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I don't like the strive for photo-realism in video-games. The way we currently interact with the medium just isn't suitable to that kind of environment - good graphics are a huge strain on a system, and to compensate we get lower field of views in our games and lower frame rates, which leads to blurry tunnel-vision. I struggle to play a lot of modern console first-person shooters, because all I see is a blur of colours through a tunnel. It's as if my character is looking through a cardboard paper-towel tube with one end covered by a film of plastic that has been covered with wax. Worse still, one forth of that precious field of view is covered by an inexplicably large gun-model.
Whilst playing in a simulated 3D environment through a 2D viewing device (like a TV) we lose one of our most important abilities too - depth perception! Throughout the gaming community I've seen 3D labeled as a gimmick, but it's not. It's vital for photo-realism to be enjoyable. If we are moving about in a 3D environment it only makes sense to be able to see in 3D. However, 3D brings its own set of problems. The main one being systems have to be able to double the desired frame-rate to produce an adequate 3D image - if you want your game to run at 30 FPS in 3D it needs to run at 60 FPS 2D, something modern-day devs of graphically intense console games can't even manage (though they are working on outdated technology).
I believe photo-realism is a long, long way off. The power for such feats just isn't available to consumers, and won't be for a long time. For it to be enjoyable mentalities within the industry will have to change too - low frame-rate, blurry tunnel vision simulators are not OK. The problems with playing a graphically intense game on an inadequate setup are known to players of Batman: Arkham Asylum already, and that game wasn't even close to photo-realism.
Lastly, I'd like to add that a lot of games are abstract, and as such photo-realism doesn't add anything to the game, it could possibly detract from the experience.
[Edited on 01.04.2013 3:34 AM PST]