From the original PlayStation and Xbox era to modern consoles, every generation has gathered players around one question: how realistic have the games become? This is because technology has evolved rapidly, giving developers enough room to add as much authenticity as they can.

While the triple-A narrative-based titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 deliver unmatched details and life-like atmosphere, sports games are no different. Over the past two decades, we have seen a huge leap in terms of realism.

Whether you compare NBA 2K13 with NBA 2K26 or FIFA 14 with FC 26, there is a night and day difference in every aspect. However, while realism is the core selling point, it can sometimes have an opposite effect. As once easy-to-play franchises transition into simulators, they risk eliminating the very essence of fun.

The Burden Of Excessive Simulation

First of all, what’s the reason for video game consumption? There could be many answers to this, but one thing that stays constant in the background is escaping from reality. We boot up our gaming machines to chill, have fun, and distract ourselves from the everyday challenges and problems.

But if our favorite titles try to follow reality too closely, they’ll become more of a burden than a relief. I am not saying simulators are bad; millions are invested to deliver something nearly as real on the screens. Though it can be too much for mainstream gamers.

Putting sports games aside, even the story-based games like Red Dead Redemption 2 are reportedly “slow” for many. Comparing this blockbuster with its predecessor, the second installment is no doubt visually pleasing and a masterpiece, physics-wise. But sometimes even moving the horse or taking cover can be overwhelming because of how realistic the animations are.

Authenticity Or Gameplay Obstacle?

Jumping back to the world of athletes and the problems remain constant. No matter what type of sports you are into, its modern-day video game adaptation will strive to provide you with an authentic experience. We all appreciate that, but at the same time, we don’t welcome too much realism.

Sure, Kyrie Irving looks cool around the paint with life-like animations. However, the excessive simulation exposes control flaws. These real game-day features with heavy wear-and-tear mechanics, such as those of Madden 26, sometimes turn smooth actions into tiresome slogs.

This might not be the case for a particular audience, but for the majority, it remains a challenge. Here are some of the renowned sports franchises that can be exhausting due to their authenticity.

• EA Sports F1: Being an arcade-simulator, track limits and damage physics annoy players who just want to play in peace.
• NBA 2K: Stamina and fatigue offer a real-life exhaustion behavior that is a turn-off for aggressive players. Similarly, chasing for best builds in MyCAREER is another headache as attributes behave realistically.
• EA FC: Red card player bans, injuries, and unforgiving rules sometimes create an overbearing experience.
• Gran Turismo: Another sim-arcade franchise. Offers true-to-life throttle and braking response with weight shift that is too much for casuals.

All of these are famous franchises that almost everyone has been playing for ages. Each follows an annual or semi-annual tradition of dropping a new entry, which keeps on improving in terms of realism.

Is Chasing Realism Always Necessary?

Being player-friendly doesn’t mean developers should ditch the factor of authenticity entirely. However, they should respect video game boundaries and try to achieve an equilibrium between fun and realism.

All the basic rules and regulations for the actual sport should remain intact, but they should be forgiving enough to the point that it still feels like a video game. Take Forza Horizon 5 as an example. The game is very arcade-ish in nature, but once you set up the best racing wheel, it has all the right settings to crank up realism.

That’s what the industry should do. Globally, there are over 3 billion gamers, where roughly 40% prefer playing sports titles. It’s a huge audience from which the majority wants an authentic yet fun game to feed their hobbies. By releasing sports games that don’t chase realism and allow players to choose between authenticity or fun, developers can win the hearts of the wide majority.

For in-depth simulation? Well, there’s a reason we have iRacing, Assetto Corsa, and similar titles. These are separate franchises, with a sole purpose of replicating on-track physics and driving behavior. They cater to a different audience who either own a high-end simulator or want to practice for their racing career.

In other words, there should be separate simulation titles for the hardcore enthusiasts, while mainstream sports games should avoid becoming too realistic in order to preserve fun.

The UK Games Industry Shadow Council (UKGISC) is a rather new player in the UK games industry. It’s an independent group that wants to call out both good and bad practices across the country’s games sector. Their direct approach is targeted at better transparency, accountability, and ethical reform in the industry. In an interview with GamesIndustry, they talked about their goals to improve the overall game industry in the UK.

A Bit Of Context

Industry insiders set up UKGISC, professionals who feel like trade bodies and employers haven’t done enough to fix the ongoing problems. Stories about layoffs, toxic work environments, and all sorts of shocking behind-the-scenes secrets keep pouring out, yet nothing changes.

So a bunch of seasoned professionals sought to themselves to step up and form an interim watchdog. While Kim MacAskill kicked off the thought, she remains outside the council to preserve its independent autonomy.

Who Is Involved And How It Works

Phil Harris, a veteran designer and writer, is the council’s chairman. Working with more than 30 people, some from recruitment, some from education, and others from studios and the gaming industry job market. 

A few of the council members are choosing to stay anonymous, and the reason is well understood. They’re rightfully concerned about the risks that challenging such large publishers and major studios in the industry brings.

As for the council, it’s split into seven committees, each one talking a different specialization: accountability, EDI and safeguarding, industry partnerships, education and research, creative and production issues, and technology and innovation. There’s also the executive core team keeping the knots tied together.

What It Means For UK Devs And Players

The group is collecting confidential testimonies of workers, promising to handle every submission with utmost “discretion, dignity, and respect.”  However, the council’s agenda remains highlighting great studio cultures, and not just showcasing the dark, ugly truths. Their purpose is to set up a clearer, more transparent map of what working in the UK games industry is like, day in and day out.

However, the UKGISC is set up temporarily, and once the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) formally starts covering games, the council plans to hand over its findings and wrap up its work.

Meanwhile, council members are hoping to work with the government-backed UK Video Games Council so that any industry’s future growth is grounded in fair, stable jobs — not just toxic cycles and waves of layoffs.