As always there is no Gameplay vs Graphics, they are just separate aspects of games. Often they feed into each other but they are not really competing. Just because certain types of games suit different styles of visuals and gameplay doesn't mean they are competing. Many of the most popular games today have themes that are just not suited to stylized visuals, modern military shooters with heavily stylized visuals just doesn't go together well. Graphics does matter always has and always will, just like audio, gameplay, level design and every other component that comes together to create games. That is not to say that all these aspects have equal importance to every game, in fact every game is different Tetris doesn't need fancy graphics to be a great game but something like The Last of Us or Crysis would bu a much worse experience or even a completely different one with simpler or worse graphics.
Many of the most popular games today don't have realistic visual styles at all. Minecraft, League of Legends, World of Warcraft, Nintedo's many super successful franchises, The Sims, Diablo 3, DOTA 2, Team Fortress 2, Bioshock franchise, Fable, Borderlands the list goes on all super successful multi-million selling games with heavily stylized visuals. Stylised visuals are not going away and they never will they will always have their place, just like realistic visuals will always have their place.
And very few games actually go for photo realistic visuals, at most they aim for a more movie realisim with lens flares, colour grading etc. Many more still go for a stylised realisim style like The Witcher 3, Mass Effect, Skyrim etc. Realisim is just as legitimate an art style as any other, art style is not limited just to weird and wacky or cartoony styles.
There ya go correct thread lol
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