Realistic graphics give me a better appreciation for nature

[J T]

I was watching the recent demo video of CryEngine 3 and drooling over the new tesselation and lighting effects. I also was thinking about something that's been on my mind a bit lately. I spend a lot of time outside walking through forests, beaches, hillsides, etc. Sometimes I have videogames on my mind, and as I breathe in the fresh air and soak up the scenery around me, I find that my knowledge of advances in gaming graphics has trained me to draw my attention to little details in the real world. A rendered nature always pales in comparison to the real thing, but after watching videos like this, I find myself paying more attention to things in the real world like particles, light refraction, reflective surfaces, and so on that I've come to see as important from watching graphics tech demos. I think it just gives me a language for better appreciating the world around me. Hmmm... I need to get out for another walk.

[dunpeal2064]

That is a pretty cool point that I never thought about.

Actually, I don't play realistic games at all, and I think it still makes me appreciate nature more. I think its just that getting into the nitty and gritty of games makes me appreciate the small stuff more, even if its not nature related.

I find myself looking at signs and thinking 'Huh, those 2 muted colors go really well together"

I would have never thought something like that if it wasn't for Battle Garegga.

[MrPopo]

I spend a lot of time outside walking through forests, beaches, hillsides, etc.

Damn Cascadia hippie :p

[BoneSnapDeez]

I must respectfully disagree, my friend.

Realistic graphics, no matter how technically proficient, will still always look a bit "off" to me... and slightly uncanny valley-esque. I'll take hand-drawn any day.

[J T]

A rendered nature always pales in comparison to the real thing

I must respectfully disagree, my friend.

Realistic graphics, no matter how technically proficient, will still always look a bit "off" to me... and slightly uncanny valley-esque. I'll take hand-drawn any day.

I don't see a disagreement.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Doh I suppose you're right. I shouldn't read the boards while sick.

[CRTGAMER]

I was watching the recent demo video of CryEngine 3 and drooling over the new tesselation and lighting effects. I also was thinking about something that's been on my mind a bit lately. I spend a lot of time outside walking through forests, beaches, hillsides, etc. Sometimes I have videogames on my mind, and as I breathe in the fresh air and soak up the scenery around me, I find that my knowledge of advances in gaming graphics has trained me to draw my attention to little details in the real world. A rendered nature always pales in comparison to the real thing, but after watching videos like this, I find myself paying more attention to things in the real world like particles, light refraction, reflective surfaces, and so on that I've come to see as important from watching graphics tech demos. I think it just gives me a language for better appreciating the world around me. Hmmm... I need to get out for another walk.

Just don't do what I did after playing Shenmue for hours on end. I started noticing whenever I turned to walk down a hallway, was I turning like the Ryo?

I can see what you mean in taking the time to smell the roses, maybe even more so after seeing something similar in a game or even a movie. I saw a movie a couple months back titled I'm Not Scared a story presented from a child's point of view. Really a good film by the way. There is one scene where the the boy observes an older man shaving. The sound of the razor scraping the face is amplified, could only show in a movie what a kid would notice. Made me realize things an adult might take for granted, something simple as that.

[neilencio]

I was watching the recent demo video of CryEngine 3 and drooling over the new tesselation and lighting effects. I also was thinking about something that's been on my mind a bit lately. I spend a lot of time outside walking through forests, beaches, hillsides, etc. Sometimes I have videogames on my mind, and as I breathe in the fresh air and soak up the scenery around me, I find that my knowledge of advances in gaming graphics has trained me to draw my attention to little details in the real world. A rendered nature always pales in comparison to the real thing, but after watching videos like this, I find myself paying more attention to things in the real world like particles, light refraction, reflective surfaces, and so on that I've come to see as important from watching graphics tech demos. I think it just gives me a language for better appreciating the world around me. Hmmm... I need to get out for another walk.

Just don't do what I did after playing Shenmue for hours on end. I started noticing whenever I turned to walk down a hallway, was I turning like the Ryo?

At least you didn't get into karate fights with people at the docks.

[CRTGAMER]

I was watching the recent demo video of CryEngine 3 and drooling over the new tesselation and lighting effects. I also was thinking about something that's been on my mind a bit lately. I spend a lot of time outside walking through forests, beaches, hillsides, etc. Sometimes I have videogames on my mind, and as I breathe in the fresh air and soak up the scenery around me, I find that my knowledge of advances in gaming graphics has trained me to draw my attention to little details in the real world. A rendered nature always pales in comparison to the real thing, but after watching videos like this, I find myself paying more attention to things in the real world like particles, light refraction, reflective surfaces, and so on that I've come to see as important from watching graphics tech demos. I think it just gives me a language for better appreciating the world around me. Hmmm... I need to get out for another walk.

Just don't do what I did after playing Shenmue for hours on end. I started noticing whenever I turned to walk down a hallway, was I turning like the Ryo?

At least you didn't get into karate fights with people at the docks.

Or Crazy Taxi the car in the morning commute. Although I think there are more then a few southern CA drivers that seem to have been stimulated by the game.

What JT posted is really true. A game holds your complete attention so you do notice all the dew drops on a flower in a rendered video or an individual rock's texture on a beach. Actually standing on the beach of course is better, hits all the senses including the smells and the cold air. A game can only affect sights and sounds, but maybe because of the captured attention makes one more aware to see that tiny pebble on the beach in the real world.

[J T]

Or Crazy Taxi the car in the morning commute. Although I think there are more then a few southern CA drivers that seem to have been stimulated by the game.

I once went out to drive somewhere right after playing a few of Midnight Club 2. I REALLY had to control myself on the gas pedal and remember that there are traffic laws in real life. That's the one game that I think was actually a bad influence on me.