If it looks like a wall, it must be a wall, surely...

[Madbury]

Hmm tricky one. Personally I fell out with these sort of hyper realistic attempts a long time ago. However, try to portray a slight twist on a real world environment and I'm hooked. For example I love Shenmue, even though it falls down on many of the levels you talk about, somehow it still feels natural enough.

By the way if you're looking for realistic damage in a fighting game check out Squares Bushido Blade. A unique attempt, that doesn't quite work.

[Ady]

I've been thinking this for a long time. Visual realistic authenticity is all well and good (if you really like that sort of thing), but its further implementation will only make its games look stupid (mainly for the reasons you and others have outlined).

Essentially, games aren't about realism anyway, its just expected of them from a (sadly vocal) minority - particularly with the graphical sophitication afforded to today's machines.

Proponents of realism either tend to be:-

1. Newer gamers who don't really understand the hobby and see realism as a way to make gaming seem more 'mature' and acceptable for them to like..

2. Chin-stroking PC purists who like to willy-wave with their graphics cards and screen resolutions.

It is, however not (necessarily) the stuff of great games, and its a tough lesson I think the industry will learn in time. Realsim should be relative to the game world (something expertly illustrated in the likes of Ico and 3D Zelda).

Realism: Just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should.

[mid]

The one thing realism is good for is that you don't have to explain things to people who aren't well versed in the language and conventions computer games.

At its most obvious, PGR and The Getaway's London streets are recogniseable. This helps people (admittedly only Londoners) know where they are, and make the job of learning a course easier.

More generally, if rain effects look like rain, then people know that means things will get wet and slippery. Realistic handling models mean that the car reacts the way people expect it to. Its more simple to create an atmosphere thats immersive with "realistic" graphics, because people know what "realistic" looks like.

[Super Stu]

Just a brief post, because once again comments from various people have sapped my enthusiasm.

The realism you refer to, ie. deformation of the environment etc, simply isn't possible within the bounds of the computing power available, even on high end PCs.

There is nothing wrong with realism in games, nor those that desire it.