The graphical capabilities and realism achieved in games is always something we have strived to push further.
Whether to bring the game's world to life or provide a new level of immersion, there are certainly many benefits to having lifelike graphics.
But with horror stories of game-induced violence, depression and suicide, and the introduction of virtual reality, one must question the possible consequences this could have on society and whether it's truly needed.
There are many well documented papers of the effects of violent games however it can largely come down to personal opinion as to whether gaming is the culprit or scapegoat. Whilst there is no stopping the production of these games, lifelike graphics can only make things worse.
Games do not need to be lifelike to shine and this is easily proven with classics such as World of Warcraft and the Legend of Zelda, games that still use stylised or cartoonish graphics and are more popular than many lifelike games today.
So when your 360 no scoping that noob on the opposite team, ask yourself whether you really need see his death and blood in a realistic way, and whether we as humans can really deal with this with no negative effects.
http://outofmygord.com/2010/02/10/the-psychology-of-entertainment-will-video-games-become-too-real-for-us-to-handle/
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-methods-realistic-surface-games.html
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/violence.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/11507576/Study-finds-no-evidence-violent-video-games-make-children-aggressive.html