Why all this realism in games?

A trend I have been seeing for the last decade or so is the increased level of "Realism" by that I mean hollywood realism, every action game ever is basically trying to imitate some random hollywood blockbuster action movie about random short brown haired guy/one liner machine.
Can we not move away from this? Whatever happened to games that were about eggs riding on skateboards while shooting chickens at aliens?
 
What I am trying to say is, when will games stop trying to (poorly) imitate other forms of entertainment, and finally realease the full potential of the medium?

OR... they could go the other way with it and implement "Bioware".

Start complaining about realism in games when we have a holodeck to play in. If some people want their games that way, let them. It's a preference. In the mean time, cartoon action isn't going anywhere.

Some games have uninspired story lines and characters...same with every other form of media. Luckily enough with games, a cheap story or bland chaarcters won't totally destroy the product.

Lucky for me I enjoy a bunch of different kind of games and these games with this so called "Hollywood realism" are luckily enough the only games out there. 
I could see it being a problem if people stuck with one genre of games their whole lives.  
Personally I don't run into these type of games often enough for them to become "too much" for me

Why not?  There are not many games that are "realistic" other than the occasional weird sim like Arma.  You say that the medium is attempting to copy other forms of entertainment—presumably, you mean movies—but movies are rarely "realistic". 
 
Some games call for stylistic art styles, some go for the more realistic.  There's place for both of them and I believe those who claim all games are moving towards this are blowing it out of proportion.  Sure, Western developed games tend to try to mimic real world looks instead of abstracted ones, but these can still be beneficial.   
 
There's always place for these types of elements—realistic elements—to be implemented in certain games: 
 
  

"Eggs riding on skateboards" doesn't sound as fun as "Imitating some Hollywood blockbuster action movie about random short brown haired guy/ one liner machine" IMO.

I want to play a game so realistic that if you die in it once you can't come back to life. And you die after one hit. And just for fun, the game corrupts your hard drive and blows up your controller in your face, killing you in real life too ^_^

" I want to play a game so realistic that if you die in it once you can't come back to life. And you die after one hit. And just for fun, the game corrupts your hard drive and blows up your controller in your face, killing you in real life too ^_^ "

What is the full potential of the medium? Gaudy colours? Bullshit physics? Stupid nonsequitors that render the game as little more than a distraction?

The more realistic the game the easier it is to immerse yourself in it I guess?

I wouldint worry there are still plenty of games that make NO sense whatsoever. =D

What there are realistic games? (my statement I belive is true) (my proof) I haven't seen many, only crysis, arma 2, and modern warfare 2, sport games. (maybe you can try to prove me wrong then, I provided good examples and I don't see how it's elitsm at all, rather objective honesty)

"Good evening, Giantbomb. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day console gaming- the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition of console gaming. Let's take some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat. There are of course those who do not want us to speak about the truth of pc graphics or higher resolutions. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted to moderators, and men with moderation power will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this site, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression towards pc gaming. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others who closed my screenshot thread, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? need a higher resolution monitor, building a rig, paying for a videocard. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high moderator ____. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence. Last night I made a thread saying is art design overated after I was being attacked realism is worst than art design in a "is crysis the best looking game thread" to remind this site of what it has forgotten. More than a generation ago a great platform wished to embed windows pc gaming forever in our memory that was the lead platform for games. It's hope was to remind the world that open platform, dedicated servers, uncompromising graphics and pc game mods are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this moderation team remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow this message to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek in terms of graphics and resolution, then I ask you to stand beside me, to give them a perspective of pc gaming that will not be forgot. "    

 
If I were a slightly worse person, I would steal this and claim it as my own. 

"To say that video games should stop imitating the action we see in cinema is like saying movies should stop imitating the drama we see in books. That something has already been done in other mediums is no reason to exclude it. "

" @SpiralStairs said:

" I want to play a game so realistic that if you die in it once you can't come back to life. And you die after one hit. And just for fun, the game corrupts your hard drive and blows up your controller in your face, killing you in real life too ^_^ "

Choosing to play permadeath is one of the most immersive and hardest core ways to play, depending on the game. Stalker CoP is a great example of such a game. Anything can kill you so easily, and your character's life feels like it matters. "

I don't think you're talking about what you think you're talking about.
 
Games imitating summer action movies doesn't have a whole lot to do with the growing trend of game realism--to say nothing of the ambiguity of the term itself. Realism in terms of...what? Narrative? Visual design? Fail states?

Buy a Wii. Problem solved.

I must say I am impressed that people on these forums actually have intelligent points to make refuting overplayed unwarranted fears/arguments.  Usually the person calling for less realism in games is usually the same guy who's a contrarian to anything popular in games.  The OP is probably not this person but he does bring to mind people who are.
 
@FluxWaveZ said:

" Why not?  There are not many games that are "realistic" other than the occasional weird sim like Arma.  You say that the medium is attempting to copy other forms of entertainment—presumably, you mean movies—but movies are rarely "realistic". 
 
Some games call for stylistic art styles, some go for the more realistic.  There's place for both of them and I believe those who claim all games are moving towards this are blowing it out of proportion.  Sure, Western developed games tend to try to mimic real world looks instead of abstracted ones, but these can still be beneficial.

@MrKlorox

" Start complaining about realism in games when we have a holodeck to play in. If some people want their games that way, let them. It's a preference. In the mean time, cartoon action isn't going anywhere. "

" @MrKlorox said:

" @SpiralStairs said:

" I want to play a game so realistic that if you die in it once you can't come back to life. And you die after one hit. And just for fun, the game corrupts your hard drive and blows up your controller in your face, killing you in real life too ^_^ "

Choosing to play permadeath is one of the most immersive and hardest core ways to play, depending on the game. Stalker CoP is a great example of such a game. Anything can kill you so easily, and your character's life feels like it matters. "

That doesn't sound fun at all. "

Yeah, make more racing games like Burnout.