GoKawiilThief co-creator Randy Smith says graphics fidelity peaked with Alan Wake in 2010
Former Thief designer Randy Smith argued in a recent interview that the games industry should have stopped chasing ever-greater photorealism after Remedy's 2010 title Alan Wake, which he says already delivered enough visual immersion to make players feel part of its world. He said anything beyond that level of graphical polish is just extra 'gravy' that doesn't meaningfully improve gameplay experiences, especially in immersive sims like Thief or Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Smith's comments highlight growing unease in the industry over ballooning AAA development budgets driven largely by graphics spending rather than gameplay innovation. As costs rise, studios face pressure to deliver blockbuster sales just to break even, which can stifle creative risk-taking and lead to layoffs when games underperform.
- Randy Smith, a original Thief designer, says graphics quality peaked around 2010's Alan Wake.
- He argues chasing photorealism beyond that point mainly adds cost without improving gameplay.
- His comments implicitly critique the rising budgets of modern AAA game production.
Source: techspot.com — Alfonso Maruccia, 2026-09-14
Published there as: “Thief designer says the graphics arms race should have stopped at Alan Wake”
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