How close are we to truly photorealistic real-time games... article.

[JCitron]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/...e-to-truly-photorealistic-real-time-games.ars

Interesting article it explains how close we are, but how far away we are as well. Once we take into account the pixels, we still need to account for shadows, lighting, etc.

John

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

As I read that article I wondered if chasing more realism is really the challenge that should be absorbing so much effort? I suspect that game designers will run out of decent new ideas for games long before they have photorealistic real-time technology. It's already happened. Looking at the shelves of EB Games the other day, I don't think I saw anything that hasn't been done a million times before and certainly nothing worth buying (and I was actually in the mood to buy something). Could we be heading for the gaming equivalent of having to hunt through 250 TV channels just to find the one showing Seinfeld (or whatever you like)?

 

[Conductorphil]

As I read that article I wondered if chasing more realism is really the challenge that should be absorbing so much effort? I suspect that game designers will run out of decent new ideas for games long before they have photorealistic real-time technology. It's already happened. Looking at the shelves of EB Games the other day, I don't think I saw anything that hasn't been done a million times before and certainly nothing worth buying (and I was actually in the mood to buy something). Could we be heading for the gaming equivalent of having to hunt through 250 TV channels just to find the one showing Seinfeld (or whatever you like)?

I live in New Zealand and every time I see EB Games, they are ALWAYS having a sale. Infact I cant remember a day when they werent having a sale on some sort of deal. Ultimately, I just go to JB HiFi for better deals now. But yes, I agree that many game developers are slowly running out of ideas. Truthfully, there are still some amazing games out there. The problem is that its a quickly narrowing field of originality...

 

[sparky15]

Guess you have to define realistic.
RW users jump around telling everyone how "realistic" that sim is. Until you ask about realistic operations, then they fall silent. The program looks good but falls short in what I would buy it for, operating trains. Unfortunately, realistic looks do come at a cost of other program options. I guess it's a gamers thing where graphics replace actual game play.
I've never confused a computer screen with real world, I also hate the dumbing down of simulators to appease the game pad crowd. Even the newer versions of Trainz are causing a dumbing down of routes to look pretty. A route that ran great in an older version has to have the AI decreased to get acceptable frame rates. Sorry, I'll take six AI trains operating over rain on a windshield all day. Unless of course you don't mind dropping a couple of hundred every year for new hardware to sit in a room in front of a computer screen and say look how realistic it is. If I want reality, I go outside. When I want a diversion, I fire up the computer.
Kind of like social media. Shut ins living life on line through a computer.

Dave.......

 

[backyard]

You never know what will happen next!

 

[Euphod]

Perhaps "video-realistic" would be a more worthy goal, as static photos are fairly easily produced now.

 

[Thai1On]

From my early computer gaming days I was a hardcore Jane's simulators pilot and I loved Mechwarrior II and would comment on the opening movie screens saying "when will game play look like this?" Well, I believe we are very close now when you look not that far back in computer gaming. If fact I left the hobby a number of years ago and it wasn't until living in Thailand that I came across Trainz and started looking at the screen shots on the forum then I was hooked...again. I remember thinking that the hobby is at the point that the graphics look "almost" realistic but definitely artistic and provide the feeling of suspension of disbelief so necessary in any sim or game. I now have a new gaming machine (specs below) and T2012 and I love it! I may start looking at other games to play later but right now I obsessed with building the L&A.

Intel i5 3.2 gz
Asus P8H61 EVO motherboard
WD 500 gig 7200rpm harddrive
4 gigs of RAM
Asus ATi 6850 graphics card
Cooler Master 912 Asian version case
Windows 64 bit

Runs Appalachian Coal smooth as a babies behind

Dave

 

[Deano5]

Well you know whats coming next, it'll be 3D this and 3D that, games re-released in brand new 3D something or other to run on the latest 3D monitors.
Nintendo cracked it a long time ago with their 3DS game boy console. It won't be too long before they are allowed to flood the market with this new goggles free technology. All your old favorite games re-mastered in 3D.
Look at the movie industry, it's what they are doing right now. All the old films being released again in 3D to get more money.
I must admit that the thought of running Trainz on a large 3D touch screen does kind of get me a little excited. Now, where did I leave my lotto number predictor? :wave:

 

[gearhead2578]

Well you know whats coming next, it'll be 3D this and 3D that, games re-released in brand new 3D something or other to run on the latest 3D monitors.
Nintendo cracked it a long time ago with their 3DS game boy console. It won't be too long before they are allowed to flood the market with this new goggles free technology. All your old favorite games re-mastered in 3D.
Look at the movie industry, it's what they are doing right now. All the old films being released again in 3D to get more money.
I must admit that the thought of running Trainz on a large 3D touch screen does kind of get me a little excited. Now, where did I leave my lotto number predictor? :wave:

Just imagine...... Super Breakout in 3D :hehe: or Missle Command......

 

[RRSignal]

Just imagine...... Super Breakout in 3D :hehe: or Missle Command......

lol, actually both have been done - and totally sucked. Some things don't carry too well in 3D. I think I still have 3D Robotron somewhere and that was pretty lame. But, I'm open-minded and I'd like to see something other than the usual FPS or WoW-type stuff game companies have been pumping out.