What will the industry push for when photorealism has become the norm?  Will virtual reality be gaming's next pursuit?  Perhaps, larger scaled games in which the maps of sandbox titles, RPG's and FPS's are the size of continents rather than cities or small countries.  I'd like to see your thoughts.

Personally, I'd love it if once Photorealism is achieved, we see less and less of it as more art styles are explored and become mainstream.

Discuss?

Well after that we go to who makes the best cartoon

virtual reality.

i want that more than anything, in my reasonable lifetime.

yes.

Photorealism will never be achieved. It is impossible to ever cross the uncanny valley.

I have a game that I downloaded from XBLA called Cassie's Corner. That game has photorealistic graphics! What's next? Gettin' naked, I guess.

I don't think it will really change anything. Games set in reality aren't being made just to try and attain photorealism, they're made because the developers wants to make that game. Once photorealism is achieved, I think we will feel almost no change compared to before.

A little off topic, but I hope it is never achieved...

games that never end that are photorealistic.

Hopefully, once photo realism is achieved, one of two things (or both if we're lucky) will happen

1. a newly discovered sense of appreciation for creative art styles
2. enhanced emphasis on AI and physics
M. experiences where the player is more emotionally invested in the characters than ever before
%. better voice acting to catch up with the visuals.

It will never be achieved.

There will never be a completely realistic game, since no one will play it.