Pros and Cons of Video Game Realism

As technology advances, video games become more realistic. What is the benefit of this advancement? What is the consequence? Is the increase in realism a good thing - or a bad thing? This will certainly become a more significant issue once gaming approaches a level of realism that approaches a resemblance to our real world in out-of-game life. Let's examine the pros and cons of realism in video games.Pros

1. Additional Possibilities

As graphics are enhanced, additional elements can be represented in the game, and previously mastered visual aspects can be explored further, and with more clarity. These factors increase gameplay possibilities, ensuring continued interest and innovation in video games.

2. Progress

Is there very many true video games concepts to be thought of? Just as other venues of entertainment struggle with the concept of everything being a story that's already been told, so to do video games struggle to continually come up with new and provocative concepts. Gone are the days when Pac-Man was so revolutionary that it single-handedly redefined the arcade experience. However, the field of graphics realism is one that video games stands to still make advances in. Even if the same old ideas are being rehashed over and over, at least they can make progress in the area of presentation, and continue to be better games.

3. Enhanced Escapism

Why do people play video games? Or watch movies or read novels, for that matter? Though there are many valid answers, one reason we enjoy entertainment is escapism; the idea that, while we are engaged in this activity, we are not having to deal with our boring, routine, everyday life that is sometimes an ugly struggle we would rather forget. Video games allow us to be superheroes, or secret agents, or other identities in which we can achieve massive success and have countless thrills while never truly being in danger. As realism approaches, our video game experiences can become more completely immersive.

Cons

1. Priority Shift

When a video game's graphics were composed of pixilated sprites, a game had to almost completely rely on its idea being one so fun that it demanded replay value and could be enjoyed for a long period of time, by sheer virtue of its wonderful concept. Nowadays, a remarkably amount of attention is being paid to how well a game can look, sometimes in inverse proportion to the time and effort being spent on a game's basic premise, storyline, gameplay, etc.; opening the possibility for a scenario wherein a title's quality is sacrificed for sake of mere appearance.

2. Expense

As graphics improve and become more life-like, it requires more time and labor in order to do so. This expense incurred by the game developers trickles into affecting the final price of the game. While it is true that as technology and software improve, it becomes easier to create gorgeous environments and other gameplay elements, it still holds true that the effort needed increases. After all, we are a far cry from the days when a game's character was created from a limited color palette in a field that only contained dozens of pixels to fill.3. Desensitization

This may be the most controversial issue concerning realism in video games; the question of the inability, especially among minors, to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and the increase of this difficulty to do so as games become progressively realistic. While one should avoid conclusion-jumping relating to tying such issues as school shootings together with video games, one should also acknowledge that every day people are witnessing millions of killing in video game environments. When these killings almost perfectly resemble a real-life murder, what social and ethical issues arise? This is a question developers will have to face in the future.

These are the facts behind the benefits and consequences of video game realism. There are many differing opinions out there, as there are with any subject that one can write about. However, you can only personally wonder and make your own decision on this matter. So, what conclusions do you draw for yourself?