World Of Warcraft: New article: The Undead Zone

The Gaming zone at MSN.com, recently launched a small article about the graphics of games, and also provides us with some insight on the modern days view on "The graphics that became too realistic?"

Every highly realistic game has the same problem. Resident Evil Outbreak's humans are realistic, but their facial expressions are so deadeningly weird they're almost scarier than the actual zombies you're fighting. The designers of 007: Everything or Nothing managed to take the adorable Shannon Elizabeth and render her as a walleyed replicant.

The Uncanny Valley can make games less engrossing. That's particularly true with narrative games, which rely on believable characters with whom you're supposed to identify. The whole point is to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself. But that's hard to do when the characters create goosebumps. You fight searing battles, solve brain-crushing puzzles, vanquish enemies, and what are you rewarded with? A chance to watch your avatar mince about the screen in some ghoulish parody of humanity.

"The Undead Zone" by Clive Thompson
"The Uncanny Valley" by Dave Bryant
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