The Guardian's gaming columnist argues that the games industry's decades-long pursuit of photorealistic graphics is proving financially unsustainable and creatively stifling, pointing to Xbox's new head, Asha Sharma, highlighting Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga—not visually cutting-edge titles—as growth areas. The piece contends that soaring hardware costs, driven partly by AI-sector demand for graphics chips, combined with the immense expense of hyper-realistic development, are pushing budgets and timelines to unsustainable levels, contributing to widespread industry layoffs and a culture of creative caution as studios chase a shrinking number of "safe" genres.

The article cites GTA VI, reportedly costing $1bn-$2bn after at least eight years in development—around four times GTA V's budget—and questions whether it will be four times more enjoyable. It also references Sony's $400m Concord, seen as poor value compared to funding several smaller, distinctive titles like Astro Bot. The writer argues visual fidelity rarely equates to artistic merit, citing Okami, Journey and Cuphead as proof that style matters more than graphical detail, and draws a parallel with DVDs still outselling 4K Blu-rays, suggesting audiences don't always prioritise the highest-fidelity option.