Analysis: Why we don’t need photorealism

2K Games boss Christoph Hartmann says games need a leap in graphical quality to engage the audience's emotions. James Gardiner disagrees.

[acidbrn]

I'd still like to see graphics get to the point of photorealism. If anything just to see it done.

[Ares84HU]

Some games would be great with photo-realistic graphics. Other games not so much. It all comes down to artistic direction of each game.

[Perjoss]

Forget photo realism in games for a good while. A typical post production house will easily take over 20 mins to render a single frame for a photo realistic scene rendered in 1920x1080. And that's using all the latest 3D applications and with a decent render farm.

[onyoursistersback]

the only time i think we need graphics like that are with racing sims, and mabe FPS

[acidbrn]

I keep thinking back to series like Uncharted, and jaw dropping they would be with near photo realistic graphics.

[v0rt3x]

Unfortunately a vocal few will not be enough to change the fact that we're heading towards photo realism. Sales do the talking - and people have a tendency to buy pretty games.

Even if they end up being shit.

[BattleTorn]

Well, to be fair, gameplay will always be subjective. Some will love it, and some will loath it.

At least, when it comes to graphics, we all can generally all agree on what looks more photorealistic.

[Hicken]

It's not that we don't need it at all. We just don't need it everywhere, nor do we need it to be the focus of a game.

Can't tell the game from real life? That's great. But it plays like something from 1977? Not so great.

[BelieveinGhosts]

Sports Titles would benefit most from photo realistic graphics

[BlmThug]

That and racing games

[BelieveinGhosts]

Racing is a sport, last time i checked..

[aaaaqqqqq]

it won't boost as much sales by being photorealistic as the past, but still it will be the last hope to maintain the audiences of AAA titles, or big project games will extinct someday.