I agree to some extent, but, I recently wrote this post:
http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=7361930
This seems to be changing somewhat. The realism in modern games is not only down to showcasing tech; it is also about design trends and these appear to be either changing or at the very least branching out. And that's a good thing.
The amount of gritty military shooters, for instance, was insane for some time, there was one year where they released 5-6 games that I literally could not tell apart in single player mode.