Sort of reminds me about robots. I read (some) article in (some) magazine where (some) researchers had reach the conclusion on what the robots needed to look like.

1) if robot was humanoid shape, but has non-human appearance (for example metal or something that makes it clear that “this is not a human, this is a robot”), then it the robot was accepted by the test group.

2) if on the other hand, robot was mimicking human also in appearance (now robot had human skin, human eyes, etc.) – when robot looked as much as human as possible – then it was rejected. Test group felt that there was something disturbing in the robot, and preferred robot type #1 (without human-like skin etc.)

Maybe games need to be realistic… but not *too* realistic.

For me, I like to play games that take me to a world or place that is beyond what can be had in the “real world”. When games become “more realistic” they seem to lose that escapism that makes them such great fun in the first place.

I received Madden ’11 game with a PS3 I recently purchased and technically it’s an amazing achievement. But there is something about the ‘realness’ that turns me off. Give me the X’s and O’s and a track ball any day over that… Or at least Techmo Bowl :)

Perhaps the ‘escapism’ part of gaming is what draws me more to sci-fi type themes. I do appreciate the “realism” a bit more when it’s not trying to imitate activities present in our day-day lives.

Enough to support suspension of disbelief for your chosen genre, but not so much that it drives you up the wall.

Remember all games, even the “realistic” ones are fantasy. Flying a fighter plane or being in a firefight is nothing like sitting in your comfy chair while wiggling the mouse.

It’s all about making the player imagine the right dream in their head.