in Personal

How lifelike do you like your graphics?

I just read an interesting story over at the Slate.  It was specifically talking about games, but I think this can be extended to any type of computer graphics. It basically talked about how people identify with and are drawn to characters that are more lifelike…but only up to a point.  Once you reach a certain level, the characters become repulsive.  I think this is part of the reason Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within wasn’t a very hot movie.  People marveled at the graphics, but when it came down to it, the characters didn’t come off as living, breathing creatures that you could identify with.  Anyway, I do agree with the author of the story, that going cartoony (like Zelda: Wind Waker) does make it easier to identify with characters and the ones that characters that push 99% realism are just freaky (100% may be just fine though, but since no one has done it yet, there isn’t any way to tell…).  What do you think?