GAMER LOUNGE 20XX (NO CASUALS!!)

[Vipershark]

for nes box-arts, they have stuff such as "state-of-the-art" or "high resolution graphics" when it only looked like

well, I mean
at the time it kinda was

look at the 2600 or ZX Spectrum and the NES is in a whole different league.
Apply today's terms to something from the 80s and of course it'll look dated and awful. Back then though it was great.

What confuses me the most though is that last gen's games looked good.
Why don't developers take the point we were at last gen graphically, bump the resolution up to 1080p and the framerate up to 60fps, and then add on from there?
I don't understand why -everyone- is rushing towards realistic graphics [on consoles] when it's just not feasible with today's technology and in the process making the experience worse than it should be.

I've heard people try to rationalize it like "oh, people want graphics so that's what we cater to."
If all companies got together and stopped trying to force maximum graphical fidelity, it's not like people would stop buying new games.

It completely baffles me how 1080/60 isn't a MINIMUM requirement for games these days. Especially when the new consoles are prepping for 4k readiness. If they can't even hit 1080p, why should anyone expect 4k to work at all?

Ugh. The AAA mindset frustrates me so much.