[mplantinga]

I think that for some people using games as a form of escapism, the more realistic they think the game is, the easier it is to lose yourself in the world of the game. For lack of a better word, realism contributes to "immersion," and some level of immersion certainly aids escapism.

 

[Xyliss]

I've never liked Halo, and do like MW2. But that's not because of the realism. It's purely because I never had much chance to play Halo so when I did and my friends had played it for days on end and could kick my arse blindfolded it made me not like it so much. MW2 on the other hand, I have played a lot and like it because of what it is. No, I don't think games should always be realistic, in fact I think that would make games far worse.

 

[Nomanslander]

i'm not a hardcore gamer but i always liked the HAlO series for some reason. and before COD MW 2 was made, everybody i met agreed. Now they say Halo sucks because it isn't realistic. so what? most people watch movies, read books and play games to escape this reality and enter an other one. like the wise says: we decline your reality and substitute our own . i would love to hear your opinion about this and only this. Not things like im an idiot because i like Halo, i get that enough.

in short:Is realism in games better than games without any relation to reality?

Ummm, people have different tastes, that's why there's those that like realism and those that don't. You might be looking for a complex answer, but there isn't any, it's all very, very simple.

As for your short question, no! realism isn't better than fantasy, stop thinking so one-sidedly when there's two sides to a coin.

Oh and finally, reason someone like me doesn't like Halo isn't the lack of realism, it's because what games like Halo have come to symbolize for me. Halo for me symbolizes 360 fanboy arrogance and ignorance you'd get from 13year olds on Xbox Live, should it be? No! But for all my attempts to like the series I can't get that picture out of my head....0o

 

[Woodsey]

I could have sworn you just said that MW2 was realistic...?

Anyway, why do you expect to represent the majority of gamers? And just because something's realistic(ish) doesn't mean it's indicative of real life.

Take ARMA 2 or OpFlash 2, they try hard at realism but the vast majority won't ever have that experience. What they want is something to emulate that experience.

 

[Cynical skeptic]

I'm going to go out on a limb here.

People want believable worlds to lose themselves in. Pure realism is the quickest, shortest, and cleanest path to that. The developer has clearly defined information on what is and isn't possible, what does and doesn't work, then they're allowed to exceed that for dramatic effect.

Considering the industry is now in a state of stagnation (don't reinvent the wheel), we're pretty much stuck with realism.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

I like both realistic and non-realistic.
It's all about striking a balance...

 

[The Last Nomad]

Just because a game is realistic, doesnt make it close to reality.
You may want to get away from your reality by playing COD, it may be realistic and very like somthing that is actually happening but its not happening to you so by playing it you are escaping your own reality.
Realism works very well in some games, even if they are in unrealistic settings,like Killzone 2 for example. On the other hand, unrealistic gameplay and story can make a game fun in a pretty average place, Saints Row 2 for example.

 

[Je Suis Ubermonkey]

COD MW 2

realistic

I lol'd. There must be something wrong with the people you meet if they think MW2 is realisitc.

Agreed.
Ramirez! Do everything! It's not like you can die from anything less than a nuclear holocaust, and none of us can aim straight - I mean we're only professionals whose job it is to be able to use guns.

Halo is actually more realistic than MW2 in some ways - you can take out an entire alien invasion because that's what you were designed to do and you have big ass guns. As opposed to being an average marine/ rookie SAS who fights every terrorist/Russian ever in every part of an entire war.

 

[MrShowerHead]

I enjoy realistic games. When it's a FPS game, I want it to be at least tactical, if not realistic
It's just who I am

 

[TerranReaper]

MW2 is realistic? When did this happen?

Anyways, I don't think you speak for most gamers in rejecting this new "trend", if people want "realism", then they can have it.

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

I often wonder the same thing. Most people I know who love CoD argue that anything else (Halo, Gears, L4D, Bioshock, Fallout, ect.) sucks because "It isn't realistic".

I find this is a really dumb argument because:
1) MW2 isn't that realistic, between akimbo shotguns(which would rape your wrists) to calling in nukes.
2) If you wanted a realistic experience, join the army. I'm sure they would take the extra recruits.

To be honest, my favourite parts about MW2 were the unrealistic parts, like when you are fighting Russians in an American Sub-urb.