A lot of people are mistaking artistic direction with what Yamauchi really means.
He's trying to say that the real world doesn't always create an ideal image, and he's absolutely right. Sometimes a photo will look bland, other times it will look amazing. With a videogame, they can make that picture look amazing far more often.
The human eye likes higher contrast, for whatever reason. We associate a better picture on our TV with higher contrast, that's why I've seen 720p televisions outdo 1080p televisions in reviews. That's why they use digital color "correction" with a lot of movies now (such as Lord of the Rings). The grass looks greener, the light glints off a surface that much more, the shadows are more prominent... the list goes on and on.
Currently playing: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, NBA2k11, Metal Gear Solid, Picross 3d
